The Black Bass | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Another |
Publisher(s) | HOT・B |
Director(s) | Hiroshi Katsumata Kenji Ishikawa |
Series | The Black Bass |
Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Fishing |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Black Bass, known in Japan as The Black Bass II (ザ・ブラックバスII, Za Burakku Basu 2), is a NES fishing video game, developed by HOT・B and released in June 1989. It is the sequel to the Japan-exclusive The Black Bass on MSX and Family Computer. It is the second entry in the Black Bass series and the first to be released outside Japan. The game is sometimes referred to as The Black Bass USA, which is the name used on the North American version's title screen. It was re-released in 2016 as a built-in game for the Retro-Bit Generations retro video game console.
The objective of the game is for the player to advance in a series of bass fishing tournaments at four different lakes. Each tournament takes place from sunrise to sunset, and at the conclusion of the day, the player will only advance to the next tournament if they have caught a large number of bass with a high average weight. Pike, rainbow trout, and brown trout may also be caught, but will not affect the player's standing in the tournament.
The actual fishing takes place from an overhead perspective. The player casts their line, with the strength of their cast being determined by a power meter at the bottom of the screen. When the lure lands in the water, the player can manipulate its movement to entice a fish to bite it. Once a fish has bitten, the player has to reel it in carefully to avoid breaking the line.
The player can select from a variety of lure types and colors, with each being more or less effective depending on weather conditions and time of day. Fishing at different parts of the lake during different times of the day will also impact how likely one is to encounter a bass.
Progress in the game is saved via passwords awarded at the conclusion of each tournament. These passwords save the player's rank on their last tournament, which tournament they'll be participating in next, their total number of bass caught across all tournaments, and their average bass weight.
Nintendo Power magazine gave The Black Bass an overall score of 3.5 out of 5 in their November 1989 issue.[ citation needed ]
Trout is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used for some similar-shaped but non-salmonid fish, such as the spotted seatrout/speckled trout.
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus Micropterus, and is a popular game fish sought by anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America, and has been spread by stocking—as well as illegal introductions—to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in Canada and more so introduced in the United States. The maximum recorded size is approximately 27 inches (69 cm) and 12 pounds (5.4 kg).
Bass fishing is the recreational fishing activity, typically via rod-based angling, for various game fishes of North America known collectively as black bass. There are numerous black bass species targeted in North America, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass or Kentucky bass, and Guadalupe bass. All black bass species are members of the sunfish family Centrarchidae.
Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is insufficient to overcome air resistance, it cannot be launched far using conventional gears and techniques, so specialized tackles are used instead and the casting techniques are significantly different from other forms of angling. It is also very common for the angler to wear waders, carry a hand net, and stand in the water when fishing.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish species pursued by recreational fishers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, preserved as taxidermy, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly less bony species such as salmon and tuna.
In angling, casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook as well as other attached terminal tackles out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod. The term itself may also be used for setting out a net when artisanal fishing.
A downrigger is a device used while fishing using the trolling method, which places a lure at the desired depth. A downrigger consists of a three to six-foot horizontal pole which supports a cannonball, generally 10 to 15 pounds, by a steel cable. A clip, also known as a "release," attaches a fishing line to the cannonball weight. The bait or lure is attached to the release.
Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 is a fishing video game developed and released only in Japan for the Super Famicom on February 21, 1997 and updated for broadcast as eight different episodes on the Satellaview subsystem between April and November 1997. On March 31, 2000, the latest version of the game was released for the Nintendo 64 as the Definitive Edition (糸井重里のバス釣りNo.1決定版!). The game allows the player to play as the creator of the game, Shigesato Itoi, and includes a host of animal characters who occasionally appear in the game. The SA-1 was used in the Super Famicom version.
Sega Bass Fishing, known in Japan as Get Bass, is an arcade fishing video game developed in 1997 by Sega for the Sega Model 3 hardware. The game has since been ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
In-Fisherman Bass Hunter 64 is a single-player fishing video game for the Nintendo 64 developed by GearHead Entertainment and published by Take-Two Interactive. It was the first Nintendo 64 fishing game outside Japan, following the region-exclusive Nushi Tsuri 64. It was released in North America on June 30, 1999 and in Europe on October 22, 1999. A Game Boy adaptation of the game, titled In-Fisherman Bass Hunter, was announced to be in development at Tarantula Studios on June 1, 1998, but ultimately stayed unreleased.
The Blue Marlin (ザ‧ブルーマリーン) is a 1991 fishing video game developed and published by Hot B for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Following in the tradition of its predecessors, The Black Bass for MSX and The Black Bass for NES, the objective is to win a tournament by catching the largest fish in the time allotted. The Blue Marlin features four tournament rounds. It was re-released in 2016 as a built-in game for the Retro-Bit Generations retro video game console.
Spin fishing is an angling technique where a spinnerbait, a type of hybrid fishing lure with at least one freely rotating blade, is used to entice the fish to bite. When the line is reeled back, the spinnerbait blades will spin passively with the oncoming water flow, in turn stirring up a significant amount of turbulence and noise, which transmit through the water and provoke predatory fish to strike the lure out of their foraging as well as territorial instincts. Spin fishing is used in both freshwater and marine environments.
Reel Fishing is a series of fishing video games by Natsume Inc. The first game, Reel Fishing, was released for the PlayStation in 1996. Originally a localization of Victor Interactive Software's Fish Eyes series from Japan, Natsume Inc. has since diverged from that series to create their own games.
American Bass Challenge, known in Japan and Europe as Super Black Bass Advance, is a fishing video game developed by Starfish for the Game Boy Advance. It was published in Japan by Starfish in August 2001, and in North America and Europe by Ubisoft in December 2001 and February 2002, respectively. It is the eleventh game in the Black Bass series, though the Black Bass name was not used for the North American release.
Shigetaka Kashiwagi's Top Water Bassing is a Japan-exclusive Super Famicom fishing video game endorsed by the Japanese professional bass fisher Shigetaka Kashiwagi.
The Black Bass is a 1984 fishing video game developed and published by Gamu. It was originally released for the PC-88 in 1984 and later ported to the Family Computer on March 18, 1987, in Japan. It is the first game in The Black Bass series and was not released outside of Japan.
Matsukata Hiroki no Super Trawling is a Japan-exclusive fishing video game for the Super Famicom.
Black Bass: Lure Fishing is a 1992 fishing video game for the Game Boy. It was ported to the North American and European Game Boy Color in 1999.
Virtual Fishing is a 1995 fishing video game developed by Locomotive Corporation and published by Pack-In-Video in Japan for the Virtual Boy. The player participates in a series of fishing tournaments at various different locations by catching a large number of fishes with a high average weight under a time limit. Its gameplay consists of two segments and features two additional modes of play.