Zany fishing sim for Android devices
Ridiculous Fishing is a fishing game where you send a lure into the depths of the ocean as far as possible before hooking a fish and reeling it back to the surface, to collect those fish.
But the twist comes when the fish make it to the surface, where players have to blast them out of the air with guns.
Features
Presenting itself as a straight-forward fishing arcade game, Ridiculous Fishing does one major element right - it's a one time purchase. No microtransactions here.
Another great thing about Ridiculous Fishing is that the game is balanced perfectly. As you fish to earn money to purchase more lures, weapons, and line to fish deeper into the ocean, it feels natural. You will never get frustrated as Ridiculous Fishing is ridiculously addictive.
Once you earn enough money to buy new powerups like the drill or toaster, the game becomes even more fun. It's bizarre how an already existing gameplay was honed to this perfection.
Usability
Build for iOS devices, playing on the iPad is most enjoyable. Using tilt to maneuver the hook around the various fish and sea creatures and touch to use items or weapons when you reel fish to the surface, the controls are polished and very easy to use.
The different powerups can help you get your lure deeper into the ocean to find new species that will unlock new fishing grounds. The difficulty of Ridiculous Fishing correlates with how smart you are with the items you purchase. Do you buy more line or a new weapon? Each new area has fish that are worth more money than the previous, but they require stronger weapons.
Once you reel the fish to the surface, you have limited time to blast them all out of the air. When they are destroyed you earn money to use in the store.
Quality
The visuals of Ridiculous Fishing are interesting. It uses an 8-bit style with the fish looking kind of like fish, but more like bizarre creatures. Some are recognizable as fish, but others look nightmarish.
The balance of the game is great and the store's prices actually make sense. Earning the money to purchase the higher-end items is worth the time.
There is some frustration when you hook something quickly at the surface and have to restart, but you quickly learn how to use powerups and the tilt controls to fish the depths.
Conclusion
Ridiculous Fishing is an amazing game that shows how proper balance can make a game worth an initial purchase. The presentation of the game is excellent, something not seen so often anymore on the App Store.
