Oh.
Don't worry, this is only the beginning. The fun starts when you jiggle the line in order to tempt your quarry. A slow winding action seems to do the trick, especially with the occasional jerk of the rod (again with a flick of the wrist). This is where the rod controller really shows its class. It's quite sensitive, allowing for subtle movements that make your lure skip realistically through the water.

Cool as!
When you've perfected these skills you'll want to go and try the Arcade mode. This consists of three time-limited rounds, with increasingly hard-to-meet quotas. For instance, in the first round you'll need to catch 4000 grams of prime bass, in the second you'll have to land 6000. It does make for some very tench (eh?) action.

How about the Consumer mode?
This is your standard Tournament mode. It takes plaice (ouch!) over five days, with each split into three sessions - morning, noon and evening. You'll be competing against a whole host of computer opponents and the aim is simply to catch more than them. If you place high enough on the leaderboard you can progress to the next round. Just like golf.

Anything else of note?
Let's see... nice graphics, nice sound, very addictive, innovative controller, great fun and all wrapped up in Sega's familiar arcade loveliness. Yet another reason why the Dreamcast is definitely not dead already. Play it - you'll be hooked for ages.


*The rumbling, reeling rod controller is fantastic
*Graphically smart and suitably aquatic
*Consumer mode should gobble up plenty of hours
*All the fun of fishing without the cruelty
*It won't appeal to everyone - it's fishing for cod's sake!