Monopoly
System: NES
Release Date: May 1991
Developer: Sculptured Software
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Genre: Board Game
The most popular board game in the world comes to the NES, it’s Monopoly! There are two types of people in this world. Those that want to sit down to a six hour game and those who want to flip the board at the first bad roll. Which of these two people you are will determine how much you will enjoy playing this on the NES.
Begin by setting the number of players and setting up whether they are human or computer. Then choose your token from all of your favorites. If you don’t want the possibility of an incredibly long game, you can set a timer. Or if the end game trading is your favorite part, you can begin with the properties dealt out or in a preset scenario. You can even make your own scenario if you’re so inclined, controlling everything from who holds properties, what buildings they have, amount of money and more.
The order of turns is set randomly, but you press and hold the A Button to roll. If you land on a property, you can buy it. If the property isn’t sold, you’re taken to the auction screen where everyone has a chance to bid on it. You’re also taken here if someone goes bankrupt to the bank. This is a great way to get properties if you’re not lucky enough to roll them.
After several times around the board, most of the properties will be bought up and if no one has a set, trading becomes imperative. The AI wasn’t particularly stupid in the deals they would accept, so I had to do some crazy trades in order to get the power corner of orange and red. During my trades, I gave up sets to the computer, which I am usually good at avoiding. It was a nail biter when the Go corner properties all had hotels on them. I had luck with the dice, though, and didn’t get hit by them too much.
I like the digitized Monopoly games because I don’t have to worry about the rules around mortgaging. You’re also directly told the value of your assets and the value of your cash, so you can decide whether to keep trying or just declare bankruptcy. In the end, I got lucky with cash flow and picked up a ton of properties on the cheap when my opponents went bankrupt to the bank and the Blue property owner became cash poor. Ollie is Bankrupt.
Graphics: 2.0
The board looks fine, the animations can be interesting, it doesn’t look bad for a digitized board game.
Sound: 2.0
The music and sounds are nothing special, but they aren’t out of place or overpowering.
Gameplay: 3.0
You can do pretty much everything you would expect. If you want to set up your own scenario, feel free. The AI isn’t completely stupid, either.
Difficulty: 2.0
It’s mainly the luck of the dice, but there is something to say about talking someone into a trade that you get a big benefit from.
Fun Factor: 3.0
No one can flip this board and all of the mundane tasks are handled by the computer, so this is much more fun.
Overall Rating: 2.4
Monopoly earns a C+. If you like Monopoly, this is a solid way to play it. With or without friends, you can’t really go wrong.