Dynamite Fishing 2

People who haven't gone fishing assume that sitting by the side of a lake or river for hours (if not days) on end must be a fairly mundane and repetitive experience.

Anyone who sampled last year's Dynamite Fishing will know that throwing in a few explosives can make the world of difference, turning one of the world's most tranquil sports into a mini war.

HandyGames's follow-up is barely distinguishable from its predecessor. This is a title where the fundamentals of play - chucking dynamite overboard to blow up as many fish as possible - haven't changed, coming in an almost identical package, complete with its pros and its cons. The only difference here is that this time you're taking on someone else.

Set in the arena of an international dynamite fishing contest, you move from round to round, trying to reach a points target before your rival does by picking up fish carcasses in their shoals.

Viewed from the side on, you guide your boat left or right (via keys '4' and '6') on top of the water with a clear view of just what is lying underneath. The key to picking up the fish is to time the throwing of your dynamite, handled with the '5' key, so that it coincides with their passing.

Tapping '5' releases sticks of dynamite in a short, sharp burst, while holding it down results in a lengthier throw. The dynamite explodes a few seconds after each throw, or when it comes into contact with a fish. Either way, any fish in the blast radius will be taken out, rising to the surface to be picked up by your boat.

Picking up special fish (which are usually either rare or aware of your intentions and on the move) earns you extra points that can swing a match, each contest being decided over five rounds.

If you manage to come out on top - and it's not a given that you will - your reward is access to new boats. These can be quicker boats, boats that can take more ammunition or, perhaps more importantly, a wider number and range of ammunition in the first place.

It all follows a set path of widening your options while the difficulty of the task at hand raises, each competitor you take on racking up a higher score in quicker time. Your progress is reliant on your ability to improve and come through trickier and tighter tests.

The problem here, as in the original Dynamite Fishing, is that there isn't too much skill involved. The game is so simple in terms of your actual input that haphazardly chucking scores of dynamite overboard can shoot you towards your goal in a matter of seconds.

Conversely, another crack at the same level with identical tactics can bear little fruit, with precious time wasted searching for the shoals of fish seemingly hidden from view.

It can make for many a tense battle. Sometimes even ploughing a good few hundred points into the lead early on doesn't guarantee victory, your opponent clawing you in. The lead often changes hands with startling frequency right until the last moment.

Such intensity is beautifully balanced out with an ocean full of charm, the entire game delivered in the manner of a cheesy U.S. sports network, complete with reams of nonsensical chatter.

But while there's fun to be had - and HandyGames's fishing fiesta is full of endearing features at every turn - it's just not quite the package it bills itself as. It’s addictive only while you're winning. As soon as it becomes evident that luck plays more of a part than ability, Dynamite Fishing 2's appeal dries up.

Perfect for a quick key hammering, then, but not quite the full fishy experience you might be expecting.