A worthy addition to the Monopoly family (Monopoly Tropical Tycoon)

Member Name: chazzabelle

Product:	Monopoly Tropical Tycoon
Date:	01/04/08 (135 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good fun, exciting, unpredictable

Disadvantages: Can be a little bit complicated at times

As an avid fan of the original Monopoly - and in principle, quite against all of these other versions that have come out - I was slightly dubious about playing Monopoly Tropical Tycoon, but after much cajoling from my younger brother, he, myself and his girlfriend sat down to play one evening after one of those "what the hell are we going to do tonight" conversations.

And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. I would say that the best thing to do is to not think of it too much in the shadow of original Monopoly but to think of it as a game in it's own right. The board is pretty much exactly the same, with Jail and Free Parking both making an appearance but of course, rather than places like Old Kent Road and Bond Street, you get Palm Shore and Pelican Beach.

The added extra of course, is the DVD which adds a different element to the game, making it far more unpredictable and to be honest, more exciting than original Monopoly. On this DVD there is Chance and Community Chest as well as instructions as to what to do when players land on your land when there are casinos, piers, restaurants or parks on them. Yes, this is the added dimension, in that not only can you purchase beach houses and resorts (read houses and hotels) but you also have the choice of buying four other buildings - casinos, piers, restaurants and parks. But beware - the amount of money you may gain from these added extras varies and depends very much on various factors. For instance, if the DVD says there is a cruise ship in port, a pier is in high demand - but if there's not, your takings can reduce dramatically. At the casino, you may win, but the player landing on your land may also win, meaning you have to shell out the money.

I know there will be as many different opinions on this added element as there are players of this game, but I'll be honest - if you don't think of it as traditional Monopoly, it does add to the game. It makes it more interesting and more unpredictable which for someone like myself with a minuscule attention span, is an added bonus.

I would never have advocated a Monopoly spin off like this in the past, deeming them unworthy and only a money spinner - which I am sure they still are. However, it was good fun to play this one Sunday evening and would definitely play it again. Not as good as the original but still excellent fun! Can be bought virtually everywhere including Woolworths, WH Smith, Amazon.com etc and I believe the one I played was bought for around £10 in the sale.

Summary: Good game, kills a few hours