i Fishing, Learn to Reel in Fish in this Simulator Game
by Paul Wilks
Jun 19, 2011 9:09 AM –
Install
i Fishing is a highly polished fishing simulator game. It is hugely popular on both iPhone and now Android, bringing a realistic fishing experience to your touch-screen without the risk of dropping your phone in a lake.
Price: Free, ~$3.07
Tested on: HTC Desire HD
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Superb graphics and real-life backgrounds.
- Helpful and enthusiastic guidance by this laid-back Canadian dude.
- Cool music.
- Great sound effects.
- Intuitive controls.
- Variety of options.
- Ability to pick locations and drive around the lake looking for good spots.
- Scoreloop scoring.
Cons
- While it’s an awesome game, I found it a bit too easy. I kind of understand this, after all who wants to sit looking at a stagnant lake for hours on end with nothing happening- but it might have been better if the fish were a bit trickier to catch.
- Relatively limited in the types of fish you can catch.
Features:
i Fishing is a fully immersive and detailed fishing simulation that is highly addictive, easy to play and lots of fun. Simply jump in a boat, find a nice looking spot via an aerial self-navigated map of the lake you are on and cast off! The clever controls that allow you to cast off using the same action as you would with a fishing rod is a really good touch to the controls. If you get a bite (and you will!) flick your phone back to set the line. All you need to do then is reel the fishy in! You do this by pressing the reel gauge to determine how fast you reel in- depending on the fish you may need to do this slower to preserve your line.
A big feature of the game is the in-game instructions. An enthusiastic Canadian guy guides you through the game- giving tips, giving you timely information about the area you are fishing in and informing you when new lakes become available, etc. I wasn’t sure but I figured he must be a some big-deal angler and this was an endorsed game, but I couldn’t find anything to back that up. Anyway, the dude is friendly, helpful and (thankfully) not too repetitive.
There are plenty of lakes to get fishing on and dozens and dozens of different spots to pick to fish in. Each spot has a real-life backdrop and different environments to tackle. There are lots of fish to catch too. This is probably the only area where the game is completely unrealistic, you never have to wait more than a few seconds before a fish will leap onto your lure and your are away. This isn’t really a complaint, I can’t imagine the agony (and personal tragedy) that would occur if you were just gazing at a simulated lake on your phone screen for minutes and hours at a time and not getting a bite… it would be time to find a new hobby. But i Fishing never leaves you in that predicament, the fish are very keen to be caught! You have this little luck meter as well that informs you as to how spooked the fish are in that area, so if your luck is really low it might be worth while moving to a different spot.
Compete in tournaments and earn money, which in turn unlocks later lakes. Each tournament will have a different fish to focus on and each fish will be a slightly different proposition to catch. There are range of lures and behaviours you might need to adopt to catch the fish you want, although I found it relatively easy on most fish to just use the default lure. Winning tournaments is a bit easy too (maybe I should have gone onto the advanced level or something?) and if you get enough big fish you win without too many problems. You subsequently find yourself playing against AI fishermen called ‘Grandpa Bruce’.
Watch on Mobile
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iFishing – You’ve got a bite!
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iFishing – Real lake backgrounds
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iFishing – Build up total weight to win tournament
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iFishing – Lake map screen
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iFishing – Lake selection
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iFishing – New lake unlocked screen
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iFishing – Intro menu
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iFishing – Individual fishing records
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iFishing – Choose time limit
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iFishing – Choose mode
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iFishing – Tournament results
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iFishing – In-game menu
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iFishing – Options menu
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iFishing – 14 pages of fishing tips
Fun Factor:
I’m not really into fishing, but the game is so much fun I really enjoyed it. The game is lively and keeps records of your achievements; tournament winnings, largest fish caught, etc. There are only five different fish you can catch which is a bit limiting.
Addictive:
Despite not being an angler myself, I found the game very addictive and you will want to progress through the lakes and beat your records.
Graphics:
The graphics are quite different to other games and you have a mixture of accurately pixelated fishy and photographic backdrop. I can’t really explain it, but it really works well. The boat graphics are quite simplistic as you zip about the lake trying not to crash. I crashed a lot anyway. 
Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:
The accelerometer controls are spot in and help you catch the fish. The vibration also kicks in as you fight with the fish. the sound effects are really good, as is the helpful fishing dude as he guides you about the game. I really liked the guy, he’s quite affable, but I imagine some people might find him annoying. The menu soundtrack is a kind of lazy country rock track which is actually quite cool.