Here’s all the best bits from Sega’s superb Dreamcast conversion. How many do you remember?
Leaping lizards… Er Sailfins
We love Sega Marine Fishing and it’s not just because it looks beautiful with Sega blue skies and an amazingly jolly soundtrack. No, we love it because it delivers a number of heart-stopping moments that you just wouldn’t think were possible from a fishing game. Fishing in real life can be incredibly thrilling when you catch an actual fish, and Sega Marine Fishing captures those moments perfectly. It’s none more memorable than when you’ve hooked a suitably big fish like a Sailfin and watch it burst through the brine to fly majestically through the air in a desperate attempt to escape your hook. Don’t worry though. We always put them back afterwards. We’re good like that.
Getting Hooked
You’ll never forget the first time you hook a fish. There you are cursing your apparent bad luck as fish after fish fails to take interest in your bait. Then, all of a sudden, a critter starts homing in on your hook and you poise ready for the inevitable strike. A quick tug on your rod (you’re using a rod right?) and you’re ready for a tense battle that either ends in a successful landing or a snapped line.
It’s My Aquarium, Mine!
Catch fish in Free Fishing and you’re rewarded with unlocks that range from new clothing and lures, to corals and fish for your aquarium. That’s right, you have a gigantic aquarium that slowly fills up with all sorts of goodies as long as you keep catching fish. Once you’ve got enough you can set a route and leisurely move through its watery depths staring in wonder at what all your fishing exploits have brought you.
Mini-Game Mania
Mini-games are fun, and Sega knows this. As a result it crammed Sega Marine Fishing full of them, delivering five different games that double up as brilliant timewasters in their own right, particularly when played with a group of drunk friends. Casting Training and Fight Training are the best for multiplayer shenanigans, but Lure Action Training, Fishing Training and Total Weight Training shouldn’t be ignored either as they all offer endless amounts of fun.
Hidden Wonders
One of the best aspects of Sega Marine Fishing is the stuff you can discover while you’re casually casting your line. The Offing is the best stage for this as it features all sorts of interesting objects and creatures in its murky depths. Submersibles and sunken ruins can be found, but one of the best moments comes when you discover this huge whale, which casually swims by as you reel in your latest catch.
