DOS based ice fishing game! (LONG)

[Uncle Grump]

OK gang

Its amazing what you can find on the web....

A week or so ago, there was a thread called "FM Game?" started by pig-sticka, who was looking for a icefishing computer game.

The good news is:

I did some Google searches and by playing with the advanced search option and my keywords a bit - I found one. Its called "Pro Pilkki" (ver. 1.4.1), and you can download it at this URL:

http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/lair/8646/demos.htm

If this URL is a no-no w/ Rick - email me at sportsman00.geo AT yahoo.com and I'll email you the URL.

Rick - no intent to break any rules - its a free download (w/ a slug of other fishing game type downloads too).

There is another ice fishing game listed - but don't bother - you'll get a 404 error on the URL.

Now for the BAD news ====> all of the text is in Finnish (Finland). Have we got any FM'ers who can read and translate it? I tryed using Altavista's Babelfish, but it doesn't handle it.

I have managed (so far) to figure out the following:

Download the game in a seperate directory. Take the defaults on execution (its clean of viruses according to my copy of Norton AV). It decompresses itself in the default dir.

The excuteable is pilkki.exe
This is a DOS module - it will run under Windows - but if you have sound enabled (and it wants to use sound) - you'll hang - at least w/ Windows XP Professional.

The main menu:

Aloita Play (fish?) - get a splash screen

Aloita ilman aania Play ?????

aaniasetukset Options settings

Lue Dokumentaatio Read the doc (all Finnish)

Poistu Exit

Assuming you chose Alotia

Har joitteeele This is a single person mode. You will be prompted for your name - then click OK. Next you will get a 2 screen list of spots, and a small map of what they look like when you run your mouse over the name of the spot. Clicking takes you to the given spot.

You are the red dot. Clicking on the map will set a green cross hairs on the screen -
then right click on the red dot (you) and you will 'walk' to that spot. Next click
"Kairaa" - which is drill a hole. Out comes your auger. You have 3 lures to choose from - two jigs and a jigging rapala. Choose one. Click "Laske" to get out your rod. Clicking "Nosta" jigs it. Right clicking on Laske will pull up your line and allow you to change lures - but there is a time penalty for changing lures.

Holding down both the L & R mouse buttons will bring up a contour map in a small box on the screen.

You are playing against the clock - a timer is running in the upper left corner.

You can move from spot to spot by repeating the above actions. There is some sort of "spy mode" - looks like binoculars in the lower right corner - click on the binocs, then on another fisherman - and you can see what that person is doing.

Haven't found any key sequences other than ESC = quit.

I managed to get in to a 5 minute tournament mode game (yksi pillkkiksia). Was against 6-8 other fisherman - I managed to catch two smaller fish called kiiski - one weighed 24g (yup - metric). I didn't watch my time close enough, and looks like I missed weigh-in and was dis-qualified.

Looks like it could be fun if we could get it translated to English - other wise its going to be school of hard knocks.

Enjoy!!!

UG

PS: pig-sticka - you up to the challenge??

PS #2 There is a computer to computer mode - possibly across the 'net - but w/o english doc its going to be painful figuring out how to do it.....

[Guido]

For all you console gamers, Top Angler: Real Bass Fishing is being released February 3rd for XBOX and possibly gamecube.

This is the fishing game of all fishing games. I have had this game pre-ordered for over a year. Might want to look into curing the winter itch with some vids !

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1...2...bam got him