Bandai Namco’s next game is a Japan-only launch, but we’re tossing it up here — casting about, you might say — because of the nifty peripheral it includes: a fishing reel, which is attached to the side of a Joy-Con controller.
Granted, the premise of Bakutsuri Hunters sounds pretty rad, too: use your futuristic fishing rod to hunt down and land some mecha-sharks. But it’s a heck of a lot cooler when you’re using this contraption:
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That is the “Bakutsuri Giga Rod.” Bakutsuri Hunters uses the Joy-Con’s motion control to allow for a realistic line casting, short or long, according to the player’s throw. Then start winding that reel and bring that bad boy in.
But wait, there’s more: Bakutsuri Hunters includes some custom fishing lures that can be scanned into the game via the Joy-Con IR blaster, and used in your virtual expedition.
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NintendoLife points out that Bandai Namco has something of a history in the wacky fishing-rod department. It developed a Nintendo 3DS game called Bakuchou Bar Hunter, again Japan-only, that launched in 2018 and featured a snap-on reel peripheral for the handheld, too.
Alas, it seems Namco has no plans to bring this delightfully creative peripheral stateside. It’s launching Dec. 7 in Japan for 5,280 yen. Western enthusiasts must either import, or get their kicks with the Nintendo Labo Fishing Rod.
