Cutie Pets Go Fishing Review - Screenshot 1 of 2

Yazar Media Group's Cutie Pets meta-series is a peculiar little oddity on the Wii U eShop. The games are full of strange, weirdly compelling characters and ideas, but the execution is very, very flawed. Unfortunately, that trend continues with Cutie Pets Go Fishing. Yet another Cutie game with very, very little content, it's starting to become clear that the Cutie Pets titles would be better suited to being released as a collection.

Cutie Pets Go Fishing is a very simple match-3 puzzler. The game is played entirely on the GamePad, while the television screen shows a donkey lazily fishing on a little boat. For those who haven't played match-3 games — and let's face it, nearly all of us have at some point — the player uses the stylus to connect at least three of the same type of fish on a grid. Connecting a large school of fish will grant more points, which you'll notice happens often. Cutie Pets Go Fishing has no difficulty levels, so the game feels like it's made for children at all times.

Cutie Pets Go Fishing Review - Screenshot 2 of 2

There are two modes in Cutie Pets Go Fishing. The first, Classic Mode, tasks the player with clearing as many fish as possible in a two-minute time limit. This is the primary way to play, but it can be frustrating for kids or casual players who just want to keep on matching. Fortunately, Zen Mode takes away the time limit and point system and just lets the player connect fish for as long as they'd like. But because Cutie Pets Go Fishing has no real "hook", it's unlikely that anyone will play for more than a few minutes on either mode.

Getting a high score occasionally unlocks stamps to post on Miiverse, but this is by no means a reason to keep playing. Miiverse posts will pop up on the television screen from time to time, but players will be looking down at the GamePad and likely miss most of them. Cutie Pets Go Fishing has one pleasant, looping song, and the very simple 2D visuals get the job done and run smoothly, but the fish are more generic than some of the other "Cutie Pets" titles.

Conclusion

Cutie Pets Go Fishing is an unremarkable little game that should either have been released on mobile or as a compilation with the other Cutie Pets titles. With nothing unique or interesting to set it apart, Cutie Pets Go Fishing doesn't measure up to other match-3 puzzlers. If you're a fan of the Cutie Pets, you might enjoy giving this a go, but otherwise it's hard to recommend.