Nerdicus NES Review #90 : Blue Marlin

Title : Blue Marlin

Publisher : Hot-B

Genre : Fishing

Players : 1 Player

Release Date : 1992

Estimated Value (as of today's date) : $7-$10

Do you all remember a week ago when I was pleasantly surprised by a fishing game for the NES? For some reason, Black Bass had managed to snag my interest and hold it long enough for me to play over an hours worth of mindless fishing.

As a video game. That's right..a fishing video game that was actually enjoyable! And just think, I've actually been looking forward to playing the sequel, BLUE MARLIN, since I finished playing Black Bass. 

Just as you would expect, this time you're not after the black bass, but the famed BLUE MARLIN. So say goodbye to your pond side fishing, now you're going after the big trophies in the depths of the deep blue. Has anyone actually gone deep sea fishing before? I've done it once, and it scared the crap out of me that if I caught a large fish, that it would yank me into the ocean and pull me down into it. I have really irrational fears in case you didn't know by now.

Anyway, enough of that. Let's go snag us some bill fish, shall we? 

The concept remains the same in this game as the previous one, with the exception that you're catching bill fish instead of black bass. You'll be looking to snag the largest fish in each round of the tournament, and that could be anything from blue marlin, black marlin, swordfish and sail fish. Not to mention sharks and barracuda. Basically, all those kick ass fish that you see hanging up in Red Lobster.

At the start of each "mission" you set sail from the dock and set up your gear. This is where you decide on the depth you're going to fish at, what type of lines you're going to use as well as your reel and lure. Fishing isn't simple folks, you've got a lot to decide on if you're going to reel in that catch.

First thing is first though, you've got to pin point some locations where you may catch some fish. The fish are easy to spot since they travel in large schools, and by dragging your line over them you can trigger a catch sequence.

Once you snag a fish, a cutscene ensues where a few things can happen. One, you can just normally reel in the fish by a series of letting the fish slack on the line, to reeling in hard as it gets nearer to your boat. Other times you'll encounter scenarios that make it a bit more challenging. The strength of the fish could make your reel smoke, or the fish can even try to tangle itself into your boat and snap the line. 

Each scenario has it's own way of countering it's effects, which really makes this game a little bit more challenging than its predecessor. Not to mention that after you catch and battle a few fish, you'll be able to increase your own players skills so you'll be able to handle those type of situations better.

You gotta admit, it does make fishing a bit more interesting.

The game is a pretty damn good sequel in comparison to BLACK BASS, but it does seem to have lost a bit of it's luster. I mean, basically the game is just a face lift with new fish compared to the first one. But it works. It's just as enjoyable, and as addicting as the first one.

The new challenging scenarios add a whole new element to the game, and it does require a little bit more strategy than the first one. Not to mention, I do enjoy this type of fish variety than pond scum bass, ha.

All in all, not a bad fishing game at all. And for me to say that I enjoy a fishing game, is saying a lot. Especially for one on the NES console. Give it a shot.

Final Score (out of 5) :

Until next time. Keep on gaming!