Ridiculous Fishing

{{Infobox video game

| title = Ridiculous Fishing

| image = Ridiculous Fishing cropped logo.jpg

| developer = Vlambeer

| publisher = Vlambeer

| producer = Rami Ismail

| designer = Jan Willem Nijman

| programmer = Zach Gage

| artist = Greg Wohlwend

| composer = Eirik Suhrke

| platforms = iOS, Android, Windows Phone{{cn|date=October 2024}}

| released = {{Unbulleted list|iOS|March 13, 2013|Android|November 19, 2013|Windows Phone|May 21, 2014{{cn|date=October 2024}}}}

| genre = Action

| modes = Single-player

}}

Ridiculous Fishing is a fishing video game developed and published by Vlambeer. In the game, players use motion and touch controls to catch fish and subsequently shoot them out of the sky for cash. The game was released for iOS on March 13, 2013, then later that year for Android.

Players cast a fishing line into the ocean and use motion controls to avoid fish as the hook sinks and to catch as many fish as possible as the reel retracts. Players then touch the screen to shoot fish out of the sky for money that can be spent on upgrades.

The game was first released as a Flash game Radical Fishing with the same basic mechanics. A year after Vlambeer began their iOS development, Gamenauts released Ninja Fishing, a clone of the game. The team worked on other games and spoke publicly about the situation to a standing ovation at the 2012 Game Developers Conference before resolving to scrap the majority of their work and finish the game. Artist Greg Wohlwend moved in with iOS developer Zach Gage to work 14-hour days on the game.

Ridiculous Fishing received "near-universal perfect scores" at launch{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}}{{emdash}}what review score aggregator Metacritic describes as "universal acclaim".{{r|Metacritic}} It won an Apple's 2013 Design Award and was their iPhone game of the year. Reviewers noted Vlambeer's struggle against the copy of their game and praised the game's balance and both visual and game design. A 3D remaster of the game developed by KO_OP, titled Ridiculous Fishing EX, was released on Apple Arcade in July 2023, 3 years after Vlambeer went defunct. As of June 11, 2024, the Android version is no longer downloadable from the Google Play store.

Gameplay

The player fishes in pursuit of fame as a fisherman named Billy.{{r|GameZebo review}} The game mechanics consist of three minigames: casting the fishing line, catching fish, and shooting the fish in the air.{{r|GameZebo review}} The player casts the line and tilts the device to avoid the fish as the hook sinks. Upon hooking a fish, the hook ascends and the player tilts the device to catch as many fish as possible en route to the surface. Above water, the fish are launched into the air, and the player taps the screen to shoot the fish out of the sky to earn money before they fall into the water.{{r|IGN review}} The fish differ in characteristics including swim pattern and the number of shots required.{{r|Eurogamer review}} Shooting jellyfish detracts from the total income.{{r|Edge review}} There are four stages, each with its own visual and audio theme and rare fish,{{r|IGN review}} and an endless mode where players can work towards the highest score.{{r|TouchArcade review}} Earnings can be spent in a store towards persistent upgrades such as longer fishing line length, invulnerable drills, frivolous hats, bigger guns,{{r|IGN review}} chainsaw lures, a hair dryer and toaster (to zap inadvertent catches),{{r|TouchArcade review}} fuel for the chainsaw, and a necktie for greater income.{{r|Pocket Gamer review}} There is also a Fish-o-pedia in Billy's smartphone that gives gameplay hints and tracks stats such as fish caught, which is the progress for unlocking new levels.{{r|Eurogamer review}} There are no in-app purchases.{{r|TouchArcade review}}

{{multiple image |align=center |width=200 |footer=Screenshots of gameplay |footer_align=center

| image1=Ridiculous Fishing Billy at sea (JPEG).jpg

| alt1=Man with white beard and red hat sitting in brown boat one-third up the screen holding his fishing rod without the line in the water, an anchor hangs off the end of the boat, into the green sea, and off the screen, the sky above is blue with five tiny, white birds, and various indicators atop the image: one for gas with the image of a pump, one for depth in meters, one for money, and a "pause" symbol

|caption1=Billy at sea, waiting to cast fishing line

| image2=Ridiculous Fishing diving (JPEG).jpg

| alt2=Yellow hook-shaped trident hangs from a dotted line one-third down the screen, surrounded by a blue-indigo sea with small blue fish, pink jellyfish, and bigger green fish all facing left or right at different depths, appearing to swim laterally

|caption2=The player tilts the device as the hook descends to avoid the fish

| image3=Ridiculous Fishing ascending screencap.jpg

| alt3=Red lure hangs from dotted line two-thirds down the screen with a bunch of fish attached where the hook once was, surrounding it in the royal purple sea are crabs, orange fish, eels, and blue jellyfish, with crystal-like protrusions from the left and right walls

|caption3=Upon catching a fish, the hook ascends and the player tilts the device to catch the fish

|image4 = Ridiculous Fishing shooting fish (JPEG).jpg

|alt4=Billy with his red hat is looking away from the player, and fish are scattered about the screen over a yellow background, with little red clouds where fish were shot{{emdash}}the fish include crabs, octopuses, little fish, and sea creatures that look like red prickly pears

|caption4=The fish scatter above water and the player taps the screen to shoot them out of the sky for money

}}{{Clear}}

Development

Vlambeer developed Radical Fishing, an Adobe Flash-based game where a fisherman sits in a boat and casts his line into the water, pulls up fish into the air, and shoots them with a gun.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} It was built to take "everything good" from habit-forming browser games without artificially extending its length just to hook players.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} The game was designed with a feedback loop, where performance in one minigame led to a more rewarding experience in the next minigame.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} Vlambeer designer Jan Willem ("JW") Nijman developed the idea based on a television show about tuna fishermen that led him to consider an intersection between catching big fish, slow-motion photography, and Duck Hunt{{'}}s game mechanics.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Nijman immediately drafted the design, which never changed.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} The company sold the Flash game to a browser games website in 2010 but kept the rights to produce an iOS version, which they would call Ridiculous Fishing.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} They began production on the iOS version on December 7, 2010, with the intention of a "2012/2013 equivalent" of the original.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}}

{{multiple image|perrow=1/2|total_width=225 | image1=GDC Europe 2013 Session- Cloned at Birth- The Story of Ridiculous Fishing (Tuesday, 8-20) (9554455317).jpg |width1=3000 |height1=2000 |caption1=Nijman (designer) and Ismail (marketer) presenting the story of Ridiculous Fishing{{'s}} development at GDC 2013|image2=Greg Wohlwend headshot full frame.jpg |width2=577 |height2=864 |image3=Zach Gage, cropped.png |width3=128 |height3=160 |footer=Wohlwend (artist) and Gage (iOS developer)|footer_align=center}}

About a year later, Gamenauts released Ninja Fishing, a game with similar game mechanics but different art that became known as a clone of Radical Fishing.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} Polygon reports that the game "became an overnight sensation".{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Since game mechanics were not eligible for copyright protection, Vlambeer did not pursue legal action.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Vlambeer's primary project had been Serious Sam: The Random Encounter, which was sidelined to handle the new clone situation.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} At one point, Vlambeer revealed its multiple in-game fishing locations and Ninja Fishing added a similar feature with a "coming soon" sign.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}}

Vlambeer stopped Ridiculous Fishing development for several weeks, but later resolved to continue.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Another concurrent project at the company, Super Crate Box, released in 2012 to industry praise.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Super Crate Box was nominated for an Independent Games Festival award at the 2011 Game Developers Conference (GDC), where the team was largely unknown and the game did not win the award.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} By the next year, Ridiculous Fishing was nominated for the 2012 Independent Games Festival "Best Mobile Game" award at GDC, and Vlambeer had become known within the game development community for their two titles and struggle against Gamenauts's Ninja Fishing.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Their 2012 GDC talk on game clones received standing ovations.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Polygon referred to the speech as "a shot heard around the game industry".{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Ridiculous Fishing was shown at the 2012 Independent Games Festival GDC booth.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} The team also released a concurrent side project, Yeti Hunter, live from the GDC show floor.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Nijman began development for Luftrausers on the plane home from the conference.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}}

By now the team had four members: designer Jan Willem Nijman, marketer Rami Ismail, iOS developer Zach Gage, and artist Greg Wohlwend.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}}{{efn|Edge later described the team as an "indie supergroup".{{r|Edge review}} Eurogamer and TouchArcade similarly called the group a "dream team".{{r|Eurogamer review|TouchArcade review}} They had previously worked on titles including Solipskier, SpellTower, and Spelunky.{{r|Eurogamer review}}}} The team continued work separately and sporadically, making meager headway and disheartened by the project's obstacles.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Upon return to the Netherlands from GDC, Nijman and Ismail, the co-founders of Vlambeer, began to plan a "really large game", but ultimately decided that the idea was a diversion from the realities of finishing Ridiculous Fishing.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} In August 2012, after a road trip home across the United States from Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle to New York City, the team set a deadline to finish the game.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} The game was in a "disjointed" state, with good fishing mechanics, but poor shooting and menu navigation.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} They scrapped the store, interface, and endgame along with "90 percent" of their work, which revealed a specific direction for the rest of the game's development.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} Wohlwend, the artist, moved in with Gage, the developer, in New York City, working 14-hour days during the final weeks.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} The music was composed by Eirik Suhrke.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth|Polygon: Composer offering}}{{efn|Suhrke also worked on the Spelunky and Hotline Miami soundtracks.{{r|TouchArcade review}}}} The last parts of the game assembled smoothly, and Ismail submitted the game to the iOS App Store for approval from New York.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}}

The game was released March 13, 2013.{{r|Gamasutra: nearly ended}} The company live-streamed Ridiculous Fishing{{'}}s launch from their Utrecht office.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} A July 2013 patch added custom soundtracks, new fish, and an item for exiting the game early.{{r|Polygon: 1.1}} Vlambeer released an Android version with the November 19, 2013 Humble Bundle.{{r|The Verge: Android}}{{Clear}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| MC = 91/100{{r|Metacritic}}

| Edge = 9/10{{r|Edge review}}

| EuroG = 8/10{{r|Eurogamer review}}

| IGN = 8.0/10{{r|IGN review}}

| rev1 = Pocket Gamer

| rev1Score = 9/10{{r|Pocket Gamer review}}

| rev2 = TouchArcade

| rev2Score = 5/5{{r|TouchArcade review}}

}}

The game was well received at launch with "near-universal perfect scores".{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} Review score aggregator Metacritic describes its reception as "universal acclaim".{{r|Metacritic}} As of April 2013, the game was the highest-rated for iOS in 2013.{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} It won the "featured" position in the App Store,{{r|Polygon: Cloned at Birth}} and, later, an Apple Design Award at the 2013 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference{{r|Polygon: Apple Design Awards}} and Apple's iPhone game of the year.{{r|Polygon: Apple GOTY}} Pocket Gamer awarded it their gold award.{{r|Pocket Gamer review}} In August 2013, Vlambeer announced that the game was nearing one million dollars in sales.{{r|Polygon: Android soon}}

Edge noted that Ridiculous Fishing did not carry the emotional baggage behind the company's tumultuous development.{{r|Edge review}} Oli Welsh of Eurogamer called the balance beautiful and clever, an elaboration on their previous version's "idiot-savant design" without going too far.{{r|Eurogamer review}} TouchArcade{{'s}} Eli Hodapp commended the upgrade structure that combined obtainable incentives alongside gameplay as engaging as Doodle Jump{{'s}}.{{r|TouchArcade review}} IGN's Justin Davis praised the game's unpredictable and "poignant" ending at the bottom of the Arctic Floes.{{r|IGN review}} He added that the game could have been "even more ridiculous" and its levels more differentiated in theme and art style, though he found the "almost cubist design... absolutely gorgeous".{{r|IGN review}} Welsh of Eurogamer agreed that Wohlwend's art was "achingly cool" and reflected a "retro and minimalist" indie gaming trend without overpowering the gameplay.{{r|Eurogamer review}} Welsh also praised the game's character by way of its fake Twitter feed,{{r|Eurogamer review}} and Pocket Gamer{{'s}} Rob Hearn compared its imaginative character to that of Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic.{{r|Pocket Gamer review}}

TouchArcade{{'s}} Eli Hodapp called Ridiculous Fishing so well packaged as to make his recommendation "effortless" for both short few-minute play sessions as well as longer ones.{{r|TouchArcade review}} Rob Hearn of Pocket Gamer lauded its "blossoming" progression and became more interested as he unlocked upgrades.{{r|Pocket Gamer review}} But when there was nothing left to upgrade, Hearn wrote that "it's a shame that the innovation is confined to the first few hours".{{r|Pocket Gamer review}} While Ridiculous Fishing offered many hours of secrets and unlocks, IGN's Davis noted that the game was at its core a "simple arcade experience... ultimately a polished arcade time-killer".{{r|IGN review}}

During the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Ridiculous Fishing for "Casual Game of the Year" and "Mobile Game of the Year".{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2014&idGame=1347 |title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Ridiculous Fishing |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |website=interactive.org |access-date=27 November 2023}}

Notes

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/ridiculous-fishing-review/ |access-date=May 27, 2014 |magazine=Edge |title=Ridiculous Fishing review |author=Edge Staff |date=March 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529084520/http://www.edge-online.com/review/ridiculous-fishing-review/ |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-14-ridiculous-fishing-review |access-date=May 27, 2014 |work=Eurogamer |title=Ridiculous Fishing review |last=Welsh |first=Oli |date=March 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529084311/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-14-ridiculous-fishing-review |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/188097/ridiculous_fishing_the_game_that_.php?print=1 |title=Ridiculous Fishing: The Game that Nearly Ended Vlambeer |last1=Rose |first1=Mike |date=March 8, 2013 |work=Gamasutra |access-date=June 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703095652/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/188097/ridiculous_fishing_the_game_that_.php?print=1 |archive-date=July 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.gamezebo.com/games/ridiculous-fishing/review |title=Ridiculous Fishing Review |last1=Cymet |first1=Eli |date=March 14, 2013 |work=GameZebo |access-date=June 12, 2013 |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804234114/http://www.gamezebo.com/games/ridiculous-fishing/review |url-status=dead }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/14/ridiculous-fishing-review |access-date=May 27, 2014 |work=IGN |title=Ridiculous Fishing Review |last=Davis |first=Justin |date=March 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529052236/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/14/ridiculous-fishing-review |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/ridiculous-fishing-a-tale-of-redemption/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad |title=Ridiculous Fishing - A Tale of Redemption Critic Reviews for iPhone/iPad |work=Metacritic |access-date=May 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723031154/http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/ridiculous-fishing---a-tale-of-redemption/critic-reviews |archive-date=July 23, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Ridiculous+Fishing/review.asp?c=49234 |access-date=May 27, 2014 |work=Pocket Gamer |title=Ridiculous Fishing review |last=Hearn |first=Rob |date=March 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328212822/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/Ridiculous+Fishing/review.asp?c=49234 |archive-date=March 28, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/25/4557264/ridiculous-fishing-update-v1-1 |title=Ridiculous Fishing updated to let you play your own music, use knife |last1=Sarkar |first1=Samit |date=July 25, 2013 |work=Polygon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728120633/http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/25/4557264/ridiculous-fishing-update-v1-1 |archive-date=July 28, 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=July 25, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/17/5116232/ridiculous-fishing-hitting-android-soon |access-date=November 19, 2013 |title=Ridiculous Fishing hitting Android soon |last1=Pitcher |first1=Jenna |date=November 17, 2013 |work=Polygon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121154739/http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/17/5116232/ridiculous-fishing-hitting-android-soon |archive-date=November 21, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/12/4423292/ridiculous-fishing-letterpress-and-more-take-home-apple-design-awards |title=Ridiculous Fishing, Letterpress and more take home Apple Design Awards |last1=McElroy |first1=Griffin |date=June 12, 2013 |work=Polygon |access-date=June 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616121622/http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/12/4423292/ridiculous-fishing-letterpress-and-more-take-home-apple-design-awards |archive-date=June 16, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/17/5219420/apple-names-ridiculous-fishing-badland-its-2013-games-of-the-year |access-date=May 27, 2014 |title=Apple names Ridiculous Fishing, Badland its 2013 games of the year |last1=Corriea |first1=Alexa Ray |date=December 17, 2013 |work=Polygon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609171157/http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/17/5219420/apple-names-ridiculous-fishing-badland-its-2013-games-of-the-year |archive-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/4/24/4257958/cloned-at-birth-the-story-of-ridiculous-fishing |title=Cloned at Birth: The Story of Ridiculous Fishing |last1=Pitts |first1=Russ |date=April 24, 2013 |work=Polygon |access-date=June 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605145451/http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/4/24/4257958/cloned-at-birth-the-story-of-ridiculous-fishing |archive-date=June 5, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/24/5240672/spelunky-ridiculous-fishing-composer-offering-pay-what-you-want-for |access-date=December 24, 2013 |title=Spelunky, Ridiculous Fishing composer offering 'pay what you want' for albums |last1=Pitcher |first1=Jenna |date=December 24, 2013 |work=Polygon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224115525/http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/24/5240672/spelunky-ridiculous-fishing-composer-offering-pay-what-you-want-for |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/11/19/5123218/ridiculous-fishing-debuts-on-android-as-part-of-latest-humble-bundle |access-date=November 19, 2013 |title='Ridiculous Fishing' debuts on Android as part of latest Humble Bundle |last1=Webster |first1=Andrew |date=November 19, 2013 |work=The Verge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121000506/http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/19/5123218/ridiculous-fishing-debuts-on-android-as-part-of-latest-humble-bundle |archive-date=November 21, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite web |url=http://toucharcade.com/2013/03/13/ridiculous-fishing-review-ridiculous-fishing-more-like-ridiculous-amounts-of-fun/ |access-date=May 27, 2014 |work=TouchArcade |title='Ridiculous Fishing' Review - Ridiculous Fishing? More Like Ridiculous Amounts of Fun |last=Hodapp |first=Eli |date=March 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529053029/http://toucharcade.com/2013/03/13/ridiculous-fishing-review-ridiculous-fishing-more-like-ridiculous-amounts-of-fun/ |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

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