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Wouldn't it be great if all this money was real? Well it's not, so there. Monopoly brings out the worst in people. You may have strong views on an individual's entitlement to gather a bonkers amount of loot, but a few minutes into a game of Monopoly you become a property hoarding, money grabbing scoundrel - and it's fabulous.

Angel Islington
Assemble a cast of bizarre, Viz-type characters and some vaguely amusing animated sequences together with a large tablespoon of humour and you've got yourself a recipe for some serious Amiga-enhanced wheeler-dealing.

Two of the characters in particular look like they've stepped straight out of the pages of the popular adult comic. Frank Barrow is a dead ringer for Farmer Palmer and Mrs Starch, despite the name, rather resembles one of the Fat Slags.

The computer players have individual characteristics - some are sneaky, some greedy, others are plain stupid. Up to eight can play and you can mix human and computer players if you wish. Playing the game is simplicity itself, all the usual Monopoly rules apply - intensive manual scanning is not required (always a bonus for the boot-up-and-get-on-with-itself). If you don't already know, the basic idea is to buy property and build houses and hotels gaining rent money in the process to fund expansion.

Each property has its own animated street scene and the players' counters - irons and cars, you remember - all chug along in a whimsical manner.

Community Chest
It actually all works pretty well. But whether you're keen enough to shell out 28 sovs is another matter. The AF office certainly had a fine time taking a Chance and delving into the Community Chest with odd unwanted trip to one of Her Majesty's 'holiday camps'.

Unfortunately, none of the players ever nip off to the toilet so the odd, pinched £100, or a sneaky free hotel is out of the question. Who every played Monopoly without cheating? Rather expensive, but fun nonetheless.



Monopoly logo

Auf spielerische Weise Geld scheffeln - am Wohnzimmertisch wird der alte Kapitalistentraum schon seit Generationen wahr; Braucht es da überhaupt noch die Digi-Variante des Hotels in der Schloßallee?

Brettspielumsetzungen stehen ja in dem Ruf, meist so überflüssig wie ein Kropf zu sein. Die Programmierer von Supervision versuchten sich hier aus der Affäre zu ziehen, indem sie sich sklavisch an die originalen Regeln der Pappvorlage hielten: Bis zu acht menschliche oder blecherne Möchtegern-Millionäre können dem schnöden Mammon hinterherjagen, indem sie Grundstücke kaufen und anschließend mit gewinnbringenden Häusern und Hotels bebauen.

Natürlich darf untereinander geschachert werden, und die beliebten Gemeinschafts- bzw. Ereigniskarten fehlen ebensowenig wie die (vom Rechner betriebende) Bank oder der leidige Knast.

Die Computergegner verfügen dabei nicht nur über drei verschiedene Spielstärken, sie haben auch ihre individuellen Eigenheiten, was man oft schon am Namen erkennt. Rudolf Raser etwa ist ein unbeherrschter Draufgänger, während Fräulein Fiffi immer ein bißchen zögerlich vorgeht. Ebenfalls recht bezeichnend sind ihre Spielfiguren - Seemann Barke besitzt einen Kutter, Frau Stärke gleitet der Konkurrenz mit ihrem Bügeleisen davon.

Beim Ziehen dieser Figuren wird eine nett gemachte Animationssequenz gezeigt, genauso beim Haus- und Hotelbau. Auch die "seelischen" Auswirkungen dieser Aktionen sind hübsch anzusehen: Die Jungs und Mädels straheln vor Freude, laufen knallrot an oder raufen sich verzweifelt die Haare. Etwas kümmerlich wirkt dafür das schräg von oben gezeigte Brett, dessen einziger optischer Vorzug in seinem originalgetreuen Monopoly-Grün besteht.

Die Regeln werden in der Anleitung genau erklärt, die Maussteuerung funktioniert problemlos, eine Speicheroption ist auch vorhanden - also alles eitel Sonnenschein? Nicht ganz, denn bei mehreren Teilnehmern gerät der Spielfluß durch die ständig wiederholten Animationssequenzen arg ins Stocken.

Wenn man sich bei der Zahl der Mitspieler einschränkt, bessert sich das natürlich; die Digi-Konkurrenten agieren (zumindest auf der höchsten Spielstufe) recht clever und glücklich obendrein - oft bekommen sie ein Pasch nach dem anderen, während man selbst im Knaft versauert! Doch ändern läßt sich das ebensowenig wie das Regelwerk, lediglich eine "kurze Version" mit einstellbarem Zeitlimit wird angeboten.

Unterm Strich bleibt das Spiel die bisher gelungenste Monopoly-Versoftung, besonders in Hinblick auf Solo-Kapitalisten. Gegen die zwischenmenschlichen Reize des originalen Oldie-Bretts hat also auch sie keine Chance.

Wäre noch anzufügen, daß eine aufgepeppte Version für den 1200er vorbereitet wird, allerdings läuft auch diese Normalausführung auf Commos Jüngstem. Und falls Ihr das Thema Sound vermißt: Erstens kam unser Testmuster noch stumm daher, und zweitens interessiert das in diesem Fall ohnehin nur peripher... (mic)



Monopoly logo

And how come there's only one Waddington's Games, then? eh?

Monopoly on computer - a stupid idea, right? The whole point of playing Monopoly is getting together round a table with your friends, actually holding all those culture-icon banknotes and title deeds physically in your hands, trying to nick £500 notes when no-one's looking and putting everyone's fines and taxes into the middle for whoever lands on Free Parking (if you don't do this, you're lying).

It's not about crowding round a poxy 14-inch monitor taking turns at the mouse and fiddling around with half-a-dozen menus just to swap your Regent Street for your mate's Trafalgar Square.

That's the common wisdom on the subject, anyway, and I have to say I used to completely agree with it. But what's changed a bit now that I've played this new version. Oh yes. It provides you with eight players, any, all or none of which can be played by human participants or the computer.

Also, each location is illustrated by a vaguely appropriate picture (i.e. Mayfair looks nicer than Old Kent Road), and building or knocking down houses and hotels are depicted with various animated sequences. Play is controlled by means of an unusually easy-to-understand icon system, but otherwise it's pretty much just good old Monopoly.

CRISPS
So, the age-old question approacheth - should you get this instead of the much-cheaper cardboard version? Well, maybe, but first you should be aware of a few niggling flaws.

It's a bit annoying to have no idea of how much cash the computer players have - it might be realistic, but it's inconsistent if you're playing with other human players. You can see how much they've all got, but not the computer players, which is a little weird.

Secondly, I'd have liked it if the location pictures had some indication on screen as to who owned them, whether they were mortgaged or not, and so on. (Or at least an option to do it.) I can see why they haven't - it means that you've got to remember what you've got and pay attention at the risk of missing out on your rent - but it's not really fair. If you're playing the board game, you've got your little cards in front of you, you're not expected to commit them all to memory. Sure, you can call up a list of who's got what at any time, but it's a bit of a clumsy way to have to go about things.


It's a touch odd to shout all over the box

Personally, I always regarded skipping rent as a bad thing anyway - it just makes everyone sulk. It's also a touch odd to shout all over the box about having computer players with individual characters, then expect the player to play against tem al a dozen times trying to work out what their characteristics are.

It would have been better to have them all described in the manual, so you could deliberately set up harder, easier or just different games without having to play the thing for a week first. And, of course, if you wanted to work it out yourself, you could just tear out that page of the manual and eat it, or something.

IT'S MY LIFE

In fact, generally the only complaints I have about this version of Monopoly are about flexibility. There isn't any. I'm sure, for example, that it was Waddington's who wouldn't allow the old pay-the-fines-into-Free-Parking routine for the sake of purity (the only computer version I've ever seen with this facility was an official one on the Spectrum called Go To Jail, and that had a court order taken out against it), but everyone in the entire world does it, and it seems pointlessly petty not to allow it. This is already a good game, but it would be so much better if you could customise it to your own tastes a bit.

IT'S MY LIFE
However, for all these flaws, this is an engaging version of Monopoly. It's still not as much fun gathering around the monitor with a few friends as it would be just to get the board game out, but the characters (you really do get to hate Mobile Michael after a while) and the presentation make it much more fun to play by yourself against the computer than any previous incarnation.

It's a great time-killer, too - if you've got 25 minutes to hand around in, for example, just pick a few opponents, set the 'Short Monopoly' clock to 25, and play the special game in which you each get dealt a couple of properties at the start and then have to simply be the richest at the end of the time limit.

There are loads of different strategies for this variation, it's surprisingly frantic ('Never mind the bloody auction, get a move on and land on Park Lane!'), and it's kept me happy for a good few days now. As such, it's the first computer Monopoly there's been any point in buying, and I recommend it.


THE GANG'S ALL HERE
As the game doesn't supply you with any character backgrounds, we employed legendary private investigator Lance Carbine to let the skeletons out of their closet - who are all these people, and what are they doing there? His findings shocked all of us.

BOSUN BARNACLE
A Soviet spy, left stranded in England after the collapse and dissolution of the USSR, 'Bosun Barnacle' (real name: Vladimir Vladimirovchinoskiev) swiftly turned his KGB espionage training into useful practical Monopoly-playing skills. He can tell how much money you've got, which properties you've mortgaged, and whether you've got a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card, simply from the angle of your eyebrows.

LORD TOPPER
A Scottish videogames reviewer, legendary in Monopoly circles for his famous 'Piccadilly Triple-Switch' and 'Northnumberland Avenue Bluff' attacking strategies and stylish dice-throwing technique. Yes, Lord Topper is always played by me, because of his nice hat.

FARMER BARROW
Not actually a farmert at all, but a DSS snooper investigating the other players for undeclared earnings whenever they win a crossword competition, or get second prize in a beauty contest. Sometimes he concentrates on this at the expenive of his cover, which causes him to occasionally miss bargain-priced properties or rent-collecting opportunities.

GRANNY KNOT
Seemingly a wealthy old lady dabbling in the game for a bit of excitement in her twilight years, but is in fact Benny 'The Skirt'Duckwarbler, a well-known 'face' in the criminal underground of London. Benny's trademark is posing as a well-bred widow, and then getting lovestrick old men to loan 'her'£50,000 for a business investment and disappearing.

GENERAL HOBNAIL
Claims to be a retired war veteran, but is in fact a cruel hoaxer attempting to con Granny Knot out of her life savings by pretending to fall in love, marrying her for her money and killing her off with undetectable poison. Prone to displays of macho bravado, like buying the Electric Company at twice the market value.

MISS TRIXIE
Delectable daughter of Benny the Skirt, Miss Trixie operates as the other half of a double act with her dear old dad, 'distracting' General Hobnail when he's away from the table in order to prevent him from having enough time to investigate Granny Knot's offshore banking arrangements. She deliberately plays a reckless and ineffectual game, presumably so as not to arouse suspicion as well as the General.

MOBILE MICHAEL
Actually a heavily disguised princess of Wales, trying to win enough money to pay her cellular phone bill. Game fatally flawed by a weakness for paying hugely inflated prices for anything in the expensive Regent-Street-to-Mayfair strip down the right-hand side of the board.

MRS STARCH
Joan Collins, on her day off. Doesn't care whether she wins or loses, but is determined to ensure the defeat of Bosun Barnacle, after an unfortunate incodent at a US Navy base in 1944.



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Supervision are out to prove that boardgames don't have to be bored games. Tony Dillon gets out his dosh and dabbles in real estate.

I have to say, I am one of those people who actually enjoys a good game of Monopoly, as long as it doesn't go on for any more than an hour and the people I'm playing with know the rules. However, this situation is very rare as many people will point out. That's why I was so pleased to see this little offering from Supervision.

Aha, I thought to myself, here's my chance to waste whole evenings going round and round a small board trying to be a big shot, and I won't have to wait for anyone to take their turn, plus all the fiddly rules about things like mortgages and auctions can be figured out by the computer. Not quite heaven, but a good time to be had by all.

CAR, BOOT...
If you've never played Monopoly, the I have to say you've missed out on something that everyone should have the chance to enjoy/be subjected to. It's a game about buying and selling property. Various streets around London have been divided into groups called Monopolies, and the aim is to buy as many of them as possible, develop the areas by building houses and hotels on them, and then bankrupt everyone else in the game by charging them a ridiculously high rent every time their counter lands on a square owned by you.

Run out of money and you can sell property to the bank. Run out of property and money, and you're out of the game. Dead simple, isn't it?

Or at least it is when described like that. Like I said, there are all manner of fiddly little rules that many choose to completely ignore, and a computerized judge and jury seems like the obvious thing to include in a game like this. SO WHY ISN'T THERE ONE! The computer asks you to do very little, leaving you to your own devices to figure out what's going on. When someone lands on one of your properties, rent isn't charged immediately. No, you have to select the icon to demand rent, but you only have a couple of seconds to do it in, so you've got to wrestle the mouse off the previous player as quickly as possible.

TOP HAT, BOAT...
The presentation of the game isn't at all bad, if a little simplistic for the presumably adult audience this game would entice. A collection of slightly amusing characters sit around the board and animate slightly when it's their turn. For each move you see a little animation of the piece arriving at the destination on the board. Okay, so the plates don't really look like that, but at least the London skyline is realistic.

So what's with the low mark then, you might ask. After all, Monopoly is a proven game, and one that has riveted families for years. Surely there can't be anything wrong with a computer version? Unfortunately, there are a few things about the game that I don't like, the biggest one being its speed of play. Okay, so Monopoly was never a fast paced game, but a lag of a second between selecting an icon and it actually registering just isn't on. This renders the game very testing to play.

There isn't a lot going on at any one time, and the rules of Monopoly aren't all that hard for a computer to follow, so I can't see any reason for the pauses between every action. At times, I wonder why software houses put out games like this. Why can't they see there are obvious playability flaws which spoil the game? I know that it's all too easy to get wrapped up in production to the point where you can't see the wood for the trees, but if a game veers to far away from the original concept and mars your enjoyment, then all the effort will have been wasted.

DOG AND IRON
Monopoly has all the makings of a great computer game. I have played a version of it on a Macintosh and could happily recommend that, but this Amiga version just falls between two stools. On one hand, it's an adult board game, full of terms and rules the younger players wouldn't have the patience for. On the other, it's been presented in a way that will best appeal to a young market. As a result, it doesn't seem to fit anywhere.