#430 – Monopoly

If anyone needs me, I’ll be passing Go.

PLAYERS: 1-8 (multitap? rotating controllers? unsure)

PUBLISHER: Parker Brothers

DEVELOPER: Spectrum Holobyte

GENRE: Board game

RELEASE DATE: May 1991

Many of us grew up playing Monopoly and as a result, many of us no longer play Monopoly. It’s a game that’s found in childhood and abandoned almost as quickly, depending on how much one’s parents/relatives/deluded friends forced one to play it. Monopoly is about as good as it gets at re-creating the “spirit,” if you will, of the board game, while adding voices and animations to emphasize that, yes, this is a digital version of Monopoly. If you enjoy reveling in all the buying, selling, and going to jail madness that comes with the game, you’ll love playing against seven additional people (including AI characters, I think – no word on whether this game lets you use two multitaps). The game can go on for hours or you can opt to play a “short” game. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what the difference is, as it seemed like the game didn’t exclude any features. One plus about Monopoly is how fast the game is. Every move occurs at such a quick speed that, depending on the amount of players and how quickly people are making decision, you can quickly bypass your turn, just by pressing ‘A’ one too many times. Typically, video board games are dreadfully slow, so this is a welcome change (the speed actually helped me get through a game – without it, I would have just taken a snooze on the keyboard). Do you like playing Monopoly unironically? I’ve read that the NES version is one of the better versions out there. There’s pre-made game setups. You can edit your own game and assign each person their properties beforehand. Besides just playing the game, there’s quite a bit of extra content here. Do you not want to pass Go, even if it means collecting two hundred Pennybag funbucks? I’m with you, friends. Monopoly‘s not for me, but it’s a well-made imitation all the same.

B-