Fishing Controller

» PLATFORM: Dreamcast » RELEASED: 1999

» COST: £59.99 (launch, with Sega Bass Fishing), £15+ (boxed/unboxed)

There are a wealth of application-specific accessories out there in the world of retro gaming. Some, like steering wheels and lightguns, make reasonable sense due to the number of games that use them. Others, like dance mats and guitar controllers, serve to highlight the popularity of a particular gaming fad. And then there’s the Fishing Controller.

Created to accompany Sega Bass Fishing, the home conversion of Sega’s surprisingly popular arcade fishing game Get Bass, the Fishing Controller is designed to resemble the business end of a fishing rod. There’s a handle, analogue thumbstick and buttons for your left hand, and a rotary device for your right hand to reel in the big ones. Additionally, the controller features motionsensing functions and built-in vibration. Six fishing games were released for Dreamcast: Bass Rush Dream, Lake Masters Pro, Reel Fishing: Wild, Sega Bass Fishing,

Sega Bass Fishing 2 and Sega Marine Fishing. Of these, only Sega Bass Fishing was ever released in Europe.

The official device isn’t so common in Europe as a result, and it’s easier to find third-party versions, but the controller works just fine across all regions so it’s okay to pick up a Japanese or American model.