Legend of the River King 2

It was a cold, wet, miserable day - perfect for fishing! We dressed warmly, packed up the gear and set off in the car. My son turned on his Gameboy Color and, to his consternation, discovered that the fate of the world rested in his rod and reel. Two halves of the Heaven Jewel had been stolen by the River and Sea Kings. He had to become a good enough fisherman to catch them both and restore the Jewel to its rightful place.

He expected it to be easy - after all, farming came naturally to him. But fishing can be finicky. You need the right equipment for each of 60 denizens of the deep and they don't just leap onto the hook. There was much frustration but no flounder until the instructions revealed tips. It's important to wait till fish get tired to reel them in, and to pause if they start swimming again. The cooler began to fill with tuna and trout, which were exchanged for gold at the fish market. Earnings were used to upgrade gear at the Tackle Shop, buy snacks and pay for a room at the Inn to recover health after fighting fish all day.

There are different areas to explore, while looking for good fishing holes, and interesting characters to meet. Help them and they often give something in return, for example a canoe from the boat builder. Flower picking and bug catching also accumulate gold - they can be sold at the Grocery store, or traded with Harvest Moon 2 farmers (using a Gameboy link). Shellfish also sell well, but diving is only advisable if you are high on health, and jellyfish and eels should be avoided. Other common critters can be risky, like cats and seagulls who steal fish, and snakes and spiders, who can hurt you.

There are similarities between this game and the Harvest Moon farming adventures that have enthralled my kids - exploration, encounters with locals, selling produce, upgrading tools, and Memo books - in River King they describe types of fish caught, bugs collected, and flowers picked). There is also an activity to make melodies with flowers planted in your mother's garden. However Legend of the River King 2 is more challenging than its farming counterparts, only suitable for children at least 8 years old. There is a learning curve and it's important to read the instructions and to understand that fishing requires patience. My 12 year old son has made progress on the game and enjoys it. He's fished the Lake, Stream and Summit regions, and plans more angling on rainy days.