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Dreamcast | Action | Sega Marine Fishing | Review

There is no Boxart for - Sega Marine Fishing
  • GRAPHICS: 4.0
  • SOUND: 3.5
  • CONTROL: 4.5
  • FUN FACTOR 4.0
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.0

Review: Sega Marine Fishing

Review by HUMANTORNADO | 11/24/2000 | 14:47:41 PM PST

Sega Marine Fishing picks up where Sega Bass Fishing left off. A few new improvements and additions make it a fun diversion and a nice change of pace.

Sega Marine Fishing lets virtual anglers try their skills with a number of different saltwater species including hammerhead sharks, tarpon, sailfish, tuna, and others in a number of different locations. This latest fishing game from Sega picks up where Sega Bass Fishing left off, but the basics are still the same. You cast to, hook, play, and land fish as you compete for total points while the clock ticks down. A few new improvements to the game engine and mini-game additions make it a fun diversion and a nice change of pace.

Fishin' For Dinner
Sega Bass Fishing veterans will notice that the casting in SMF now lets you change the distance of your cast, so casting accurately is now more of a challenge. This is especially true when you're casting to a large fish or a specific species. If you're too far off target, a small fish is likely to grab your lure. Landing a lure next to your intended quarry isn't easy, and it takes a while to get a feel for distance in the game. While fighting a fish, it's now a lot easier to have the line break or have the hook fall out if there's too little tension on the line. Overall, the game is definitely a notch above Sega Bass Fishing in difficulty.

Mini-games include Total Weight where you aim for the best total weight of fish caught; Fishing Training, where only specific species of fish count; Fight Training where the focus is on landing the fish; Lure Action Training, where you score higher for giving lures the best action with your rod; and Casting Training, where you launch lures at balloon targets for points. The mini-games are good skill building exercises that will help you score higher in the Arcade and Original mode main games, and they're pretty fun. The mini-games also earn you the ability to unlock items like new lures and clothing in the Original mode game.

Dream Casting
Sega Marine Fishing is a small improvement over Sega Bass Fishing. There's more here for the newbie, specifically the mini-games, and there are more species of fish to catch. The graphics are excellent, and the overall tweaks to the game engine are all positive. Although the game doesn't have a two player mode or the same "wow" factor that Sega Bass Fishing did when it hit the stores, Sega Marine Fishing is a fun diversion for those times when you'd rather carry a pole than a gun or sword.