Developer: HAL Laboratory Publisher: Nintendo

Released: March 31, 2000 6/10

Earthbound fans may often find themselves frustrated by Shigesato Itoi’s eclectic resume, but you’ve got to admire the man’s passion. Outside of his work with APE, Inc and contributions to the beloved Mother franchise across its three games (and any help he might have contributed to the cancelled N64 entry which I will forever mourn), his gaming contributions are curious, to say the least. Itoi’s game credits on Monopoly titles for the Super Famicom make a lot of sense, considering his status as president of the Japan Monopoly Association, and a similar infatuation with bass fishing would eventually give us Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1.

Originally released for Super Famicom in 1997 and updated as a series of downloadable episodes for the Satellaview peripheral throughout that year, the N64 release collects this assortment of content under the Ketteiban title, or Definitive Edition. And while it would be nice to fantasize about other various Satellaview releases we could be looking at instead of Itoi’s pet project fishing title, we can try our best not to hold it against the product at hand, which is, admittedly, loaded with much of the same charm that defines Itoi’s work across various industries and media.

It’s unfortunate that this title is so text-heavy, because while experienced anglers can probably make their way through most of the options and know enough on sight to know what they’re doing, any tips that players might need to get them in the right area or set up with the correct gear to have success are going to be indecipherable. That being said, it’s still easy enough to feel your way around and luck your way into hooking a fish, which delivers palpable excitement and a strong sense of success if you manage to reel the sucker in. The many permutations of Red Star Lake, the game’s one setting, have a strong amount of variety and ways to explore and find good spots, and along with a wide variety of lures and other equipment at your disposal, it’s clear that there’s a lot of depth to Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 that sets it up for great success with fans of fishing games that can work with it.

In addition to all the professional accoutrements and serious array of options, the presentation leaves enough room for a more casual audience to find some comfort here. Itoi himself is present on the pause menu to offer his knowledge on how to enjoy yourself out on the lake, and an assortment of hand-drawn characters populate the various menus and locations across the lake for an interesting juxtaposition of visual styles that show Itoi’s unique design approach and give an already mechanically-robust fishing title that extra bit of personality to help it stand out.

With the name on the tin, it should come as no surprise that Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 Ketteiban! is just that little bit more appealing than similar titles on the N64. Quaint, joyous, and accessible (barring the language barrier), those with a solid basis in the genre looking for another enjoyable fishing title or who can jive with the lack of accessibility due to the heavy text can find a lot to like here. At the same time, each of these qualities can just as easily turn players away, so if it doesn’t sound like it’s for you, then it probably isn’t, and you aren’t missing much if that’s the case.

Additional Information

Saves: Cartridge

Players: 1

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