LADYDRAGON.COM - Bass Master Classic TE

THQ brings us the first and so far, only 3D fishing simulation yet to be seen on the market. This innovative new approach to fishing simulation pays off big, being the top seller in its genre.

To start, Bass Masters Classic TE (Tournament Edition) is one of the most feature full fishing simulators on the market today. With thousands of possible fishing lure combinations, different locations, weather options, and difficulty settings, Bass Masters Classic TE is the ideal game for veterans and beginners alike.

Setting up my first game was easy and quick. I chose to use all the default settings, and set the difficulty to easy. After playing with the controls for a few minutes I quickly learned how to aim, cast, set the hook for a catch, and to reel in my first catch of the day. I had my first fish in the 'Live Well' within only 5 minutes, its that easy to learn.

After playing with it further I discovered many, many more options available for the more experienced fishermen (fisherpersons for those of you politically correct peoples :). Everything can be changed, from the time of day, to the type of lure, to the type of cast, and even the type of fishing wire used can be changed.

After learning the ropes a bit more, I changed the difficulty settings to expert, and setup my gear to the way I wanted and off I went. At first, there seemed little difference between easy and expert difficulty settings, except that in expert mode you had to wait a little longer for a catch. That is, until I started catching some big game. I was playing with a plastic worm fishing lure, no weights, and a 8lbs fishing wire. Suddenly I caught hold of a 4lbs 6oz Large Mouth Bass with an attitude. This is where things get challenging!

I wrestled to reel him in, but he proved to be too strong, the wire snapped, and I lost him. I quickly reeled in to setup for another cast, this time using the same setup with a 15lbs fishing wire. I cast out in the general area where I had lost him in the hopes of catching him yet again. Waiting, and waiting, then suddenly 'STRIKE!'. And the struggle was on, only this time I was prepared. He struggled to get away, and several times came close to snapping the wire, but ever so slowly I reeled him in.

Not being much of a fisherman myself, I gained a new respect for those who are. I had never realized how much there was into a seemingly simple sport. Bass Masters lives up to its name as being the most realistic fishing simulation available. It really makes you feel like your actually there, struggling to reel in a big catch.

The graphics add to this feeling, being very clear and realistic. The translucent 3D water waving slightly as it rocks your boat, watching the ducks swimming in the water next to you bob up and down with the waves. For those wanting to see not only above the water, but also below, comes the addition of the underwater cam, an innovative feature, unique to Bass Masters Classic TE that lets you see what's going on underneath you. Support for almost all 3D accelerators is a plus too.

Bass Masters Classic Tournament Edition is the best fishing simulator I've seen to hit the shelves yet. Recommended to any and all fishermen, from beginner to expert. Full of features and scalability, this is the virtual fisherman's dream come true.

Company:
THQ
www.thq.com

Category:
Fishing Simulation

NOTES:

Interest: 80%
Maniability :90%
Graphics: 88%
Sound : 80%
Originality : 90%

TOTAL : 86%

Requirements:

Operating System:
Windows 95/98

Processor:
Pentium 133MHz or better

Memory:
16 MB of RAM

Hard Drive:
45MB

Sound Card:
Windows compatible sound card

Video:
2MB SVGA video card OR 4MB DirectX 3D card

DEMO