Overview and Gameplay
Four tournament days take an angler from Florida to increasingly demanding Hawaiian waters in The Blue Marlin. Each day offers three fishing areas and runs from morning to late afternoon. From a top-down boat view, players search for activity around fish schools, seabirds, and whales, then position a lure for a strike.
Once a billfish bites, the game shifts to a detailed fight built around pumping the rod, recovering slack, managing drag, and protecting the line. Blue, black, and striped marlin, swordfish, and sailfish can qualify for advancement. Character ratings for muscle power, body strength, and skill improve across repeated attempts, while passwords preserve progress.
Controls And Mechanics
- Steer the boat, accelerate, reverse, and open the command menu to change line and lure settings.
- During a fight, swing and pump the rod, reel in slack, brake the reel, and adjust drag as the fish runs.
- Watch line distance, vitality, fish exhaustion, and hook condition while responding to incidents such as jumps, equipment trouble, and shark attacks.
- This is a single-player tournament with no multiplayer mode.
Version Notes
The North American release uses the title The Blue Marlin. The earlier Japanese Famicom release appeared as ザ・ブルーマリーン.
Release And Credits
- North American release: 1992
- Developer: Hot-B Co., Ltd.
- Publisher: HOT-B USA, Inc.
- Original platform: Famicom and NES
