Rapala's Fishing Frenzy Review
By Eric Tiansay

There's an old angler's adage that says, "A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work."

In my busy household of a pregnant wife and three young boys, I can add that "a fishing video game is better than not getting to go fishing at all."

I've been hooked on fishing since catching my limit of rainbow trout in a California lake during my first time out nearly 15 years ago, so it didn't take much for me to bite at trying Rapala's Fishing Frenzy for Wii.

The game was designed by Activision and developed by Fun Labs in collaboration with Rapala, touted as"the world's largest manufacturer of fishing lures and No.1 fishing brand."

Featuring 30 Rapala lures, 21 types of fish and the actual layout of six different lakes‚—including Lake Okeechobee, which is near my in-laws' home in South Florida‚—Fishing Frenzy offers challenges for diehard fishermen as well as plenty of action for casual anglers and non-anglers, so don't let the cartoonlike art design of the box mislead you into thinking that the game is kid's stuff.

The game comes with an optional special Wii controller and nunchuck holder that simulates using an actual fishing rod, but I've found out that it's easier to play Fishing Frenzy without the fishing rod holder.

You can have many hours of good video-angling enjoyment with the game, but the initial learning curve can feel like a bit of a challenge. Our biggest frustration with the game was casting, which was omitted from the manual due to a last-minute change to Fishing Frenzy‚—according to an Activision game tech.

Here's the trick: The toggle on the nunchuck must be pushed toward the top, then you have to lift and throw the Wii controllers as if you were using an actual fishing rod to cast.

You also have to memorize several button combinations such as navigating around the lake, switching from driving the boat to trolling into position before you can stand up as the angler and toss lures at fish.

Additionally, it takes some practice to figure out how to get bonus points added to your score from screen icons, which pop up and prompt you to move the nunchuck control stick or Wii remote in certain directions. If done properly, you can get bonus points added to your score, receive a temporary power boost to help you reel in fish faster or attract fish to your lure better.

You can fish in an "Open Fishing" or "Quick Challenge" mode or fish in more than 20 tournament events in which you try to reach a goal in a set amount of time.

The fish in Fishing Frenzy are not as realistic-looking as the fish in Sega Bass Fishing, but the game does feature attractive and colorful scenery. Fishing Frenzy, though, is more challenging than Sega Bass Fishing because as you are awarded for a progression of achievements as you get bonuses such as a wider selection of lures or the option of fishing more lakes.

Fishing Frenzy isn't something that will most likely appeal to the younger gamer, but my two oldest boys‚—Alex and Andrew‚—can keep up with their dad.

"It's definitely a lot like real fishing," pointed out Andrew, 6, who likes to zoom around on the virtual bass boat at full throttle.

Alex, 7, who caught a 45-pound largemouth bass in Fishing Frenzy, added: "But you can get a lot more fish and points than in real fishing."

For kids, reading skill is helpful for Fishing Frenzy's instructions, but the game has picture cues to inform you which way to move the remote.

Rated E for everyone, Fishing Frenzy‚—which doesn't have a multiplayer mode‚—keeps the gameplay moving by at a fast and exciting clip. In fact, I get the itch to grab my tackle box and wet a line at a real lake near our home.

As advertised, the title provides "heart-pounding fishing action"‚—and that's no tall fish tale.

By Eric Tiansay, who once caught a (real) 9.5-pound largemouth bass shortly after losing a new rod and reel from a boat in a central Florida lake.