Uncle Pennybags would be proud of this great Monopoly game! Personally it's the best Monopoly port out there!
But enough on the history lesson, let's get to the game!
GRAPHICS 9/10
The graphics in Monopoly are very good for an NES game. Being a board game, the graphics aren't as important as the gameplay. But the main board, pieces, money, and the chance cards all look magnificent! I love the money fluttering down whenever you pass go, the game pieces moving along to their destination space (car driving to it, horse galloping to it, etc.), the hammering of the house or hotels you have built on your property, it all looks great! It makes the game more fun to play...and they don't slow down the game a tall. The detail of the game pieces are very well done (for an NES game) and they even have a physical hand rolling the dice...which is a nice touch. There are all little small animations (the cash register chomping up money, the hand realistically shaking the dice, animations on the Chance/Community Board cards) that make this game more unique!
SOUND 10/10
The sound in this game is well thought out. There are limited music themes aside from the main title screen and the end of the game, but where the game shines is the mini snipets and sound effects. The rolling of the dice is very accurate and sounds realistic...the fluttering of the money not only looks good but the tinkling sound it makes when it falls is excellent. The auction scene is great...it is somewhat intense...and small sound effects such as when you land on a certain space...say like a Railroad...it makes the sound of a train and it sounds VERY good...and those snippets aren't limited to just landing on railroads, if you land on the Electric Company or Water Works they make their own appropriate sounds, or if you land on the Income or Luxury Tax space, or if you land on the GO TO JAIL space, it has it's own sound for that even! There are voices as well...they are clear and crisp. You're gonna just have to play this yourself to actually know what I'm talking about.
GAMEPLAY 10/10
I have played many ports of Monopoly, and I do believe this is the best of them all (with the 1995 PC version from Westwood studios in a close second place). The best part I like about this is that there is a game editor, which gives you the power to be king of the board, even before you start the game! And if you do, and it would be a rarity nowadays, get eight humans around one TV set to play Monopoly on the NES, it is possible...and you only need one controller! The best part I like about this game is speed. Even if you don't do a timed game (which is an option in this game), it goes quick, and you don't gotta clean up afterwards! The pieces move fast, and if you are used to the game, you know how to get through it with no difficulty. The AI is quick also and they don't screw around. And the biggest satisfaction to this game personally (or to anyone...even on the physical board game) is someone landing on BOARDWALk and YOU OWN IT and you HAVE A HOTEL on it!!!! BAM! Almost INSTANT bankruptcy! And you're like "SUCK IT **** ....er sorry got carried away a little bit lol...but it's an awesome feeling...my personal favorite properties to own are all four Railroads and both Park Place and Boardwalk...could care less about the other properties.
OVERALL 9/10
For a third party game, it is a pretty good game and I think it should be given a chance amongst Monopoly fans! I personally like this Monopoly better than any other port is because of the speed...no slowdowns, even with the awesome graphics and sounds...the PC versions take forever with their fancy videos and the SNES / Sega Genesis versions are nice, but the load times are a bit much. Anyways...if you own the game...give it a spin again and relive this great game...if not, eBay it my friends! Have a great day!
Nate