Monopoly for Mac
Macintosh Monopoly Here and Now
The new incarnation of Monopoly for Mac, called "Monopoly Here and Now", offers one change that makes the game feel more realistic. Other versions of the game have not updated there property values. You can buy property for just a few hundred dollars in almost every version of the game.
The new version uses more modern prices. When you pass "Go," you now collect two million dollars instead of two hundred. This change is welcome, and makes the game feel like more is at stake.
Gameplay
The
basic gameplay hasn't changed much from the original board game. The rules
are simple. You roll the dice, and your token moves around the board. When
you land on a property, you can buy it if you can afford it and nobody else
owns it. If you own property, you can increase rent by adding homes or
hotels to the land. If you land on property that somebody else owns, you pay
the rent. You can mortgage your property if you run out of money, but you
have to pay the bank back. If you run out of money and property, you lose.
The set up of the game is essentially the same as the original board game, but changes have been made to modernize it. The electric and water companies have been replaced by cell phone and internet companies. Real places such as Hollywood, Times Square, and the Golden Gate Bridge have been added as well. The transition of the game to the digital realm was accomplished smoothly with few hangups.
Some of the previous digital incarnations of the game suffered from lag. This one does not.
Artificial Intelligence and Multiplayer
The AI of the players is not impressive when it comes to trades. They will often decline trades that are beneficial to them and accept trades that are detrimental to them. This can be frustrating.
The AI is a little more rational throughout the rest of the game, but very mechanical. The players will always buy a property if they land on one that is not owned by another player, even if they don't have much money. Despite this, the AI will occasionally catch you by surprise.
The game does not offer any online multiplayer option. You can play in hot-seat mode, however, which allows players in the same room to take turns playing the game. This can actually make the game more fun, preserving the feel of a board game in that it keeps everybody involved and talking to one another.
Graphics
The fact that the graphics are nothing impressive shouldn't be surprising, considering that this is only a board game. Even so, the animation on the tokens as they move across the board is actually somewhat impressive. If you are sent to jail, a police car comes and takes your token to jail in an amusing fashion. Thankfully, the animations can be skipped so that they don't get repetitive. Overall the graphics of the game are good for there purposes and don't distract from the game.
Sound
The sound of the game is nothing to get excited about. The gameplay sounds are okay, and the music is catchy at first. Only one song plays throughout the entire game, and it can get very annoying in a short period of time. It is a good idea to turn off the music and play your own music instead.
Summary
Overall, the game is great for anybody who enjoys monopoly and would like to play it when they don't have anybody else to play with. It is close to the original game and the animations are smooth, but the AI can behave awkwardly and the music can get annoying fast.