Screenshot
No.1
Screenshot No.2
Screenshot No.3
SCENE
GENRE
GRAPHICS
SOUND
PLAYABILITY
VALUE
OPINION
REVIEW
INDEX |
| Setting
the Scene |
Wow,
an ancient board game brought back to life on the PlayStation.
Monopoly, for those of you that have never heard of the game before
is a board game that was released for public consumption way back in
1935. It is a game based on real estate wheeling and dealing in
which it uses post depression Atlantic City as it's backdrop.
The game is basically timeless in nature and has been
converted to numerous platform systems in the past as well as having
many different PC versions released. The game has also been modified
to use different locations and street names, just to give it a
different flavour.
Well now the PlayStation gets it's very own version that is
sure to bring back some pleasant memories from all of you old timers
out there, and create some lasting impressions on those new to this
game. If you have ever had a fantasy of being a real estate mogul,
get ready because the granddaddy of real estate games is back again!
|
| Genre |
| Monopoly
is basically a Real Estate board game that involves landing on
property and buying it or paying a current owner rent. The intent is
to bankrupt all of the other players and win, win, win! |
| Graphics |
The
graphics in Monopoly are very tastefully executed. The board layout
is nicely represented from a quasi ¾ view that rotates in
90-degree increments to follow your game piece around the surface.
Additionally there is a smaller window that pops up and gives you a
magnified view of your game piece in regards to it's location on the
board. This view is from the back of the object and is completed
animated. Depending upon which object you want to use in the game,
you get to see a car cruising around the track, or a dog running or
a train chugging for instance. As the piece rounds one of the four
corners of the board it slips and slides around the bend in an
amusing fashion.
The board is accurately represented and puts you right in the
game. The best part of the graphics though is when you land on one
of the properties… Each lot pops up in a mini-window and shows
a nice little picture of what the real estate looks like. Some of
the lots are very humorous. I especially like the picture for
Oriental Gardens, featuring withered old dead trees and toxic
barrels strew across the landscape. Yeah, now that's some property
that I simple must purchase! Of course, Boardwalk and Park Place are
depicted as your swanky, out of reach mansions.
Don't get me wrong here, while I truly do like the graphics in
this game it is after all just a board game translated to a console.
There is none of that incredible Playstation light-sourcing or
high-speed 3D rendering being done here… just a nice little
board game with very nicely done graphic touches. It works
wonderfully.
|
| Sounds
and Effects |
Not
much is going on in the sound department. Besides the specific
sounds your game pieces make while they are motoring around the
board there isn't much else to grab ones attention. The dice make a
nice little dice sound when rolled, and the pop-up windows have
their own associated sounds to them (blip, blip)
The music is nicely orchestrated and completely non-intrusive
as it plays over and over in the background during game play. You
have a choice of four music tracks to play during the game. The one
I kinda stuck with has a nice little short-shuffle beat that
compliments the action quite nicely. I can't quite place the music,
but it had a familiar ring to it.
The music and sound F.X volume can be adjusted separately.
|
| Playability |
For
those of you that have ever played and liked Monopoly before, the
console version will not disappoint you. It strictly adheres to the
Monopoly rulebook and will not let players cheat! There are however
options to customize the rules to your liking, but more on that in a
bit.
The game plays out pretty much like having the board game
right in front you. Some of you might be saying "well then why
not just play the board game?" Good question! I can come up
with a few reasons right off the top of my head. I guess the best
reason is that you don't need to count up and divvy all the money at
the beginning or during game play, the console does all of that for
you. You also don't have to physically throw the dice or move your
game piece around the board, it's now done electronically. All real
estate assets and transactions are handled at the click of a button.
Oh, and finally it's the novelty of the whole thing!
In one player mode you have the option of selecting from
several different computer opponents ranging in intelligence and
risk taking abilities. This is a nice way of adjusting the challenge
for new or experienced players. Of course the most fun though is
playing against a few friends and trying to bankrupt them!
The game moves you along at a decent clip and keeps you into
the game for the most part. I found it a bit boring navigating
through some of the menu screens, but this was a necessary evil to
get to certain areas of the game for trading and raising money.
The most amazing part is that the game still retains the same
amount of anxiety for me when I am rounding the bend to boardwalk
and someone has a stack of houses or a hotel sitting there. I just
know that I will end up landing on that damn piece of property!!!
Oh, the childhood fears… the irony…
Without going into all of the rules for the game (there are a
lot!), you always have the option of going in and customizing the
game. In addition to the "long game" version you can also
opt to play the short game. In the short game you already start out
the game of two property cards. Money can be collecting if you land
on Free Parking and only three houses need to be built on a property
before throwing up your hotel.
You can also set the game to double your bonus if you land on
Go, you have the option to pass on buying the property you land on
and you can elect to give a person immunity to paying rent on your
property.
There are also International options that allow you to play
the game with some of the European rules turned on such as not
having to pay the 10% property taxes… but the Luxury tax goes
up from $75 to $100.
Overall, this is a very good version of Monopoly and I highly
recommend it to anyone that likes this game and is interested in
playing it on a console. Each game can be quite long, depending on
which options you've elected to play with but the game is enjoyable
and a good way to kill a few hours. |
| Value
for Money |
This
is a very good conversion of a board game to console format. The
game is different each and every time you play it and involves
different strategies as well. The computer plays a good, challenging
game and the multi-player support is super.
If you like Monopoly even a little, for the price it's a good
buy. If you've never played the game before you might want to rent
it first… it's an acquired taste. |
|
Opinion |
| TOM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
The
game is a timeless classic. It plays out very well on the
Playstation and hasn't lost its lustre over the years. The game is
easy to customize depending on your mood (and time!) and has a good
selection of computer opponents - from extremely stupid on up to
real estate moguls.
It's actually a pretty good real estate simulation made easier
to play thanks to the PlayStation. You don't have to dig around for
the play money any more or bother setting up the board… just
pop in the CD turn on your PSX and it's off to old Atlantic City to
buy up some property! |
|
SOUND: |
Average |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Very
Good |
|
VALUE: |
Very
Good |
| OVERALL
|
80% |
|
