When I was a kid, I liked to go fishing with my dad - except having to get up early. With Fishing Master, anytime can be fishing time - and you don't even have to bait your own hook. :-)

When you first start out, you will select your character and dog and name both of them. Then you can go through a quick tutorial to learn the controls.

You will start out each day in your room. It is not real time; whenever you play the game it will be a new day. When you are out of your room, the timer in the upper right corner will count down. Each second of real time is a minute in the game. When the game time reaches 5:30 pm your time is up, and you will automatically return home. Grandpa will check any fish you've caught and will award fishing points for them. You can use those points to buy more bait and fishing rods.

You can access different options in your room. One option is chatting with grandpa. He has advice and information for you. The fish guide shows all the fish you've caught along with length, weight (of the best one you've caught) and where it was caught. Selecting the picture frame will show your status - names of your character and pet, fishing points, title, and quest. When you select the tackle box, you can choose your rod and bait for when you fish. You can also change this when your are out fishing, so you don't have to worry about picking the wrong items. If you select the TV, you will get the options menu. You can select whether to have the fish shadows and background music when reeling in a fish be on or off. You can also review controls there. The notebook on Grandpa's desk is the save menu. The game does not automatically save. You need to remember to do that before quitting. I try to remember to save right before I leave the room to go fishing. Selecting the map of Japan lets you go fishing.

The country map allows you to choose where to fish. When you first start there is only one area open, but others will unlock as you progress through the game.

The area map shows you different options. The game time and season are shown in the upper right corner. Besides being a place to buy bait and rods, the shop also has a bulletin board with information. Fishing spots will be marked by a flag. Some areas are only open during certain seasons, so watch for that. Each region also has a fishing tournament that you can enter. You will start with an unlimited supply of worms for both fresh and salt water fishing. Some fish are only able to be caught with different kinds of bait, and you can find some of that information on the bulletin board.

The controls are fairly easy to use, which makes for a more enoyable game. I want to be able to play games without having to memorize a lot of complex instructions. You use the remote and nunchuck. You cast with the remote similar to what you would do with a fishing rod. Start with the B button held down and release it part way through the cast. When a fish bites the controller will vibrate and double exclamation marks show up on screen, letting you know that you need to pull up with your remote to hook the fish. Then you have to reel in the fish. There are a few ways to do this. You can press down on the D-pad, press C to reel it in quickly, Z to reel slower, or you can rotate the nunchuck. The speed you rotate it will determine the speed you reel it in. You need to watch the tension guide at the top. If you reel too fast, and there is too much tension, the line will snap. If you don't reel enough, the fish will get away. Once you have the fish in close enough, you have to pull back on the remote to pull them out of the water. There are also times when you will need to move the remote quickly to the left or right, depending on where the fish goes. The game will show you onscreen what to do.

I probably made the game sound confusing with all the different things you can do, but really it's not. Even my 6 year-old managed to catch a couple fish by herself. She was so proud of herself that she managed to do that. And while it is a fishing game, it's not just "throw it out, reel it in". There are different quests that you can do. Grandpa will give you those. Plus, each fishing place has certain fish there, and if you want to catch them all, you'll have to make sure you have the right bait and lures, not just the worms you start with.

There is a competition mode for 2-4 players. The controls are basically the same, although you don't have to pull the fish out at the end and don't have to move the remote from side to side. You pick a location and time limit, and everyone scores points for the fish they catch during that time. The player with the high score is the winner.

I definitely give this game a thumbs up. It's a family-friendly game that all ages can enjoy.