Championship Bass
Overall Rating
100
%
Graphics and Sound
Let me start by saying that EA Sports' newest contribution to outdoor
games won't appeal to non-fishers the way a Hot Shots Golf appealed to
non-golfers, but it's a perfect fishing game. It's aimed at fishing fans,
but has enough fun elements to appeal to almost everyone. The graphics are
great, but it's the layout which takes Championship Bass to another
level.
Fishing games have typically been plagued by poor camera angles, ugly
scenery and ATM-like menu interfaces. Championship Bass does it all
right,
with a smart menu system, a killer tutorial and some great in-game screens.
A cool underwater camera tracks the lure, zooms in or out depending on how
many fish are in the area and follows a fighting catch to perfection.
Fish don't make a lot of sound, unless you count desperate splashing
noises. Championship Bass incorporates some mellow background music,
but
pumps up the volume when you've got a big fish on the line. I could have
used one or two more songs in the soundtrack, but what's there is nice.
Gameplay
Fishing is fishing is fishing. What I love about Championship Bass
is
that there's more to the game than: Throw. Reel. Repeat. Along with several
tournament modes and a Free Play mode, Championship Bass' tutorial
plays as
multiple challenge levels, where a Trained Bass Professional walks you
through unique styles of casting and reeling to catch big fish under
different conditions. EA Sports should really have labeled this a tutorial,
but the 'challenge' aspect means you can earn special lures by completing
each level and then take the lures into other parts of the game. The
standard tackle box is full of options, and you can customize not only what
you put on the line, but also the line weight, reel-type and rod weight.
Plus, you have the option of choosing color variations for each lure. Other
than the Challenge Mode, the idea in each level is to fill up your bucket
with the biggest fish before the weigh-in at the end of the day. Heaviest
bucket wins; it's that simple.
Each game plays from on board your trusty bass boat, and you'll have the
option to choose what lake you fish on, as well as the weather conditions
and time of year. The tutorial shows you how to modify fishing styles based
on weather and season, which makes for more replay value. The boat handles
okay, and the scenery looks nice going by, including some excellent water
effects.
Difficulty Level
Difficulty in Championship Bass can be adjusted, and the main
difference
from level to level is how much effort it takes to attract a fish, how
selective they'll be about biting, and how likely it is for your line to
break. On Easy difficulty, fish bite frequently and your line hardly ever
breaks. On Hard, you need to set line weight and lure type exactly if you
want to land a big fish. Casting is also a learned skill, but the tutorial
does a good job walking you through.
Game Mechanics
The programming for Dual Shock and analog is flawless in Championship
Bass. This really makes the game more playable, because the feel of
fishing
is everything. From the drag on the line when a lure drags bottom to the
heavy jerks you'll feel from a 20-pound bass, EA Sports did a great job.
The casting controls for the standard controller are simple, and it's hard
to make a bad cast. Reel control is more difficult, and the combination of
pulling analog sticks, pushing shoulder buttons and hitting (X) will take
most people some time to master. Once the fish bites, setting the hook is
easy, but controlling the slack on the line and toggling between high and
low drag also takes a junior button-jockey. The challenge of mastering
controls makes Championship Bass unique among a generally boring
genre of
games. Just because fishing is known to be relaxing doesn't mean a game
about fishing needs to be stupid! I hope this game does well, because I'm
pushing for EA Sports to bring out a Deep Sea add-on for PS2. Please,
please, please!
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