A ten-step guide to videogame morphine

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess

2006 | Nintendo | Wii

Fishing, as anyone who’s into the ‘sport’ will admit if you get them drunk enough and promise not to tell their other half, is not about the catching of fish. It’s about getting away from it all in a boat and relaxing, far from the people and responsibilities of day to day life. Fishing has been a part of the Zelda games for years, but only in the Wii version of Twilight Princess has the experience really been done justice.

It’s not just the controls, mind. Of course flicking a Wii remote to cast and position a line before whirling a nunchuck to reel it in makes everything brilliantly authentic, but it’s the sheer atmosphere of TP’s fishing that sets it apart from other entries in the series.

A lush and secluded woodland glade, a lake to paddle around in your rowing boat, a waterfall, and a cute fishing shop girl to flirt with... It’s the perfect day away, and a perfect distraction from the pressures of the main quest. So much so in fact, that it’s possible to spend whole afternoons playing this mini-game and forget all about saving Hyrule. You might not catch anything, but for once, you genuinely won’t care.

David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.