Best and worst cases of fishing mini-games?

Gaming
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#1

Excluding games that focus entirely on emulating the fishing experience, what are some good and bad examples of games that implement fishing on occasion?

Fishing in Animal Crossing might be the best-case scenario as it streamlines the fishing process. All the player has to do is cast their line in front of the fish, and it’s almost guaranteed that the fish’s attention will be caught. The player must wait for a rumbling cue, and the fish will be in their possession.

I’ve never enjoyed fishing in The Legend of Zelda. Most of the 3D games have this feature, and the languid pacing of waiting for a fish to bite the hook bores me to tears across each 3D Zelda entry. My current replay of Twilight Princess on the Wii is what inspired this post, as the motion controls and bobbing fly royally wore on my patience.

My controversial take on this subject is that Big the Cat’s section in Sonic Adventure isn’t as bad as people say. His inclusion the game is still pointless, but it’ll be over quickly if the player knows what they’re doing.

#2

My first thought was Big the Cat in Sonic Adventure. :laughing: So I’ll have to disagree with you there and say that it is the absolute worst example of fishing in video games.

There are not many games that do it very well. However, I will note two indie games that I think deserve mentioning: Beacon Pines and Moonglow Bay.

In Beacon Pines, the fishing mini-game (it’s really more of a scene than a mini-game) is used to advance the story and connect you with your father. It’s basic but not annoying.

Moonglow Bay centers around fishing, so it’s not really a mini-game. But for people who like fishing and want a fishing-based RPG, check it out! Both games are free on Xbox Game Pass.

#3

Red Dead Redemption 2 and Far Cry 5 had good fishing game implementations. But they are kinda more like side activities than minigames. I liked fishing in Yakuza 0 and Stardew Valley.