MONOPOLY for iPad Review: All the Fun of the Classic Game, but No Cleanup

App Name:	MONOPOLY for iPad
Platforms:	iPad
Publisher(s):	Hasbro
Version Reviewed:	1.0.1
Genre(s):	board games
Release Date:	December 09, 2010
Price:	$9.99
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Fundamentally, Monopoly is as solid today as it was however many decades ago it was introduced. The excitement and thrill of getting into shouting matches with friends while trying to workout a trade still trumps the experience offered by most board games. And how about the total domination you feel when a sucker lands on that hotel you just built on Boardwalk? That’s the feeling of true power . . .

But all of its greatness aside, I have to be honest and say that all of the loose paper money and tiny pieces have become a bit of a put-off over the years. Traditionalists will likely point out that these elements are what makes the game, but they’ll be missing out if they don’t at least give Monopoly for iPad a chance. Hasbro has done a great job of sacrificing nothing and bringing the complete Monopoly experience to iPad. Whether or not it completely replaces the cardboard and paper version you keep tucked in the closet, it’s still a must-have.

Starting with the game’s most familiar option, those who want a fix of Monopoly—but don’t want to veer away from the experience they’ve come to know and love—will greatly appreciate tabletop mode. It’s here that Hasbro has come the closest to recreating the experience of the physical game. Players can set the board on the table, and from the first roll of the dice to the last bankruptcy, the iPad needn’t move. The screen rotates to face the player whose turn it is, giving them the perfect vantage point on the board. Tabletop mode allows you to set up the typical board game setting—with drinks and snacks strewn across the table and all the action at the center.

But there are times when the iPad’s portability is its greatest strength, and Monopoly also suites these occasions. Say you find yourself in the middle of a car trip; firing up the pass n’ play multiplayer mode is an excellent way to pass an hour. The game even lets you connect with an iPhone or iPod Touch using WiFi or Bluetooth, making a digital game of Monopoly even more convenient than it already was.

When it comes to the mechanics of Monopoly on iPad, I think you’ll find that you’re never at a loss on how to accomplish the strategy/move you want to execute. The game does an excellent job of presenting all your options at any given moment. The game board always occupies the middle of the screen, while you’re options such as trading, managing, or viewing the log can be found at the bottom center. Rolling the dice is accomplished by touching, holding, and flicking them as they hover on the screen. Each time you land on a property, a card is presented, on which you can view all your purchasing options.

One of my only complaints with Monopoly for iPad is its tendency towards auto-zooming too frequently. There are times when it becomes easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when slick graphics are occupying the screen and the zoom is tight. An option to disable these special graphics and effects would be greatly appreciated . . . This auto-zoom annoyance points to the game’s general tendency towards a few too many bells and whistles. Many may be left wishing that Hasbro had scrapped all of that and delivered a cleaner, less-busy version of Monopoly for iPad. These complaints are founded, but the game is far from unplayable.

In fact, it’s extremely playable, and the mid-range, $9.99 price tag doesn’t end up seeming unfounded. I would pay that much just to have my iPad do the Monopoly math for me, but on top of the computerized finance system, we get a gorgeous, full-featured board game that’s complete with several multiplayer modes. If you grew up playing the physical game, this might feel foreign at first. That’s natural. Give it a chance, and this cleaner, more compact version of Monopoly will almost certainly grow on you. The developers may have gone a bit over the top in adding slick graphics and animations, but the overall experience is just what we would hope for now that this classic game has come to the iPad. So next time you want to feel the satisfaction of bankrupting your friends one by one, try doing it on the HD comfort of your iPad’s screen.

About the Author

Devin Wieland

 

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