Rollin’ Here and Now: Monopoly Review
Monopoly is an all time great past time here in America and so are cell phones. Why not merge the two? Sounds pretty genius to me. Well, it might not have turned out genius but it certainly makes taking a crap a lot better.
If you have not been born yet you might not know what Monopoly is. If that should happen to be you please just run away and go back to your hole. For the rest of you, Monopoly is a game that might ring out “OMG WHEELBARROW!,” Park Place and Board Walk, or Free Parking, baby. It’s a long celebrated game that is available in just about any “edition” imaginable. The transition to the mobile (cell phone) platform is well done.
Options - 8.5/10
Normally, options in a game are thrown to the side but with this being a mobile game I have to point out a very good feature which is being able to set the animations to “Full,” “Minimal,” or “None.” This is very handy depending on how long you have. If you had a shake for breakfast, I would set it to “None” but if you had the family meal from Taco Bell…by yourself the night before just leave them on Full.
Graphics - 8/10
The animations are very well done for the cell phone platform. The Car will zoom off, the Fries grow arms and legs, the Tea Cup hops along, and deeds are easily read. What more could you ask for from a Monopoly game?
Sound - 6.5/10
Really not too much to say here. There is some music and effects which are all a little hokey but they work well for the game. Honestly, I usually have them off anyway.
Gameplay - 7.5/10
Monopoly: Here and Now Edition is still very much just Monopoly at heart. That, is more a good thing than a bad thing but it still means it’s going to be more fun playing with people. The AI in this game is not bad but the computer is not very good at trading. There will be a lot of trades made but they are usually lopsided and without much direction. The earlier in the game you trade for a property the better chance they will let it go very cheap. Later in the game, you cannot give enough money to acquire property so be sure to have enough deeds of your own.
Despite the AI having some pitfalls the game is still fun, entertaining, and seriously good at making the time pass. Turning the animations off allows you to go through games very quickly or you could leave them on and take your time. It would also be more interesting to pass the phone around for multiple human players.
Value - 8/10
I was able to download the game quickly from my mobile carrier, Verizon, for about $8. Considering I have already played this game quite a bit (hey, I’ve always been told I’m full of crap!) I think it’s already proven to be worth $8. If you were going on a trip somewhere and had to sit in an airport this is the best $8 you will spend. You will probably keep coming back to this game.
Overall - 38.5/50 - 77%
Lets face it, it’s Monopoly! Some of you will pass immediately, while the rest of you will be thinking about how many hotels you can build. The Here and Now edition is a decent update but I think the game would be just as fun using the old school Monopoly. If you’re looking for an easy to play cell phone game I would check this one out.
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Tags: Crap, Game Reviews, Mobile Gaming, Monopoly
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One Response to “Rollin’ Here and Now: Monopoly Review”
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October 26th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I think on the floor next to one’s dead body and suicide note will be a mobile phone with a Monopoly for one game running. I guess for long business trips, trips to the BMV, or the doctor’s office waiting room you can justify this purchase, but ultimately, I can barely qualify the game as tolerable without alcohol.