Reviews

This is a cute little book that does a great job giving you the history behind the game. I learned quite a bit about Monopoly's origins and the history it shares with Atlantic City that I never even heard about before. I also enjoyed the "Trip Around the Board" section, where "Mr. Monopoly" gives us his tips on each property color group. One of my favorite parts was reading recaps of various Monopoly championships and the tips given by some of those world champions. Very illuminating to how it works in serious game play! While I wouldn't call this a "must have" to keep with a Monopoly set, it does make you want to break out the Monopoly set and play with the nearest person.

This product is excelent for those who doesn't know well how to play Monopoly. For those who has access to Parker Brother web page, this is the same information. For those who played Monopoly a lot, like me, this is only a review. I like this book so much, is better read it than a computer screen. Don't miss it if you want to teach your children how to play and how to analize. My eight years old little girl play like a pro before I read this book.

I believe that if you looked at all the brand name games out there (therefore taking non-brand name games like chess, checkers and backgammon), there is no game out there more popular than Monopoly. Although it may be popular for over seventy years, there have been very few books about it. Philip Orbanes has written one of the few exceptions, The Monopoly Companion. Actually, the gimmick of the book is that it is actually Mr. Monopoly who is telling the book to Orbanes. Mr. Monopoly is the wealthy gentleman who appears in the Monopoly logo as well as several Chance and Community Chest cards; I always knew him as Rich Uncle Pennybags, but apparently Parker Brothers changed the name recently. And though the first part of the book presents a history of the game, somehow this old name is omitted completely. After the history, there is an explanation of the rules of the game. There are official rules and then there are the house rules that we all use to tweak the game, probably most commonly by placing money on the Free Parking spot. After the rules, we get to the heart of the book: a breakdown of all the properties and their relative values and some strategies. The value of a particular monopoly (a color group, the railroads or the utilities) are based on several factors including cost of acquisition, how frequently they are landed on, how expensive they are to develop and how quickly they pay back in rent the money spent on them. Another factor is what point the game is at: a monopoly may be more valuable earlier in the game than later. After these sections, the book goes into Monopoly parties and tournaments and even gives the reader a quiz. Overall, this is an interesting book but not great. For one thing, the Mr. Monopoly gimmick wears thin rather quickly. Also, playing Monopoly is more fun than reading about others playing it, so the tournament narratives are just so-so. It is the middle of the book that redeems the book, however, giving insights that may have not occurred to many players. If you're a fan of Monopoly, this book is a reasonably good and inexpensive acquisition; even with its flaws, it offers enough of value to merit a low four stars.

Everyone has a Monopoly set somewhere at home. If you're like me your set of instructions disappeared long ago and was only a sheet of paper with small font at best anyway. This book explains all the rules in great detail. I never knew there was a limit on the number of houses and hotels and that when there aren't enough green houses you couldn't just fork out the monetary value for a hotel. The age old debate of does free parking collect all the taxes and whoever lands on it gets the money is answered as well. The answer is no by the way. This is a great handy guide for any arguments about the rules. Even if you already know all of the rules this is still a pretty good purchase. Inside is a heap of trivia such as the names of all the characters on the board and cards, the fact that Parker Bros prints 50 billion dollars of Monopoly money each year and the fact that on average each player makes about $175 dollars around the board. A comparison of the Monopoly properties and what those streets are actually like in the real Atlantic City both when the game was invented and today is very interesting reading along with the predecessors to Monopoly and other historical information. There are also tips on how to play from Mr Monopoly including which are the best properties to purchase. This is an excellent little book for anyone who enjoys playing the best board game ever invented.

Playing Monopoly can be a long endeavor, especially if you play with people who don't know the official rules. If you have endured such hardship, you could recommend this guide to such beginning players.This book basically gives a lot of tips to the game that most novice players don't know. One of these tips is knowing which monopolies are the most powerful on the board (and it's not Park Place and Boardwalk most of the time!). It is entertaining and can be easily read in one afternoon. There is quite a bit of filler, though, if you just want to get to the nitty-gritty of how to improve your play. His "interview format" with Uncle Moneybags is humorous, but can drag on if you're just in the market for how to become a Monopoly master.In the end, it's an enjoyable book for most beginners and intermediate players, but can irritate a player who is quite familiar with the game and just looking to get to the highest levels of gameplay.

Reviews

If you are looking for a guidebook on developing strategies on winning Monopoly games, look elsewhere. This book does a fantastic job of explaining the history behind the streets and places printed on a Classic Monopoly gameboard. The postcards are diverse and even cover Baltic Avenue. The postcards are from when the Monopoly game was issued nationally and earlier. This book makes a great present for someone who enjoys playing Monopoly and wants to more about the background and real-world history of the locations on the traditional game.

"Taking a walk on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City was an excursion into a wonderland of grand hotels, amusement piers stocked with colorful rides and marquee performers, and arcades full of games and sweet treats of every description. The Boardwalk was part avenue, part grandstand." ~ pg. 65 If you loved playing MONOPOLY and wondered how this game got it start, then this is the story behind this beloved pastime. Since the game is based on real-life locations in Atlantic City, this book is filled with lovely pictures of the area. The main chapters include: Go The Game - A Brief History of MONOPOLY The Place - A Brief History of Atlantic City The Railroads The Properties The Utilities Chance and Community Chest Free Parking Passing Go One of the most interesting pictures is one of the original circular game boards from 1933 and a square board from 1932. There is also a drawing of the origins of the game as patented by Lizzie Magie in 1904. Most of the book then focuses on the properties and other fun things like salt water taffy. ~The Rebecca Review

This book is basically a history of Atlantic City during the time that the boardgame Monopoly was being invented. The book is not so much about the game itself but the locations that are on the game board. The book goes into the history of all the locations on the board by color and explained to the reader what Boardwalk was like in the 1930s or how Marvin Gardens got misspelled and other tidbits. It rather a short book overall and its give a pretty good understanding basic values of locations in terms of Atlantic City to the boardgame. Of course, the Atlantic City that being described in this book no longer exist. Much like St. Charles Place no longer exist but this book does allowed the reader to know that the game was based on actual locations that one time, had values which was reflected on the game board. I think that was the purpose of this book.

The book was informative. The history of Atlantic City was interesting, but I was more interested in the game itself. I would like to see a book with more on the different editions of MONOPOLY and tons of pictures of games...not Atlantic City postcards.

This is a great little book that takes a historical look at the game we all love and the story behind it. It starts off with a little bit of the history of the game itself, from Elizabeth Magie's original invention to the worldwide phenomenon the game became. However, the book mainly focuses on describing the streets, railroads and sites that have given their names to the game board spaces. The book describes them mostly as they were around the time that Monopoly was being invented. The book is beautifully illustrated with antique photographs and postcards, and shows Atlantic City in a more glamorous and classy era than the current neon-sign-and-big-hair place that it has become. While the book does not cover more than a little bit about the game itself, it does put it into a fun historical context.

Reviews

When I picked up this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I thought it was going to be a book just about the game and its glory. While I was intrigued because Monopoly is my favorite game, I figured I would give it a shot. And boy was I surprised. The book starts off with the Author in search of the history of the game. Which leads him not Monopoly, but to two key figures; Henry George and Elizabeth Magie Phillips. Henry George wrote a socialist book about the Single Tax Theory in his book Progress and Poverty in 1879. Ms. Phillips developed a game called the "Landlord's Game" in 1903 based off Mr. George's theory. This interesting beginning started a revolution that we know today. While many game manufactures like Parker Brothers would not carry the game, Lizzie would patent it and give teach friends how to play the game. Some investors decide to build on a parcel of land to test the theory out where Lizzie sent them a copy of the game. The town was Arden, DE. As she taught her friends, they taught others and it eventually made it to a class room at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania to teach students economics and the evils of Monopolies. As students were taught this game, it migrated to other colleges and university including Columbia University. It started to become popular by word of mouth. The Landlord Game went through many modifications to become Monopoly. The Atlantic City theme did not appear until1930's When Dorothy and Cyril Harvey started to put the names of the streets and avenues of the town. They played this game with Charles and Olivia Todd who in turn showed Charles Darrow the game. Darrow would go on to popularize the game and to get Parker Brothers to start publishing the games years later. He even took credit for inventing the game we now know. The only thing I did not like about the book was that he spent a lot of time on tournament play toward the end of the book. It was exciting, but it really wasn't need to complete the story of the game. I would have left it out. Philip Orbanes not only adds the colorful history of the game, but he includes a knowledge of ecconomics, politics, history, all background stories to the book, making more than a book about the game, but a book about the United States and its rich history. This is a valuable book for everyone because it shows us what we actual miss in school about these subjects, but adds a sense of fun and reality to it. It was a joy to read and learn about this great game. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy

I got this from the library for my 5-year-old who is suddenly a Monopoly nut, and I really enjoyed it! Lots of factoids about this bit of Americana, most notably how it survived as an underground game in the early 20th century with folks making their own boards and tokens, before the patents could be ironed out that would cause Parker Brothers to start really making money. The author credits this period with ironing out the rules and strategies, and causing the game to stand the test of time. We had it at my house, and my grandparents had it too!

Monopoly is the world's most famous proprietary game: but why has it proven such an outstanding success over competitors? Monopoly, game fans and public libraries alike will find engrossing MONOPOLY: THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS GAME, which offers insight into the history and developers of the game. Chapters describe the game's creation, marketing, evolution, and attractions and include many insights on how the Internet and technological advancements have changed the game. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

This is a good, factual tale on the evolution of the classic board game. My primary frustration is that the author doesn't tie the game, and its evolution, to larger forces at play in society.

This is an extremely informative book on the early history of monopoly, and how it went through its changes to become the cultural mainstay it is today, and likely will continue to be so. After the initial history, the author starts wandering off into his rather elementary perceptions of US history and how they affected the game. I seriously had to fight off the eye glazing effect for the rest of the book, though there are some parts of the author's firsthand accounts of Monopoly tournaments that are mildly interesting. For an Amazon bargain book, worth the money, otherwise no way.

Reviews

I love Monopoly. I just always hated setting it up, losing money, losing houses and hotels and somebody accidently bumping the board to screw everything up. I hated the fact you could never trust the banker to not cheat etc. This solves every problem listed above. So much fun, you can save games in the middle of them and come back to it later. Perfect!

This is a great board game. Lot's of fun. I really enjoy palying this game. I had no problems with the setup. It installed from the CD. I can take it anywhere I go. Great product just like the board game.

Just love this game, love the fact that you don't have to have the CD in your drive to play it, have only used the CD once to load it. It has enough computer players, some smarter, some stupid, to make it very interesting. I love to make unorthodox trades with them. Especially when they are out of resources. Monopoly never gets old with me.

I bought this game for my fiance who always loved Monopoly as a child. He does enjoy this version and says that it's fun. However, for someone who has played the game from a tactical perspective, it becomes boring without the challenge of a tougher opponent. When he changed the computer's proficiency level, he said the only thing that seemed to change was better dice rolls for the computer...and he still beat it. It's fun, just not a challenge.

There have been many Monopoly software games over the past 15 years. This one is the best. The graphics and sounds are much improved over previous editions. However, the game options are different. For instance, the maximum a player can earn when landing on "Free Parking" is $500 and you can limit building to three houses instead of four. Fun for the whole family.

Reviews

My kids can't put this down. The graphics are tamed down from prior versions and focus on 2-D. On our widescreen monitor it shows everything needed to play a complete game. The computer AI is as expected and can be used to win a game if you're so inclined. There is NO CD required to play this game on both Windows XP and Windows 7 64-bit. The install took less than five minutes. Hurry and buy this game, you'll be glad you did!

You know what! I enjoy this game very much! You really don't need the CD inserted in the CD-Rom to play; So you can play it as well after you installed the game! You will love it if you try it!

I love this game! You can play against the computer (at different levels), add more than one computer player and add other players as well. It's a great game to pass the time...Monopoly Here & Now

I enjoy this version of Monopoly but there are things that could be improved upon. For instance, how do you delete the games that you have finished? You can just keep loading them even if you or the computer won. I have the older version and the graphics are 100% better, but I can live with that. There seems to be less options in "Monopoly Here & Now." The ultimate issue that I have with both versions is that you have to have the disc inserted in order to play. This is wrong. When I buy a game or program, I expect to be able to load it onto my computer. Example: Paint Shop Pro.

I like how it doesn't take up much space on my laptop. Some game to play when I'm really really really super bored when I have to visit relatives house for a few days or something for holidays. I love monopoly anyway. It's not really a fancy 3-D dynamic pictures like some other computer-based monopoly version, this one's rather 2-D looking flatboard and dice rolling etc. Very simple. Once you install it, you don't need to have CD with you (at least in my case, I didn't need CD after I installed it), which is a plus for some game to play at leisure. The music gets a little boring after playing for awhile though.

Reviews

Scrabble is only game of this trio in which I was interested. It is a very worthwhile game for a modest price. The Scrabble game has a wide variety of options from which to choose: the ability of your "opponent" (eight levels, beginner to genius); the "opponent" can be solitaire (oneself), computer or human; to be or not to be challenged; hints available if desired, a dictionary, an adjustable timer; and other variations. I have learned a great deal from my computer opponent. A warning label needed -- this game is addictive: beware if you have responsibilities other than having fun.

I used to have a Game of Life for computer but this is NOT it. This is some new Game of Life that bears no relationship to the REAL game. Even worse, the new game is not fun at all, even on its own merits--it has no merits. What WERE they thinking? Also, the Monopoly game included is hard to play because of the inflation and the really strange properties that you buy for monopolies. Not fun, either. The Scrabble seems OK, but I have a similar game that is more fun than Scrabble, so I don't bother with Scrabble. I guess I am going to have to buy a WINDOZE machine so I can play my old games. Too bad that VM Fusion will not recognize the Windoze Game of Life CD in the drive. Otherwise, I never would have needed to re-buy the Game of Life or Monopoly. Attention, Amazon.com! Is anyone even selling an OS X version of the real Game of Life or the real Monopoly? I would love to buy them both!

I purchased this disc only for the Scrabble game and that is all I have used it for. I have enjoyed many hours playing Scrabble using the disc. I've been addicted to the game for many years, as a board game and later on my computer. Having mislaid the previous disc in a recent move, I was pleased to find it available on Amazon. I recommend it very highly.

Always have a variety of games to play with my boyfriend. You don't need the CD inserted in order to play the games. :-)

Reviews

This game was fun when we first got it. I liked the different kinds of boards, unfortunately we didn't get to play a full game because some one stole the game from us. When I replace the Wii this will be one of the first games that we buy back, Monopoly never gets old.

I am addicted to this game. I was already a true monopoly fan. If you love the board game like I do you are going to love this. The board is a little hard to see but if you're a true monopoly fan like I am you already know where all the properties are!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We played the board game a lot growing up. This eliminates the hassle of setup and finding a trustworthy banker. It is a little tricky trading property the first time, but once you figure it out it is very easy.

Not worth the money in my opinion. I love this game and play it often on X-Box and my PC, but the Wii version leaves little to be desired. Too much animation and no way to turn it off. Can't turn the horrible, aggravating music off without turning down the TV volume and then you have to play in total silence which is boring for me and the game is way too slow. I am very unhappy with it and wish I would have tried it before I spent my money. Laurie Hebert

My girl and I play this regularly. For those of you who complain that their TV show it as being too small -ummm learn to use the FILL feature or STRETCH. I fixed the issue in about 2 seconds and the game fills the screen. I like how it has many boards to choose from. The levels of difficulty are appropriate. The music can be annoying after awhile, but for the hours of playing we have into the game I still give it at least a B.

Reviews

This game is fun to play, although it's really not the world edition at least not like it's played online. It's really the Here And Now Edition because there are no world places and the bidding in the World Edition is different. This is really a fun game to play, especially if you customize the rules.

Reviews

Monopoly is a great classic board game. It has some educational value, if you're going into finances or corporate psychology. But most of all, it's a lot of fun! It's one of those games that you just simply must have.

There's nothing to say about Monopoly that everyone doesn't already know, but why oh why does Hasbro insist on designing the board to fold twice? There's a permanent slit going halfway through the board to allow for an extra fold, so you can forget trying to play on a soft surface, and it looks awful. I wish I had bothered to find this out before ordering, because it really is a deal breaker, and the game just sits in a cupboard now. In trying to cut down on space, Hasbro also made the lousy move of getting rid of the old money tray. It's now a flimsy plastic, with slots for putting the bills in sideways. I could possibly live with that, if the box could be closed with the bills in that position. Alas, the box isn't tall enough, so when you pack up you need to stack the money, then separate it into the slots when you're ready to play. In short, a slightly wider, slightly taller box would have elevated this review from two stars to five. You got that, Hasbro?

This is a great game with a lot of real world lessons. I think it's a great way to teach kids about money management, although the same could be said for its affect on adults. This is a game that can take an evening, depending on how good everybody is, but if you're looking to move things along, a great way to do so is to pass out the properties randomly at the beginning of the game. For those of your looking to upgrade your set, depending on how long it's been since you're seen a "new" Monopoly, some things have changed. The money colors have changed and a lot of the wooden or metal pieces are now plastic. More or less though, it's the same great game you remember.

Monopoly is a classic game that boggles your mind. It will challenge you from start to end, but it's really for ages eight and up. The pieces are pretty easy to lose, but you can still enjoy the game. The rules are fairly simple, yet they can get complicated. You can play the shortened version, the one without all the hotels and stuff. Even though it's pretty long to play, you'd enjoy it from start to end. I would suggest the new Monopoly (the electronic credit card version). That's only because the paper money is hard to keep up with.

We had fun as this game will never end.... Good even for 4 people..... cant be played in a larger scale though...

Reviews

Ever since one of our friends introduced us to Monopoly Deal, we got instantly hooked up this game. Its so addicting that we usually play this for at least a couple of hours non stop. Unlike the board game where it may never end, Monopoly Deal games are mostly fast paced. Another great thing about this game is how easy it is for everyone to pick up. You don't need to be a scientist to figure out all the strategies/combos you can pull to win. And this game makes you THINK of how to play your cards carefully if you want to win. This is perfect for when you are meeting up with your friends or during travel.

Since the games are so short, it's not so devastating when you don't win. At the same time, people become competitive while playing and the winner is decided by more than just the lucky cards he's gotten. Although people learn Deal quickly, there is skill involved. Since the game is contained within a cardbox, it's easy to bring anywhere.

I want to be clear that I hate playing Monopoly. Never liked it, never will. It takes too long, almost no one in the family likes it! No one except our 11yr old, who loves it. He always pesters us to play. I found this game on Amazon and thought "oh well I might as well try it." Luckily for me we all, truly enjoy this game. It has enough Monopoly in it to keep him happy, and not enough to irritate the rest of us! It is a win-win solution. Rules are easy, play is quick, and the games takes about 20-30 minutes to play.

My girl friend and I bought this game a few weeks ago and love playing it. We get all our friends into it, but as the directions say you really do need another deck if you play with more than 5 people. We like to change the rules up a lot. It says that one player wins once they get 3 property sets, but we usually change that to four sets and add in that they must have over X amount of dollars in the bank. Highly recommended

2 changes- 1, as another reviewer noted, too much money/not enough rent, so remove alot of the money cards; and 2- get rid of the deal breaker cards that otherwise define the game. Aside from those changes, once you master the long-but-easy-to-understand rules, it proves to be a good and simple game. I'd recommend if you want something besides UNO or Skip-bo.

Reviews

If you have a Scooby Doo obsessed child in your home, this game will be the perfect addition. It is set up just like all of the other "Pop 'N' Race" type games, but with the 'gang' from this popular series. This was a birthday present for my nephew and he really enjoyed opening it on his special day. The only note that I really have is that the popper was a little hard to push . . . if your child is five, they may have to use both hands to depress it (which causes additional wear and tear on the game and causes frustration for the child). Other than that, the game is a winner on this end!

I have a 3 1/2 year old son and he LOVES Scooby Doo, so when I saw this game in Scooby Doo I had to buy it. He understands how to play and helps him with numbers and actually playing a real game. We love playing it! We laugh so much when he lands on Mommys spot and I have to go back home he just loves that. Very fun game!

This is your typical pop up game..but with a Scooby Doo theme. I love this game because the one die is contained in the center and cannot be removed. This makes this game safer and less likely to lose that part. The player pieces tho' are small enough to cause a choking hazard for younger children. This age old game is always fun. AND who doesn't like Scooby Doo? I had an older version of this game (traditional..)..and it is STILL in good shape after 35 yrs..SOoo outside of losing the smaller pcs..when taken care of this game will last forever.

Fun game. It's hard to find Scooby-Doo items in the stores, so I was happy to find this! My child loves it!

Very simple but very enjoyable game. It's the original Trouble game but adapted with Scooby Doo characters and colors. My children enjoy playing this. Not intended for older children but great for early elementary. They have a chance to practice numbers, counting and deciding on the best stratagies to win. Simple but great!

Reviews

It was great fun to play this version of Monopoly, reminiscing about the Saints' greatest season as we went. The only thing I didn't like was that there is no mention of Sean Payton ANYWHERE in the game. Aside from MVP Drew Brees, the person most responsible for the Super Bowl win was Sean Payton. Where's the credit? Shame on Milton Bradley for omitting the gutsiest coach in Super Bowl history from this game! Otherwise, it's a great piece of memorabilia and I am glad to own it.