Gamevil flicks its wrist as Fishing Superstars is cast onto the App Store

There used to be a lots of fishing games for iPhone but the frequency of new releases has dropped in recent years.

Still, with its Baseball Superstars franchise having done 40 millions downloads, Korean publisher Gamevil is looking to sprinkle some of that cute cartoon magic onto the genre.

That's why it's come up with Fishing Superstars, which mixes rod-based action, with social one upmanship and plenty of customisation and in-game purchasing of kit.

Already available on Android [Google Play link], the free-to-play title has you travelling around the world, selecting the correct lures and rods to catch a wide variety of fish.

Of course, doing this involves plenty of practise as you have to flick your device to cast and tire the fish, deftly reeling in by rotating your finger via the onscreen spinner - making sure you don't reel too hard and break the line.

Caught fish can be kept in your aquarium, providing a collection aspect to the game.

You can nurture and feed them, selling them for the in-game currency gold. The game also has an energy-based mechanic, which may (or may not) encourage you to purchase IAP.

More generally, the point of the game is to level up your fisherman or woman character; kitting them out with appropriate clothes to improve their stats even more, so you can catch better and bigger fish.

All this activity is presented via the socially connected Competition and Quest modes.

Fishing Superstars is due out on Thursday 19th July.

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