Monopoly Tycoon Preview
A tycoon game with a difference: Monopoly Tycoon builds on the wealth of the classic board game while heading in new directions.
These days, it seems like everybody wants to be a "tycoon"--or at least every other game publisher wants to cash in on the word's marketing cachet. Thanks to the great success of the Railroad Tycoon series and then RollerCoaster Tycoon, a whole army of tycoon games has been released or soon will be: Airline Tycoon, Gadget Tycoon, Golf Resort Tycoon, Moon Tycoon--the list goes on. Now Infogrames will soon be releasing its own tycoon game, but one with a difference: Monopoly Tycoon is inspired by a classic, beloved board game.
After Infogrames bought the rights last year to make computerized versions of classic Hasbro properties, it was only a matter of time before Monopoly was put to new use. Of course, the PC has seen its share of fairly literal Monopoly adaptations, like Westwood Studios' 1995 version. Simply rehashing the original board game on the computer, however, wasn't an enticing proposition to Infogrames and developer Deep Red. Instead, they wanted to capture the ambience of the board game, with its emphasis on rolling in the dough, but in the context of a more complex, real-time economic strategy game.
Your basic goal as a budding billionaire is to stake economic claims in Monopoly City and then expand across the decades, building up businesses and gaining a monopoly on entire districts. You'll earn income from stores and rent from opponents' businesses on your blocks, as well as from utilities and railroads. To keep things lively, daily "Chance" cards offer random strokes of good or bad luck, as in the original Monopoly. Up to five other human or computer-controlled players will be fighting for the same turf, which should help create a feeling of board-game competition.
As in the original game, Monopoly Tycoon's gameplay is all about location, location, location. You'll examine different city blocks to evaluate their profit potential. With a glance, you can see who's leasing the land and which retail or residential buildings already occupy it. If the real estate looks like it can turn a tidy profit, you can try to win its lease in a public auction. If you're successful, you can take advantage of profits already being reaped there or add buildings according to your own taste.
You'll have a wide selection of buildings, such as ballrooms, antique stores, and pool halls. When you're building, you'll weigh a number of factors. Do you erect a luxurious multistory department store? It will put a dent in your wallet, but you'll be able to attract wealthy customers with lots of disposable income. Or you can build a seedy hole-in-the-wall bar. It won't draw a high-class clientele, but you'll save on building costs.
Either way, you'll need to take Monopoly City's varied inhabitants into account. You'll find five basic types of people in town--children, teenagers, adults, retirees, and tourists--each with an income ranking. By conducting consumer surveys, you can figure out how to maximize profits by meeting their needs and desires, like for clothing, jewelry, or an exciting nightlife.
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- GameSpot Score8.5great
Check Prices: $5.99 – 58.89
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Monopoly Tycoon Trailer 1
Check out a short trailer of the game.
- Aug 13, 2001
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