EA has figured out how to make Monopoly fun again. And as a video game, no less.
Shocking, I know, but I swear it's true.
Later this year, "Monopoly" the video game will be released for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2, and it won't be the game you grew up playing.
Sitting down and playing the upcoming version of Monopoly is like sitting down to play a game loosely based on the board game of the same name.
For example, the board you have come to know and love is receiving a complete overhaul, replacing the Avenues with cities from around the world - picked by fans for the Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition that will be released later this year.
A facelift is nothing new, but for the video game one particular game mode that made this version of Monopoly stand out over every edition of Monopoly that you've ever played - even the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy Edition. [NOTE FROM STEPHEN: I have a set of John Deere: Monopoly next to my desk.]
The big breakthrough in EA Casual's upcoming video game is an optional play-style called "Riches Mode." There's no money involved in this mode. It's based entirely on property ownership, and you get to play with multiple pieces each turn. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to play this new version of "Monopoly."
Step 1:
Every turn starts out with a multiplayer mini-game, all of which are related to the game itself, like trying to break out of jail by sawing through the bars. The Wii version of the game offers motion control for these games. In the jail break game, you need to move the controller back and forth to cut the bars.
Step 2:
The winner then gets to choose how many spaces they want to occupy on the board. They do this by choosing the number rolled by one of four dice. If you sawed the bars fastest, you would be able to pick whether you want one, three, four, or five (it's different every time) of your pieces drop onto the board. You don't choose where the pieces land. They drop randomly onto any spots, occupied or not.
Step 3:
Once the pieces are dropped, you have to do whatever is required for that square. If it is an un-owned property, then it's yours. If it is a community chest, you have to do what the card says. If the square is already owned by someone else, you have to "pay your rent," just like the original game, however, in the Riches Mode, paying rent means you need to give up one of your properties.
Repeat:
After everyone has seen where their pieces fell, you start over again with another mini-game. Winning is determined by who has the greatest net worth, which is determined by how many properties you own.
Later trips around the board involve a lot of strategy. Choosing a high roll maximizes the risk that you'll have pieces landing on other people's property, which in turn would force you to surrender your own real estate. But choosing a low number will net you very few gains. Another wrinkle: claiming a monopoly on a row of properties increases the penalty on people who land on it. Breaking up monopolies is key.
As an added bonus the whole game is hosted by Rich Uncle Pennybags (a.k.a. Mr. Monopoly).It's fast. It's fun. It seems like it could be a great party game for families.
In addition to the Riches Mode, you will be able to play the original game, on the original board, and even take things online with the Xbox 360 version. You can look for this version of "Monopoly" in the fall, released around the same time as the Here And Now: World Edition will hit the streets.
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