Canadian development studio Roofdog Games and Ultimate Games S.A. have teamed up to bring a once iOS and Android title to another handheld console the Nintendo Switch. The title we are talking about is Fishing Break. This is the type of title where you sit down for as long as you want or need and relax. It’s a super simple game with engaging mechanics and simplistic gameplay.

There is not too much to this title. There are 8 worlds you can visit with around 20 fishing spots, all with plenty of different variations of fish. You start with the basic gear and over time you will earn money from catching and selling the fish, and then being able to unlock more gear, or purchase upgrades to catch the bigger and better fish.

I was a little confused as to why this had been ported to the Switch as there was not much use for the controls apart from pressing down on the D-PAD and resetting the boat in the lake. Everything else was on the touch screen so it felt like I was playing on my phone but more awkward. You could have used the analog sticks to reel the fish in or cast the line out. I would have loved to see the controllers be used.

This is the first title I have played on the Switch that didn’t fill the screen, which was super confusing. It felt like the developers ported it to the switch without changing anything in the title. The title itself is super simple with its graphics being cartoonish, but something as simple as the text that comes up on the screen looks stretched and blurry.

I was hesitant about putting it into the dock and needless to say it did not look super good on the 75” TV in my lounge room. I would have loved to have seen the developers put some effort into the graphics on this title as it’s one I found relaxing and loved playing on the phone, I just wanted to put the Nintendo Switch down and go back to the phone because it looked nicer there.

There is something about titles with simplistic sounds you have that nice light background music that you would describe as something you would hear in an arcade. You hear the splash as you throw your cast out into the water and when you hook that fish you can hear the sounds of a reel which if you are a fisherman you would think has some cooked bearings. The sounds are much like the phone version of the title and I was not upset with this as I love how quiet and calm the title is.

I would have loved to have seen more effort put into this title and more optimisation for the Nintendo Switch. It felt like it had been dragged and dropped from the iOS or Android store and onto the Switch. Fishing Break is a great relaxing title where you can switch off and play the game without much thought, but the phone version was much easier to play and not have to think about stretched messages or the game not even made to fit the aspect ratio of the Switch.

Written by: Hayden Nelson