Play Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 2 (Japan) Online

Game Overview

Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 2 (or Legend of the River King if you're playing the English version) is one of those weirdly engrossing SNES games that shouldn’t work but totally does. At first glance, it’s just fishing—but then you realize there’s a whole RPG layered underneath. You wander along rivers, talk to oddball villagers, and when you hook a fish, suddenly it’s turn-based combat? Yeah, you’re literally trading blows with a trout.

The pixel art is gorgeous in that cozy 16-bit way, all dappled sunlight on the water and little ripples when you cast your line. And the fish actually fight back—some even have special attacks, which is hilarious when you’re getting wrecked by a carp. There’s a light story tying it together, but mostly it’s just you, your rod, and the quiet satisfaction of outsmarting a particularly stubborn bass. It’s the kind of game you play with a cup of tea, not an energy drink.

If you’ve ever wanted a fishing game with actual stakes (or just something different from the usual SNES lineup), this one’s a total charmer. I still hum the soundtrack sometimes when I’m near actual water.