Review Date: April 29, 2021
Release Date: January 1, 1991
Platform: NES
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Genre: Board Game
Anecdotes: Everyone knows the traditions of Monopoly. Everyone has the game. It is never preplanned to play it; usually someone says, “How about some Monopoly?” and everyone agrees to play. This is always followed by an argument over the rules, completely ignoring the official rules. There is always a debate over what to do when someone lands on Free Parking, and even though the real rule is to do nothing, the family will agree to have a pot to win if it is landed on. It will lead to another argument. Once that’s settled, the family will move on to adding new rules because the brother is cheating heavily by hiding $500 bills in his pants, putting the New York Avenue title deed in his chair, and “miscounting” the spaces after a roll. The game finally starts and before anyone can blink, the cheating brother has all four railroads, St. James, Tennessee, and New York. The latter three will all have hotels on there. Eventually, the anger builds for everyone until someone decides the game is over by performing the traditional board flip.
Description: Two to eight players attempt to bankrupt each other by buying, selling, or trading properties. Outside of the railroads and utilities, houses and hotels can be build on any group of properties to raise the rents.
Positives: The game is extremely faithful to the REAL rules of Monopoly and doesn’t allow for cheating or game extending house rules. There are 8 computer controlled players to choose from, and it’s even possible to use all of them and just sit and watch a game play out.
Negatives: The game moves VERY slowly and the trading system just grinds everything to a halt. That is coupled up with the fact that there’s no display of who owns what, and looking up that information is just another tedious step in trying to trade, and that’s on top of the already confusing trade screen.
Screenshots:
Final Opinion: For those playing with others, skip this cartridge and spend $20 to play the physical board game. Make sure not to play near a vent because a house will fall down it after the inevitable game ending board flip. For those playing alone, the NES version is faithful to the game, but moves at a snail’s pace.
Grade: C