Monopoly Gamer

Today's review is of the 2017 release, Monopoly Gamer.  For 2-4 players, it takes 45 minutes.

Overview
It's Monopoly like you've never seen it before- in Mario's world!  In Monopoly Gamer, you choose a character from the classic NES game (each has a special power) and take turns rolling dice to travel around the board.  Like Monopoly, the goal is to acquire wealth by buying properties and charging rent to those unlucky enough to land on them.  Unlike Monopoly,
- only one die dictates movement- the other has symbols with specific functions (like earning coins, stealing coins or forcing others to drop coins where they are on the board).
- warp spaces help players zoom around (and as you move through spaces, you pick up any coins dropped on the board).
- characters activate their special ability when they land on star spaces.
- when you pass go, you turn over a boss card and can pay to fight the boss.  If you win, you get that boss card and its associated points.

The game ends after all 8 bosses have been encountered.  Each person counts up their points (from properties, coins, and defeated bosses); highest total wins!

the game board and components; image from here

Review
Classic Monopoly is a game I dislike, mostly because it takes far too long (and can be hard for those who fall behind to come back).  Gamer, on the other hand, is simpler, moves much more quickly, and has more interaction.  You'll constantly earn (or lose) coins, and nobody's ever out of it.  I liked the predetermined end condition, too- it makes much more sense than waiting until one person runs all others off the board.  On the downside, only 50% of the spaces are properties that can be purchased, making it possible to travel around the board without having the option to buy something.  There's also a heavy luck component with the dice.  Overall, though, this is a fun experience- one I prefer to the classic offering.  My kids love it, too.

Rating: B+