Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first few minutes make the entire proposition clear. You choose a fishing spot, aim your cast, and wait for the float to tell you whether anything is interested. There is no unnecessary detour before the central tension arrives: a fish bites, the view moves in close, and you have to pay attention.

The actual struggle is where Tsurikichi Sanpei: The Tsuri earns its name. Pulling opposite the fish’s movement while managing line tension sounds modest, but it gives the catch a useful push-and-pull. Yank too hard and the tension climbs; give too much away and it falls too low. Either mistake lets the fish escape, so success comes from restraint as much as fast reactions. When the energy bar finally runs down and you reel the fish in, the result feels earned.

That focus also defines the limitation. Every location is a single screen, and the core sequence remains casting, watching, hooking, and tiring out a fish. The game asks you to find satisfaction in repeating that sequence and improving your judgment inside it. Free Mode is the better fit when you simply want to fish at your own pace, while Story Mode adds chapter-based goals around the same activity.

Graphics

Fishing spots are shown as single-screen locations, then the game cuts to a close-up of the float when it is time to watch for bobs and nibbles. That close view is the important one: it puts your attention where it belongs, on the small movements that precede a bite.

Story

Story Mode follows the main characters of Takao Yaguchi’s manga through a series of chapters with fishing at the center. That makes it the natural starting point if you came in because of Tsurikichi Sanpei rather than a general interest in fishing simulations.

Don’t expect the story structure to pull the game away from its core pastime. The chapters give the fishing a goal-oriented frame, but the cast’s role is to lead you back toward another outing and another catch. It is a sensible match for a licensed fishing game: the series supplies context while the rod work remains the point.

Free Mode is the cleaner alternative once you do not want that structure in the way. Being able to choose a spot and fish without chapter goals suits the game’s patient rhythm, and it gives the basic catch loop room to stand on its own.

Overall Experience

Tsurikichi Sanpei: The Tsuri is a narrow, honest fishing game. It does not complicate casting and landing a fish beyond recognition; instead, it puts the pressure on reading the bite and keeping your line under control once the fish runs. That makes it easy to understand and potentially satisfying for a long session if the tension-management duel clicks with you.

Its simplicity will also be the source of frustration for some. A missed fish can sting because the whole encounter hinges on keeping the tension in the right range, and the repeated structure leaves little else to distract you. You need to enjoy waiting, watching, and making careful corrections rather than demanding constant novelty.

Give it a chance if you want a compact fishing game with a manga-based Story Mode and a no-pressure Free Mode. The payoff is modest but real: landing a stubborn fish after managing its runs feels better than a button-mashing catch ever would. For anyone who finds fishing-game downtime dull, however, this is unlikely to change your mind.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10