Fishing Superstars is a fishing simulator for Android where your objective is to become a angling champion.

Get hooked on virtual fishing

Fishing Superstars combines fishing action with an RPG element, whereby you equip yourself with the right skills and equipment to catch the best fish, which you can then sell for gold in order to continue to upgrade.

The simulation side of Fishing Superstars is good fun. You cast out into the waters, wait for a bite and then must reel the fish in, paying attention to the tension of the line and using skills to outwit the fish. 

Ultimately though, you'll discover that the key to succeeding in Fishing Superstars is through the RPG element. In order to catch the best (and most valuable) fish you'll need to unlock the better locations (of which there are many), which in turn means upgrading your bait, equipment and clothing. All of this gets a little tedious after a while, especially when it becomes impossible to progress without in-app purchase.

Another way to make gold in Fishing Superstars is to keep the fish you catch in an aquarium and grow them by feeding them regularly. You can then sell the fish on at a higher price.

There is a social element to Fishing Superstars and you can pit your angling skills against your buddies through Facebook Connect or through Gamevil's own network (which experienced frequent delays during our tests on a HTC Sensation).

Cast out

The fishing game controls in Fishing Superstars are pretty simple to grasp and fun to use. You cast out by angling the rod then hitting the Cast button when the power gage is at the desired level. Once you have a bite you quickly flick your phone back and forth (or press the 'Hit' button) then it's a case of winding the on-screen reel to pull in your prey. Be careful to monitor the tension meter though because pulling too fast or slow could cause the line to snap or the fish to get away.

The amount of menus, shops, items and options within the RPG side of Fishing Superstars are mind boggling, and it'll take you a while to figure out where everything is and how the coins/XP/star reward system works. There are in-app instructions which help, but the quality of the English translation isn't the best.

Fishing for compliments

The graphics in Fishing Superstars are uninspiring and a bit dull. The scenary is very two-dimensional and you don't even see the fish come out of the water once you've caught it, which is disappointing. The in-app menus are crudely designed and the menu buttons in the interface are small and fiddly.

The verdict

Fishing Superstars is a deep game with lots of challenges to complete. The fishing is fun, but the RPG element ends up getting in the way as you realise it takes patience and money to really succeed. A bit like real fishing, I guess.