Monopoly
by Hasbro Games
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Toys and Games Reviews of Monopoly
Customer Review: A Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this game for my 6 year old twins, but its really a family game. It brought back many happy memories of playing Monopoly with my father, and whoever else we could squeeze in. This game never gets boring because every time you play the circumstances are different, it is "the hand you're dealt." And I disagree with some of the other opinions expressed here--it is educational. It helps a child learn math skills by buying and selling and keeping track of your money. Plus it does teach young children that they can't have everything they see, you must have the purchase price or do without. As to the comments that the game is too long, well, here's something my dad came up with. Set a time limit, then at the end of that time whoever has the most money and property wins. I read here that Monopoly was invented in 1934. My mother had an old Monopoly set in the attic which she dusted off and gave to me when I was 7. I remember it had a copywright date on the game board of 1936. It had all the original pieces and the instructions and was in the original box. That would be worth a fortune today! Unfortuately it was lost over the years. Oh, well, it served its purpose by providing hours of entertainment. This toy is low-tech, and requires some thinking on the players part. I think its greatest value is its interesting to kids and adults. Its a family game, unlike video and computer games, which are a one-player game. It can help you get closer to your children. Do buy this classic!Customer Review: LITTLE KNOWN TRIVIA FACTS ABOUT MONOPOLY
Summary: 5 Stars
There are many hidden trivial facts about Monopoly which I've discovered through various books and resources. For those of you with inquiring minds and interest, here are a few of them.
Marvin Gardens has a few interesting things about it. First, it is misspelled by one letter on the property space. The word Gardens is properly spelled. It's the first word, Marvin, that is misspelled. The real Marvin Gardens is actually Marven Gardens.
Second, Marvin Gardens is the only oddball street property on the board. It is not found within Atlantic City, New Jersey, which the other street properties are. Marven Gardens is found in nearby Margate, New Jersey.
There are four railroads on the board, marked by the engine icon. This however is a misconception. There are in fact only three. Have a close look at the four properties. Pennsylvania Railroad, B&O (Baltimore and Ohio) Railroad, Reading Railroad, and Short Line.
The trivia facts underlying the railroads are as follows. The Pennsylvania RR and the Reading RR once were the Pennsylvania-Reading Railroad. In other words, the two names were together as one. The B&O (Baltimore and Ohio) was a separate railroad line.
Here is the big one regarding the remaining property. The fourth railroad property is another oddball. Known as the Short Line, it is not a railroad at all. It is a bus line. I have ridden the Short Line with my Grandma Balen to and from Trump Plaza.
Customer Review: This game should be named "Monotony"
Summary: 1 Stars
As a kid my parents bought this for me and I was fascinated by the pewter pieces, the property cards, and all the other pieces. It held promises of infinite fun. When I finally played it it at 10 it was ok but we didn't finish. Fast forward 16 years and after 20 minutes the game board me to tears (pun intended). The problem is after a while the game relies on luck for you to land on the unbought properties. There is another version of Monotony that has a special die which speeds up the game greatly by allowing you to advance to the next unowned property. That made the game more bearable but still it's not something I'd ever play again.
If you have never played this game I STRONGLY recommend you play it at least once with someone before buying your own copy. Otherwise, don't waste your money. There are a lot of other games that are MUCH more fun and enjoyable, including many "Euro" style that have more depth and background. My copy of Monotony is going to Goodwill next time I go there.
My recommendations
Party: Buzzword, Catchphrase, Cheroodles, Pictionary,
Cinemaplexity, Taboo, The Great Dalmuti, Too Many Cooks
Trivia: Wits and Wagers, NewsHound, In Pursuit
Euro Style (requires a bit more thought but have much more depth): Carcassonne, Shadows Over Camelot, Ticket to Ride, Agricola
Customer Review: Monopoly
Summary: 5 Stars
Monopoly is my favourite board game of all board games. Growing up it was the one we played most. My brother bought a very beat up used version at a garage sale, and we spent hours playing it, later buying a new version. The game is immensely fun, educating in that it teaches you the basics of property buying,selling, trading, management and how to use your money. Durable in that as long as you have the pieces the game is on. Who will win is never known till its over, and strategy, luck, and decision making determines the end result. In monopoly there are eight blocks: ranging from the low end Meditterean/Baltic to the high end Park Place/Boardwalk, four Railroads, two Utilitys, one Income Tax, one Luxury tax property, and for the element of luck two Chances and two Community Chests, along with Go, Jail, Go to Jail and Free Parking. Of course to understand what these propertys are about you need to know the rules. The games rules are not hard to learn, so its a good game for beginners, but you never grow out of it no matter how good you become at it there will always be somebody who can give you a run for your money. Multiplayer with up to eight players playing at any time, though I think two-four is the right number to play with. Have to say this is a great game for people of every generation, definetly for the collection.Customer Review: Great game, shows kids how greed can succeed.
Summary: 4 Stars
Grandma loved this game, and we still do, because it allows any player with the greatest greed and the most dogged determination to eventually own everything. We kids, under Grandma's skilled tutelage, quickly grasped that any "ownership" game (real estate, commodities, operating-system software, TV stations, whatever) could eventually concentrate in the hands of a ruthless elite, especially in the absence of truly fair-minded "government." Highly educational!
But the game should not be so focused on mere "real estate." The things missing in Monopoly (then and now) are opportunities for: predatory pricing; ownership and control of the mass-media (and public opinion) by mega-corporations; cutting taxes to pump up the national debt which future players (your kids) will owe to The Bank; and clever use of armed forces to occupy and defend other countries' natural resources against foreign invasion or at least against use by local populations. Maybe those extra features could go into a future "MONOPOLY - Grand Theft Petroleum" edition?
Wonderful classic board game, but be sure Junior gets adult supervision or he'll grow up imagining that playing Monopoly is even better than "moral values."