Once you're on the lake, the first thing to do is tool about in your boat with the help of the arrow keys. Provided you catch enough pounds of fish in total across each block of scenarios to place in the top three rankings, you'll open up the next block for play. Though you can only hold five of the buggers in your live well at any given time, the computer automatically lets the smallest go free when you exceed this limit. Your goal in each scenario is simple enough.catch as many pounds of bass as possible. These scenarios take place in different spots on different lakes, contain fish of various sizes and intellects, and boast a set number of bonus fish that can be caught.
A series of contests grouped into blocks of five levels, challenge mode puts the player smack dab in the middle of specific scenarios. Most people will probably want to stick to the challenge mode, however. Want some companionship or competition? Log onto EA's server and participate in huge online tournaments. If you're looking for a leisurely day at the lake, then head out on a pressure-free fishing trip. Not that this means we're getting skimped on the play options.
Championship Bass actually features powerups, bonus items, special moves, and challenge based levels, so it's safe to say that this game falls just as easily into the action/arcade category as it does into the sports genre. But from the second you set foot on your boat and make for the prime fishing spots, the focus is on entertainment value, not attention to detail.
It also attempts to recreate precise weather conditions, accurately model the behavior of the fish, and forces you to think about what spot on the lake offers the most ample supply of targets. Sure, Championship Bass has got all the trappings of a really anal fishing sim, complete with every type of cast, lure, rod, and reel one could hope for. For one reason or another Electronic Arts decided to create an arcade style game as opposed to a hardcore simulation. Making this the point where I turn to the camera and say, "Hot Damn! This ain't your ordinary fishing game." Or I could just shut up and get on with the review. Like a smack upside the head from a wet mackerel, it dawned on me that I was having fun.a LOT of fun. It wasn't until the very moment I stopped my evaluation, however, days after it had first begun, that I realized what was amiss. Yet right from the moment the intro flared to life, something didn't seem quite right.
Needless to say, I wasn't bursting with enthusiasm when I cracked open EA Sports' latest title, Championship Bass. Even if you do manage to catch one of the scuzzy little muck dwellers, you've still gotta gut it too, just to get a lousy filet out of the deal.
So you can imagine my chagrin at being assigned a title based on a leisure activity that involves lounging around, drifting off to sleep, and reeling in a fish now and then. After being constantly teased with previews, taunted by ads, and tantalized with demos, it's no wonder we get juiced up enough to pee static electricity.
Instinct tells me that I'm not the only PC gamer with the patience of a two year old.