ENGINEERING ANIMATION INC.; EAI;
Electronic ArtsEA Sports
Championship Bass Forum
Now EA is back on the scene with two new fishing games to the pc and the playstation. And a good news for the European users it that bouth games is release in europe too - it have seen them bouth in shops in Denmark and Sweeden.
As far as I’m informed EA has made two other fishing games before – TNN Bass Tournament 96 to dos and Championship Sea Bass to the snes – but the last one only sold in Japan! What became of TNN Bass 97?
Championship Bass - the PC version
Let’s start with the PC version: Can it match up with the king of 3D bass fishing games to the pc’s: the Trophy games from Sierra and the new young princ - FLW from Wizworks? And can it add any news to a genera that has made a tiger jump in the last few years?Whats good?
I will in short terms point out what I'm finding good about the game. First of all - it's more an arcade game then a simulator. Here is my bullets:+ prof interface – good menus, easy to understand and use
+ 3 game modes - challenge, tour, and trip
+ internet and LAN multiplayer gameing
+ arcade mode
+ bonus stuff
+ force feedback support
+ beautiful graphics
The Interface that meets the player stands out as being almost perfect. In the well known EA style you are guided through some beautifully and easy to understand menus. The designers have really taken care of the usability.
When it’s time to play you can select between 3 modes – Bass Challenge, Fishing Trip or Tournament. And the 3 game types can be played in one or multiplayer mode on LAN or the internet.
In the Challenge mode you have to fish you through over 50 scenarios with the change to win bonus lures or skill if you catch one of the golden bass with the red eyes. Each little challenge takes about 5 -15 min. and you must end in rank 3 to go on to the next challenge. You are fishing in a small area and have to do a minimum of navigation to get to the fish. It’s all about finding just the right spots and then using the right lure correct.
It’s the bonus thing makes the game more then a arcade game then a simulator.
The fish are looking really naturally when you catch them and the water and the nature looks very natural. There is a vide variety of nature elements – rocks, trees plants and even turtles. What the designers has hidden at the bottom of the lake the time will show.
The lures are well designed and are walking well in the water.
The game has Force Feedback support - a must for morden games so you can feel the fish bite!
What is missing?
% no gps and too simple fish finder% to few species – only 7
% to few lakes – only 6
% lakes are to monotonous
% to few gear
% no irl sponsors
After all the nice plusses there must be some minuses too. So what is missing in this game?
The sonar/fish finder are too simple and is not looking realistic. And I realy miss a GPS system so I can save all the hot spots.
The number of species and lakes talks for it self. It would have been nice withs some more, but we can't have anything. But maby it's ok after all - too many might make you frustrated too – like in tb4.
Much of the time the lakes graphic seems to repeet it self – too little variation. This does not count for the challenges where the sceeneries are made of fixed areas that all works very well.
The selection of rod and reel is too poor - a gear sponsor would have been nice. The gear selection is one of the point that makes the game look more like an arcade game than a simulator.
Conclusion
EA has send a fine 3D fishing game on the market. It stands out with its arcade styled challenge that are new to the genera. There is so many good thing in the game and the bad thing are so few that you easily can live with them.With the arcade style the games has found it’s own legs to sand on. Is fun and you get hooked from the first time you play it. When you first has started you just have to beet the next level.
At a price of only $ 20 (200,- dkr) the game is a must for every computer fishing fan. Even you are not so fanatic as I am, I still garente that you will enjoy the game and it beatuful graphic. So go out now and get your self a copy of this game – it’s cool and the more you play it the better it gets.
