Thank you Ultimate Games for sending us a review code! 

Fishing Break is a popular and free mobile game with over a million downloads.  The Android and iOS versions of the game have ads and in-app purchases.  The in-app purchases are for extra spending money which can be earned in the game free of charge.  There are no money packs available for the Switch version and it’s ad free and available for $7.99.  The mobile version reviews are positive, and I can see why.   

Fishing Break is an obvious mobile port and the mouse pointer controls are a little awkward.  Touch screen controls are supported so that’s a plus.   

Fishing Break doesn’t have a back story or plot.  When you launch the game, you’ll start off at the village pond where you can catch goldfish in algae green water without any bait!  Before you start fishing you can customize your character to play as a boy or a girl.  Other characters, boats, and hats can be unlocked by spending in-game currency called bucks.  You earn a buck for every fish you catch and you can earn more by catching fish with bounties on them or completing mission objectives in each area. 

There are twelve areas to fish in and you must collect enough stars in the currently available fishing spots before you can unlock new places.  Each fishing spot has three stars that can be earned by completing missions, catching every fish type, and finally by catching all of the special fish.  Missions typically include catching fish of a certain quality/grade, catching a certain number of fish, and selling a specified dollar amount of fish to the museum.   

When you catch fish, they will be sold to the museum for coins.  These coins can be used to buy bait and equipment upgrades.  The more fish you have in the museums, the more passive income you earn every few hours while you’re not playing the game.     

The fish have a defense rating that fluctuates as you try to reel them in.  If you have a higher attack rating, you’ll likely be able to catch them.  To successfully catch fish, you’ll need to constantly improve your attack stat.  Other attributes to consider include the reel speed, line length and cast distance.   

Generic bait can be purchased with coins, but some fish prefer the premium bait which is bought with bucks.  Special bait doubles your attack, but sells for fifty bucks.  If you’re trying to catch a big fish species you may have to use a smaller caught fish as bait.  Each area has different bait that increases in cost. 

Each fishing spot has unique fish that vary in size and rarity.  You'll be able to catch many fish, from tiny minnows to giant sharks - if you have high enough attack power.  The special fish are typically different color variations of the native species.  

Fishing Break is quite family-friendly and the only violence to be seen is when the fish eat each other.  Some fish are not successfully eaten and will be found floating upside down around your boat.   

The graphics are cartoon-like and cute.  Many of the fishing spots have brown and greenish water that I would not want to drink from.   I like how you can see street signs and other objects on the bottom of the ponds/lakes/oceans. 

The sound effects are realistic with the fishing reel sounds and water splashing sound effects.  The country jamboree music is fitting and has gotten stuck in my head multiple times.     

If you enjoy fishing games, Fishing Break is a cute one. The asking price is reasonable if you want to avoid the temptation of in-app purchases and the annoyances of ads.   Personally, I would recommend checking it out for free on mobile before buying it on the Nintendo eShop.