Let me start by saying that EA Sports’ newest contribution to outdoor games won’t appeal to non-fishers the way
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.