Could this be the final nail in the coffin? Are board games forever lost to the plague of videogaming? Monopoly, the undisputed king of board games has made its first console showing since 1996 and the signs aren’t good for the Mattel fraternity. Monopoly Party is a winner, taking the classic game and redefining it, without losing the magic that made the ‘real’ version the lynch pin of every family vacation and the mainstay of garage sales right across the known world. However it does not attempt to win over any new fans, aiming instead at its core fan group.
Whether it is waiting for someone to take their turn, arguing about whether you received you $200 for passing go or staring in disbelief as a snake eyes takes you from a hoteled Park Lane to Mayfair, Monopoly brings even the most docile gamer into hostile competition. This is never more obvious than in the $ Old Kent Street rent demand. Monopoly Party keeps all the Monopoly stereotypes in place, allowing you to play on a virtual replication of the classic board game, turn-based and with each move painstakingly ground into proceedings.
Graphically, the board design has evolved, allowing players to choose from one of five themed boards. These are Classic, Prehistoric, Sci-fi, Fantasy and Ancient Monuments with each laying claim to unique characters, streets names, centerpieces and other random interactive elements. All of these come across crisp and nicely animated and although they don’t help to explode Monopoly off of your screen, they do add a ton of depth to the mundane board extravaganza. Of course the other great pre-Monopoly debate is the credibility of certain rules. A top addition is MP’s customizable rules, where everything from the Free Parking bonus to the rent while in jail can be tweaked.
MP was always going to need more than just the classic board game to reap the success and this comes in the form of a pseudo-real-time option, where four gamers play simultaneously. Although you cannot proceed until everyone has completed a turn, players can role the dice at the same time and then buy, sell or auction independently of the other gamers. This allows the game to proceed a lot quicker than the usual board based slog fests and at times, especially during an auction, can really heat up the pace.
It isn’t a massive explosion in Monopoly lore, but it is a surreal new vantage on a cherished landmark for household gaming. The graphics and sound are adequate and the gameplay is as good as it ever was, but you can play your mates without finding a board, locating all the pieces, and spilling beer over the community chest pile. It takes the originals ability to initiate fists fights and gives it a whole new frantic scope. It is a party for adult gamers in need of Friday night fixes, with no learning curve and familiar environment. However, if you never a Monopoly fan, you never will be, and kids will find little to like over fare such as the Mario Party games.
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