IGN writes: "I love the theme, setting and soundtrack that Fish'em All! presents -- good ole boys with banjos going fishing is just hilarious, and the way the concept is handled is great. But I can't imagine too many players will actually be able to have much fun with this one, since the control scheme's imprecision just makes you want to wildly and randomly swing the Wii Remote around -- and that gets to be really tiring, really fast. Some will argue that the controls aren't that bad, and if you're a player who's able to adapt and enjoy the game then I encourage you to have as much fun as you can with good old Jack and Walter. But when a game's own developer puts out an after-the-fact video to help players adjust to the controls, suggesting they cobble together awkward controller add-ons using kitchen utensils, then it's time to concede that there's a real problem, put down the nets, and keep on looking for the game that will, someday, finally get any kind of fishing right on the Wii".
"To thank fans for their continued support, Abylight will be distributing free copies of Fish'em All to anyone who completes a simple questionnaire." -- Wiiloveit.com
Nintendo is one of the most forward thinking companies in video games. It may not always be the first to do something, but it knows how to transform a mildly amusing concept or technology into a million selling cash cow; the DS touch screen and Wii remote spring to mind. And yet, for each great success, there’s a baffling decision that makes us wonder if the publisher really gets it.
Case in point, WiiWare demos.
John Artest (RunDLC)
GamePro Arcade writes: "Just when you thought Nintendo got its act together, along comes a title with the name of "Fish 'em All!". Yeah, as you might have guessed, WiiWare is back to its old ways with bad to mediocre titles. "Fish 'em All!" falls under the mediocre category with its simple design, simple game play and…well, if you haven't gotten the point it's all very simple. You choose between one of two characters, Jack (the tall one with the beard) or Walter (the short one with the mustache), and then choose whether you're right- or left-handed. From there you basically catch fish with a net doing a very odd motion, which might require a kitchen utensil to help you out a bit."
