Monopoly Review

Handmark has added Monopoly to the list of classic board games now available on Palm OS. They also have Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, and Yahtzee. The ultimate simulator for capitalism, Monopoly is available human vs. human, human vs. computer, and computer vs. computer. In fact, you can have up to four players, meaning there are a few different variations possible.

In this mobile society that we live in, board games have taken the shaft. Monopoly is now a mainstream board game playable on mobile devices, allowing for old-time fun on-the-go. I’ve missed playing this, and in fact, it was one of my favorite games as a child. Handmark’s version is faithful in every aspect, though we never auctioned properties when playing on the board.

Shake those dice to move around the board. Purchase properties as you go or opt to pass, it’s your right. Enjoy a walk on Indiana Avenue, but be wary of the looming police officer at the end of the lane (i.e. go to jail). Hope that you can manage your properties, while consolidating your growing monopoly on the real-estate market.

Clicking on your name goes to a “game summary� menu. There’s also a “view group� menu that shows all “for sale� and bought properties, categorized by color. Your net worth and amount of money currently available is also shown, along with your opponents’.

This review won’t be long and drawn out, because of the overall knowledge of the game that nearly everyone has, especially anyone reading this review. For the price tag, $19.99, you might feel insulted, considering it is much more fun to play at home, while socializing with friends. For you “run, run, runâ€? types, this might give you enough board gaming goodness for a while, especially on a plane, where it isn’t likely to find any actual board games. “Hey, there goes my dog!…attendant, Coke please!â€?