1999 video game
Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch is a 1999 video game and the fourth of five adventure games in the Freddi Fish series of games. It was developed and published by Humongous Entertainment.
Plot
Freddi and Luther are on their way to Calico Ranch in Briny Gulch to meet Freddi's cousin, Calico Catfish, who agreed to teach them to raise hogfish. When they arrive, Cousin Calico tells them that her hogfish herd has been rustled and that she couldn't call the authorities as the town's local lawman, Sheriff Shrimp, supposedly went out of town. Freddi and Luther offer to help find the hogfish and catch the rustlers.
After entering Briny Gulch's town square, Freddi and Luther meet Saltwater Stella, the owner and operator of the local "sodaloon", who informs them that there were a couple of suspicious-looking fish who had entered the sodaloon the other day. While looking for clues around the sodaloon, Luther finds a note dropped under the table where the two fish sat, which mentions a meeting at the Rusty Rustler, a local shipwreck, as well as a lock combination in order to enter.
Once Freddi and Luther arrive at the shipwreck and enter the combination, they attempt to enter only to be stopped by a slim fish named Goby, who tells them that only rustlers are allowed in the hideout and that they need a colored hat, a kind of neckwear, and a belt buckle with a certain letter on it to qualify as rustlers. Using the magazine advertisement the rustler gave them, Freddi and Luther then set out to find materials for making a rustler disguise. Meanwhile, another fish named Moray struggles to take care of Calico's hogfish, who refuse to cooperate; he keeps threatening to call someone named "Mr. Big".
Once Freddi and Luther obtain the right kinds of clothing for their disguise, they head back to the Rusty Rustler to change into their outfit. Goby falls for the duo's disguise and allows them to enter, but after Luther sheds their disguise, he and Freddi are caught by Moray, who locks them in a prison cell and calls Mr. Big to decide what to do with them. Freddi and Luther soon realize that their jail cell is just above the hogfish's cell, where they meet one of the hogfish named Gruntle and discover a clue to Mr. Big's identity. By using the chain of an anchor, Freddi and Luther manage to break the cell's window bars, allowing the hogfish to escape.
Once Goby and Moray realize the hogfish have broken loose, they are caught by Sheriff Shrimp and the townsfolk, who are informed by Freddi and Gruntle of Mr. Big, with the former having deduced Big's identity due to the clue in the hogfish's cell, as well as their suspicious actions prior. Once Mr. Big is exposed, he explains his reason for planning the rustling and Goby and Moray apologetically admit that their only intention was to be real hogfish ranchers. Hearing this, Calico decides to hire Goby, Moray and Mr. Big, as assistant hogfish ranchers along with Freddi and Luther.
Gameplay
The game uses the same principles as its predecessors, but similar to the third game, it has multiple endings on who the main culprit is based on evidence Freddi and Luther find. There are four possible suspects: Eight Finger Phil, Nelson Torso, Sahara Slim and Gill Barker (returning from the previous game), and each one has a different reason for stealing the hogfish.
Reception
Freddi Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch was generally well-received, getting scores of 85% from GameBlitz,[3] 93% from Gamer's Pulse,[4] 4.5 out of 5 stars from Review Corner,[5] 4.5 out of 5 stars from Metzomagic[6] and Unikgamer gave a 6.5 out 10 score.[7] Review Corner also gave this game the Award of Excellence.[5]
During the year 2001 alone, Freddi Fish 4 sold 65,106 retail units in North America, according to PC Data.[9]
