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BASSMASTER CLASSIC- TOURNAMENT EDITION
Manufacturer: THQ (1998)
Price: $29.99
Genre: Bass fishing simulation.
System Requirements: Win95, Pentium, 16 MB RAM, Mouse, CD-ROM, Sound Card, Direct
X, Modem (for Internet Play Options), 3Dfx compliant accelerator card.
BASSMASTER CLASSIC- TOURNAMENT EDITION is the first fishing sim to use a completely 3D environment, which by itself is impressive. No more "god cam" overhead views where fish can be spotted with ease- players are actually put on the deck of a Ranger bass boat and must fish using their knowledge of fish behavior. Very nice indeed.
As the name states, this is a product that the Bass Anglers Sportsmens Society (BASS) has endorsed. With that in mind one can rightfully assume that the game simulates the high stakes, hot competition of the BASSMASTER bass fishing tournament trail. Like most other fishing sims players set up their gear prior to the tournament and then prepare to compete against computer controlled anglers. Nothing new here.
The game menus and interfaces are typical and straightforward. Basically you create a player profile and then start either a competition, visit the practice lake or play arcade style. Now here's a new twist- arcade play! In arcade play players fish each lake with each lake becoming a new difficulty level. Arcade play is a nifty idea and gives players all the action they want.
Once you are on the lake things look pretty standard. Your view is from the bass boat (that's new) but the toolbar is very typical: fishfinder, drag setting, rod/reel/lure display, cast button, target button, etc. BMCTE includes a GPS- the first fishing sim to use one, allowing players to mark hot locations for future reference. Very nice touch and essential when tournament fishing.
The graphics rate along the lines of "the good, the bad and the ugly". The 3D environment is great- complete with waterfowl, morning mist and, in clear water, the ability to actually see weedbeds just below the surface of the water. That's the good. The bad is some of the 3D rendering; the bass pro looks like a department store dummy and moves like a robot. After a while I get tired of staring at his back and the HUGE BASS patch!! The ugly has to do with the fish and the underwater camera view.
The underwater cam is a great idea. Now players can see the lures do their work- along with watch fish actually swim up and take them. While the underwater 3D terrain is acceptable the fish are not. The 3D fish actually appear to be paperthin- literally. A 5 lb. bass that looks awesome from a side view is only about two pixels wide when it runs directly at you! Even weirder is the fact that the ducks have no legs (from the underwater cam view) and appear to be nothing more than white shoeboxes circling on the surface. You also better have a 3dfx compliant card. The game looks horrible using DirectX/3D and does not support any other types of accelerators.
The other aspects of the game like music and ambience are typical of most fishing games.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
THE PROS:
THE CONS:
Reviewed by Steven Ellis