Monopoly: My In Depth Review

MONOPOLY: REVIEW

This game is a bit underrated, but to me that's good because it keeps prices lower. Stern games tend to be very overpriced because they are relatively new. However Monopoly is a 2001 game, which technically makes it "an older Stern" when compared to Avatar or Tron. This helps to lower the price a bit. The estimated price for this machine on Pinside is a bit innacurate. Really Monopoly should sell for $1800 to $2200 in most areas.

Now that we're done with the pricing, let's get onto the review:

Now I liked the board game as a child, but I did not let it influence my ratings. The theme is however very well integrated into the game especially in the rules. It plays a lot like monopoly. Get all the properties and then build houses and hotels, this game seems to have the gist of it down pat.

Speaking of theme, let's look at the art. The cabinet art and translite are good. They fit the theme and the game looks classy.

There are a few areas where I'm not pleased with the artwok though. The apron is bland and uninspired, the outlanes have no artwork in them at all. And the the inlane ball guides are pretty much plain yellow, almost no artwork there either. The back wall of the game is a big red rectangle, but someone creative enough could easily photoshop a nice decal to put there. The rest of the playfield artwork is nicely done and incorporates the theme well.

Now for the sound/music: A lot of people give the music bad rating simply because they cannot hear it. The machine I played though had the volume turned up rather loud and I could clearly hear the music. I will say this: It's not the greatest music of all time but it's good music that really fits the monopoly theme. If you've ever played the monopoly computer game, then you may notice the music sounds like it would fit that game well. One of my favourite things about the music is that the "hurry up" music reminds me a lot of the Addams Family "hurry up" to Thing Multiball. Take a listen for yourelf and I'm sure you'll agree.

The voices in the game are those of Mr. Monopoly, these voice clips are loud and clear, the only problem is the voice actor used for Mr. Monopoly doesn't sound too enthused. Don't get me wrong, Mr. Monopoly sounds jolly as he should, but pinball demands excitement and Mr. Monopoly's voice just doesnt convey excitement.

The rest of the game greatly makes up for Mr. Monopoly's caffiene deficiency. :P

One place where this game really shines, and you should have seen this coming because it is a Lawlor game, is in the playfield. The layout is fantastic and features countless Lawlor staples such as the shot through the bumpers and cross playfield shots. There are a few things about this playfield I really like though. First, there's the small railroad ramp. This railroad ramp is small, close to the flippers and really fast. I like a machine to be a challenge and any kind of fast shot that requires quick reflexes is great if you ask me. Monopoly has a great selection of short, and long shots with two great cross playfield shots thrown in. The mini DMD behind the railroad ramp is genuinely useful and provides important information without having to look up at the main DMD too often. Although you should look up there to apreciate some of the great animations (such as the multiball and match sequence animations). The ramps are plentiful and the bank door seems like a durable little contraption. The six pop bumpers are great and on the machine I played, they got plenty of action. Some people have said the pop bumpers never get action as the ball just rolls right past them but rest assured that most machines don't have that problem. The rotating mini flipper is something many people love to hate. This flipper is often critisized for being useless and not lending to gameplay. Yes the skill shot for it doesn't always work, and isn't worth many points, but nothing in this game is worth many points. The scoring is even and low which I think is great because every million you score, you definately earned. I also like the mini flipper because it adds some randomness to the game and tests your flipper handling which I love. Not too much stop and go, and a fun general gameplay experience.

Lasty we have the rules, they aren't deep, but they are broad. There's lots to do, always something to shoot for. The modes are represented by the different coloured groups of properties on the monopoly board. Collecing all these groups of properties will let you start the wizard mode, in which you try to build houses and hotels on you properties, just like in the real game. The wizard mode is fun and so is the regular multiball. There are some hidden modes as well that you will discover as you play, including a couple of multiballs, but I won't spoil them by going into detail. In general this game has a very addicting quality to it.

If you only have room for two games in your gameroom and you prefer DMD games, then it's best to get one deep game and one broad game. A deep game such as Simpson's Pinball Party will give you an amazing journey for long hour+ games. While a secod machine that is more broad will let you have great fun when you don't have much time to play. A broad ruleset with lots of different things to do will have a very good amount of lastability. This is where Monopoly really shines.

My conclusion is that this is a very good game, it's not the same calibre as Twilight Zone or Medieval Madness but it doesn't need to be. It's not trying to compete with the lengendary, it's just a thoroughly amusing pin that has a very addicting and very inviting feel to it. If you have one near you, play it, if you're looking for that second broad game, buy it.

I hope anyone who read this review all the way through has enjoyed the reading material! :D