Monopoly

The Good
Amazing how great and popular board games like Chess or Monopoly can be successfully transported to computer. As all those board games posses some rules, all the programming job is to toss them onto the code, and patch some AI players when not playing multiplayer mode. Personally, I prefer to play Chess or Monopoly in reality, but that cannot, and won't stop me from admiting they can actually look good on the computer. Just check all those Chessmaster series, coming from old '80s, and even with a slight difference into enliving the game by actually makeing 'alive' figures, like Battle Chess series.

The game supports up to six players at once, either on the same computer, or over Internet. Even though I don't see the 'bright' reason of making a turn-based game available for LAN or Internet, most of them support that part or wire. I don't know how, but they made movement over board animated, depending what metal figure you chose. If they didn't use 'transparency' method on that, I don't know what did they, as I saw some screen shots were above 256 colors when I captured them. Could've be I was in 16bit color Windows mode, hmm I don't know. Anyway, if you're not up to waiting the animations each time someone toss the dice, you can cut them off with an imported option, so the whole board will just stay in 2d viewport.

Nice thing is that they made so helluva much different songs you can shuffle (though being in MIDI format), you won't get bored in that topic. However, if you want to hear ambient sound when buying the land, or building effects, or rolling dice, you will have to click 'no sound' option. Maybe I just couldn't figure how to use it both on my AW64, but it's as good as it gets :)

The Bad
First things first. As I played Monopoly under my Windows 98SE (it's the same on Win 95/98), the game is suited in its own window using about 640x480 resolution or some unique but similar. However, when you punch out to maximize the screen, the game jumps into top-left quadrant, leaving first, third and fourth quadrant black. I can't think of it why Westwood permits itself such a lousy error, I can only guess they did that on purpose (or did Hasbro Interactive had something to do with it). However, if you check Sierra's PC games like Lighthouse, or The Beast Within, or perhaps some other adventure made for Windows 3.x and DOS, but since Windows 95 platform showed up at those times, they made 'em work under that platform. You can clearly see how the games also posses window structure, like Monopoly does, but when you maximaze it, it stays centered. Bravo Sierra!

Beside that, I can't find any annoying error (not now), except that I don't like the game too much, and rather play Monopoly in reality, having it just simply 'cuz many Westwoodians worked on it.

The Bottom Line
If you ask me, this kinda game is great for kids or family competition, and you won't have to get real Monopoly if you have this. Beside, it'll give you the opportunity to play with five other friends across the globe over Internet or Westwood Service (if they still offer it for this game).