A fishing game with chainsaws and shotguns
Plus, Remnant 2 and the variety of game opinions in 2023
Ridiculous Fishing EX has a killer elevator pitche: what if you went fishing with chainsaws and uzis?
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because EX is an update on the original Ridiculous Fishing, released a decade ago on iOS and Android. And that game was itself a port of a 2011 browser game called Radical Fishing.
The road from one game to the next was nearly as interesting as the series, filled with creative theft, wild success, and the dissolving of a beloved indie game studio. This week, The Resties dig into the game and its twelve-year journey.
Listen to the latest episode of The Resties here.
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Games discussed:
Ridiculous Fishing EX, the original Ridiculous Fishing, Radical Fishing, and Remnant 2, plus the games of Pippin Barr, Vlambeer, and Zach Gage
Documentaries discussed:
Books discussed:
This novel is an English translation of the classic Japanese book that inspired Miyazaki’s final Studio Ghibli film, coming to US theaters later this year under the title The Boy and the Heron.
The Stuff Games Are Made Of by Pippin Barr
The Video Game Industry Does Not Exist by Brendan Keogh
Have questions for The Besties?
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Next week on The Besties and The Resties:
Next time on The Resties: Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Gravity Circuit, and more.
And this Friday on The Besties: Pikmin 4 and Might and Magic Clash of Heroes Definitive Edition.
Bonus links:
Frushtick’s 2011 (!) MTV News post on the Radical Fishing clone
Polygon’s 2013 feature on the development of Ridiculous Fishing
Polygon’s review of Remnant 2
IGN’s video review of Remnant 2
It's been a while since I played Remnant, and I haven't gotten to play Remnant 2 yet, but I'll try to explain the appeal as someone that really liked it. It's a co-op shooter with mostly good gameplay, seamless co-op, and a relatively simple progression mechanic that feels like I'm leveling up without signing up for a lengthy grind.
None of those things sounds particularly amazing, but those attributes can be surprisingly hard to find. I like completing co-op campaigns with a friend, and the vast majority of multiplayer experiences are designed around getting you to play them forever. Looter-shooters, Left For Dead-likes, etc. It's nice to play through a game, finish it, and feel like you had the full experience.
I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had a lot of other similar options available, but right now Remnant gets a big water-in-the-desert boost.
You forgot to mention in this newsletter that you talked about The Last Temptation of Christ!