Monopoly Classic

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Monopoly Classic is a board game by Electronic Arts. $4.99

Monopoly Classic is the original. the best. the board game that started it all. This is the game that made Monopoly a worldwide success and finally we can play it on our iPhone and iPod Touch's. Ironically though this is the second Monopoly game released on the App Store, with many of you I am sure already with Monopoly Here & Now World Edition already on your iDevice.

This version of Monopoly has no radical changes or improvements to the H&N Edition, except that you play the game with less money and the original Monopoly locations. So in the end the decision to buy this game just depends whether you want the Classic version over the H&N version or even both.

Graphics wise this game is the same as H&N World Edition except the images and locations look different and more defined. When playing the game compared to the H&N version the tiles are easier to see and not so blurry which is a good thing. The game lets you see the board from right above it so you can see the board and where everything is and when one of the pieces move it zooms into the particular area of the board for a better view. There are no real flashy graphics or effects in this game, keeping it simple and as an easy board game to play. For those wanting a Monopoly game with some better effects and clips then I suggest getting the Wii or PC version.

The game runs quite well on all devices and I didn't experience any lag or crashes what so ever. I found the game to be look much like the original board game and even down to having all your cards and money sitting around the table. Nothing special in the game but it has what is needed for a game of this genre.

The controls for this game are quite easy to get the hang of and don't require any serious skills. About as hard as it gets is having to shake your device to roll the dice and then the rest of the game is basically controlled by tapping options. What you do need to get the hang of however is what all the different options are.

These shouldn't take too long to pick up and most of them tell you what their purpose is anyway. For a board game to be good on this platform it needs to be easy to use and have controls that means the young kids right through to your grandparents can pick this up and play. Monopoly is one of those games.

For the four of you that are unfamiliar with Monopoly, here is a basic run down. The aim of Monopoly is to be the last person standing. This is done by buying properties and having your opponents pay rent. They are also doing the same to you. When all of your properties are mortgaged and you have no money left to pay rent if you land on someones land, they are out of the game. The game involves building houses and hotels on your squares to increase the amount of rent needed to pay. It is a game that requires skill but also quite a bit of luck to roll the right numbers.

Each version of Monopoly is different. The rules stay the same but the amount of money things cost and the buildings and landmarks change from version to version. In the Classic version we have a quite small and limited budget to buy the cheaper make believe properties. For those wannabe Millionaire's among you out there I suggest you go for the H&N edition which makes you a Multi-millionaire and lets you buy cities and landmarks from around the world.

In single player mode there are multiple difficulty modes, different locations to play Monopoly and the option to alter the house rules (rules of the game). Apart from the different locations I found only one big thing in this game that is different between the two versions. When you don't want to buy a property instead of staying unsold it will go to auction, where everyone is bidding to try and win the land. This can sometimes work in your favour if you play it correctly, letting you get places cheaper than it's market value if the opponent has less money than it's worth or making the other opponents fight it out and eventually pay more for the land.

The other great part about Monopoly on the App Store is that you can play it in many different ways with your best friends. For those with friends without an iPhone or iPod Touch you can have up to four people playing with the Pass n Play Multiplayer. If you have friends with an iPhone or iPod Touch you can play with up to 4 people via a local WiFi or up to 3 people with Bluetooth. This is a lot of fun and really the main enjoyment you will get out of having this game.

Monopoly is a great game and when compared to both the board and console versions of the game, $4.99 is an extremely good price for a game like this. Every person should have at least one of the Monopoly versions on their iDevice. There isn't much difference between the two versions so I recommend just getting the one you want most or both if you really are a Monopoly fan.

This game is a heap of fun to play with other people, but you can work out strategies or plans while in the single player mode. There are hours of fun to be had here and you won't be disappointed with your purchase. Just hope that you are lucky enough to secure Park Place, that's where the real money is made!

Gameplay- 8.5/10
Graphics- 8.5/10
Controls- 6.5/10
Overall- 8/10

I would recommend this game if you enjoyed- Monopoly Here & Now World Edition

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