Atari 2600: Fishing Derby
September 5, 2009 - 3:04 pm - Posted by Sean R.
This ingenious game was created by David Crane Pitfall (Activision, 1982).
Nowadays we take our fishing games for granted, but back in 1980 Fishing Derby was quite the novel concept.
Two fishermen sit on docks on opposite sides of the screen, and by adjusting your line with the joystick, you attempt to hook one of the many fishes swimming below.
Deeper fish are worth more points but require more effort to reel in. The fire button lets you reel in your fish quickly, and timing is key to avoiding the shark prowling along the surface, ready to snatch up anything in his vicinity.
Fishing Derby’s graphics are very good. The fish look like fish, the shark looks like a shark, and the rednecks look like rednecks.
Overall Fishing Derby doesn’t offer much replay value for the solo player, but it does provide some terrific and sometimes hilarious head-to-head action.