THE BEST FISHIN GAME EVER STOP HERE AND READ THIS REVIEW

Nintendo 64 owners unable to hit the lakes for authentic bass fishing may take interest in Take 2 Interactive's virtual re-creation of the sport.

The design of Bass Hunter 64 makes it easy to pick up and play, but there are enough options to keep it from feeling overly simple. This may please inexperienced fishermen, but veterans of the sport will scoff at the limited simulation.

The best example of this design strategy is the somewhat small selection of rods, reels and fishing line. While adequate enough for fishing rookies, bass hunting experts will be disappointed.

The strongest allure of Bass Hunter 64 is the desire it builds in players to find bigger and bigger bass. At the beginning of the game, catching smaller fish is fun, but players soon crave the big whoppers hiding in the lake. Reeling in these trophy bass is a quite a challenge as well.

Bass Hunter 64's worst problem is its presentation. The graphics look like first-generation N64 games - that horrible fuzziness. The frame rate is low, but is somewhat forgivable when factoring in the large size of the lake. Still, coming this late in the N64's life span, these graphics can only be considered poor.

Bass Hunter 64 is best for those who only occasionally experience real-life fishing. Players with no interest in the sport at all will find the fishing minigame in the adventure game Zelda more thrilling.