Conference rusure::nintendo

    
    	I guess I'll have to answer my own questions.  First off I 
    figured it must be � way decent because it was always checked out 
    at the video stores.
    
    	Finally rented it.  So far I really like it.  It is very much like
    the board game.  It has a lot of game play options that give it a
    possibility of many different faces.  You can play up to 8 players
    (so far we've only done 2).  You can set a time limit from 15 minutes
    to indefinate.  You can also choose a short game or long game.  You can
    choose whether or not properties are dealt out at the beginning of the 
    game or if you have to purchase what ever you get.  It allows for
    trading properties and buying properties at auction.
    
    	Definately worth renting.  Decide for yourself if it is worth
    buying.  If I can find it for sale we will probably buy it.
    
    	_ed-

    
    	I'm currently renting this game, too.  If you like the board game
    	Monopoly, I'd say you'll probably like the NES version.  Monopoly
    	was never one of my favorite board games, but I do like this one.
    	It has clever things, such as when someone lands on Luxury Tax,
    	this little Capitol Building floats up from the bottom and the
    	dome open and closes like a mouth as it munches your money.  When
    	you roll the dice, this hand comes out and shakes back and forth
    	until you release the button.  You can't blow on them, though. ;^)
    	The game is extremely flexible and allows up to 8 players, human
    	and/or computer.  I haven't played it for very long yet, but when
    	one of the computer players offered to make a deal with me, it
    	happened so fast, I'm not sure what happened.  I'll have to try
    	and initiate a deal myself, so I can understand the steps, and
    	then I'll hopefully know what's going on with that.  There are
    	numerous menus that allow you to get a status on anything you
    	could possibly want to know.  There are a few occasions when the
    	games "speaks", such as when a piece of property is auctioned,
    	and the word "sold" is pronounced quite clearly.  Incidentally,
    	the games seems to move much quicker, especially when there are
    	computer opponents, than the board game.  Anyway, I'd say this
    	is an excellent adaptation of one of the most popular games ever.
    
    								     Mike
    

    Does anyone know where I can find this game (to buy) in the Worcester
    area?

    
    	re: -.1
    
    	I had called Parker Brothers several weeks ago asking about the
    	availability of the game, since I couldn't find it anywhere.
    	They had apparently miscalculated the demand for it, and it had
    	sold out rather quickly.  Anyway, they told me it should be
    	available in August, so it might start showing up soon wherever
    	NES games are sold.  On the other hand, they may be behind
    	schedule, and it may be awhile yet.  I'll call them again, if
    	I can find the number.  Anybody know what city Parker Brothers
    	is in (then I can just call Directory Assistance)?
    
    								  Mike
    

>>     Anybody know what city Parker Brothers
>>     is in (then I can just call Directory Assistance)?
    
        Parker Brothers is in Salem, MA
    

    
    	I have seen it for sell at Toys-R-Us here in Colo.  It is next 
    to impossible to rent.  It is always checked out.  I really like it.
    
    	_ed-

    
    	Well, I just called Parker Brothers, and they received a shipment
    	of games last week.  She said the games have probably been shipped
    	to their distributors by now and they'll probably be showing up in
    	the stores within a couple of weeks (although she wasn't positive).
    
    	They will take orders directly.  Send a check for $55 to:
    
    			Parker Brothers
    			P.O. Box 1012
    			Beverly, MA  01915
    
    	P.S.  She said to be sure to note the check is for the NES Monopoly
    	      Game and that your address is on the check (or whatever).
    
    								       Mike
    

    
    	re: -.1
    
    	Oh, yeah...  She said it would take 3-4 weeks to get the game
    	when ordering it from them (P.B.).
    
    								 Mike
    

    This is in Reply to Mike who wanted to know how to cheat the computer.
    
    I actually started to use the Computers techniques for buying property
    when low on cash.  I had noticed that when playing against the computer
    that the computer would land on a property that was sold yet.  If
    the computer decided not to buy it because they didn't have enough
    cash they would let it go to auction.  Next thing I knew that same
    computer player was bidding on the property. so for example, computer
    lands on Boardwalk and needs $400 to buy it.  computer only has
    $130.  Computer decides not to buy. Auction starts bid is $10. Computer
    puts bid in for $10.  well if you only have $50 yourself, its a
    sure bet the computer will end up getting Boardwalk for not much
    more than 50 bucks, saving themselves 350.
    
    	So what I have done with great success is pretty much let the
    computer buy as much property as they want.  when the computer gets
    down to a few measly 100, and you land on a piece of property, simply
    put it up for auction, and then just outbid the computer.  I have
    bought many pieces of property at below cash value...  Kind of like
    the recession, expensive homes at bargain prices!  Of course this
    method also comes in handy when playing real people too.  
    
    	I think the game would be much better though, if the person
    who decided not to buy the property was not permitted to bid.
    
    P.S.  Watch out when playing more than one computer character at
    a time.  I've never seen so much wheeling and dealing in my life.
    they make trades that just don't seem logical.
    
    mark
    

    
    RE: .9 (Mark)
    
    	Better yet, when the computer puts property up for auction, and
    (s)he doesn't have a lot of money (but more than you), just pop into
    the menu, and mortgage a property or two until you get a hair more
    money than the computer.
    
    	You can then outbid the computer, and get the property for less
    than the selling price.
    
    	Other strategies which work:
    
    	- If you have two of one property, and the computer has the
    	  third, offer to sell the computer one of your two properties,
    	  and make an outrageously high cash offer for their half.
    
    	  You can usually get it.  I do this a lot when the computer has
    	  a parcel of land and is about to build houses/hotels.
    
    	The computer is very partial to the railroad, and utlities
    properties.  It will also convert every extra dollar it can into
    houses and hotels, so beware once it has a parcel.
    
    remember property = power.

    Re .9:
    
    Why is that cheating?  The player who declines to buy initially is
    still allowed to bid in the auction, according to the rules, aren't
    they?
    
    Monopoly is a capitalist game; it makes sense that property rates
    should be set by market conditions.
    
    
    				-- edp

    
    I also claimed the computer cheats, but mine was more in jest
    than seriousness.  Itjust always manages to get the exact dice
    roll it needs for that special property, or to land on the one
    square in the middle of my hotels that isn't part of my parcel,
    or ... 8^)
    
    
    I think the situations outlined in .9 can more accurately be
    described as "bending the rules to suit one's needs".  Not
    cheating, but ... 8^)

    I purchased Monopoly last night (Wal-Mart in Colorado Springs had about
    40 of them!)  What a great game!  
    
    On "Cheating/Bending"
    	* I purchased Boardwalk for $10 using the methods mentioned above!
    
    	* I watched Penelope trade Marvin Gardens to Issac for Baltic. 
	  Penelope didn't have Mediteranian and Issac got a Monopoly!
    
    	* Penelope wouldn't sell St. James to me (I would have had a
	  Monopoly) for $2000
    
    Love the game.  Lots of fun with 7 CPU and myself.  Some of the trades
    occur at Light Speed (Hard to read all of the stuff being traded so
    fast!)
    
    Has anyone found one particular CPU player difficult to beat in a 2
    player game?
    
    Later...
    	Mike

    
    This is going to sound sexist, but I've found the women are easier
    to beat/trade-with than the men.  The women CPU's also seem to be
    less likely to make stoopid trades with each other.
    
    -rjk

    
    	I have found that some of the women are obnoxiously hard core
    about trading.  Arthur usually is good to play against one on one.
    He will go to great lengths $-wise and property wise in trading to
    get what he wants.
    
    I have also used the hints previously mentioned.  I have found a 
    gamble that usually pays off is to go ahead and let the computer
    get a monopoly on a color if you can get all their money and or 
    a lucrative property for your own use.  Also beware of selling
    houses and or mortgaging properties.  I didn't realize that you 
    get 50% of the value when you sell houses and pay 10% interest whe
    you unmortgage a property.  So HINT: if you can make the computer
    do both of the above you will get him down on money.
    
    	_ed-
    
    	My highest winning total so far is $13k+

    Maybe this shows the type of Monopoly player I really am, but I have
    found a combination of CPU opponents that I have only beat once in
    about 30 games.  Choose 3 players: youself, Carmen, and Gertrude, on a
    timed game of 1 hour or less.  I have found this to be the most
    frustrating games that I have ever played.  I have tried numerous
    stratagies, but have lost everytime but once.  The one time I won, was
    by watching the clock and what the CPU's were wanting me to trade them. 
    Then, with only 5 minutes left, I mortgaged the stuff they wanted, and
    then I traded them what they were wanting (usually giving them a
    Monopoly) for all of their money.  They would then have to mortgage
    (and Carmen had to sell hotels) to un-mortgage the properties.  They
    would then still have a couple of minutes to land on my properties with
    houses, and then mortgage and sell more.  This worked the one time, but
    I tried it again last night, and they seemed to know better!  Does this
    cartridge learn certain tricks????  I'd like to hear how others fair
    against these two opponents.
    
    Another trick I found last night is say you own 1 property of 3, and a
    CPU owns another property of the 3.  If you land on the last un-owned
    property of the 3, don't buy it right away, instead, when asked to buy
    it, go to the menu and trade for the CPU's property.  The CPU see's
    this as a harmless trade since it won't give you a Monopoly (HEHEHEHE). 
    After the fatal trade is complete, leave the menu, and buy the property
    for a Monopoly.  I know, its devious and terrible, but hey, I'm a
    capitalist pig, and when playing against Carmen and Gertrude, I'll do
    anything sneaky to beat them!
    
    Later...
    	Mike

    
    Last night -- beat seven computer opponents.
    
    Final assets total:  $33,875 (!)
    
    At one point I had over $25,000 cash.  Then I decided to build a
    "few" houses and hotels ... 8^)
    
    The most frustrating part for me with seven opponents is that
    everyone ends up with 3 or 4 properties, and looping the board
    building up cash, and not doing much of anything else.  AS LONG
    AS THE COMPUTER DOESN'T GET A MONOPOLY.
    
    If two computers end up splitting Baltic/Mediteranean -- one will
    end up buying the other for around $1100 - and one property - in
    trade.
    
    I finally got one of the computer opponents to sell me the third
    orange property for ... $2882 -- it took ALL my money.  But of
    course, since I owned all the railroads (and wasn't THAT expensive),
    it wasn't long before I had cash built back up.
    
    -rjk

    Yes, they do learn.  If you had read the instruction manual, you would
    have found out that Carmen "never makes the same mistake twice."
    
    Benjamin

    
    	I had Monopoly over the w'end, and I don't know if I was just
    	lucky or something, but I only lost to Carmen/Gertrude once out
    	of 4 games played.
    
    	In one of the games, the only properties I had built up were the
    	yellows, and it was enough to break them both.
    
    	And I played a friend 4 games and DESTROYED him 3 times.
    
    							GTI

    
    	You must be good.
    
    	I find that I can usually beat the game.  I use the variations 
    in the menu.  So far I like 'The Big Boys & The Small Stuff'
    variations.  It usually becomes more of a challenge when you play
    against 3 or more computer opponents.
    
    	My biggest problem is getting it back to the video store in time.
    
    	_ed-

    
    	I had the same problem as far as getting it back on time.  I got
    	it for 2 days and ended up keeping it an extra day on top of that.
    
    	I didn't try any of the menu variations ... the only one I used
    	was the "deal out property cards" once when I played a friend, and
    	I was surprised that only 2 cards were dealt per player.  I thought
    	we'd get more than that.
    
    	I'll have to rent it again [or buy it] and try some of the variat-
    	ions and the other computer opponents that I haven't played yet.
    	I played Arthur and beat him twice, I played Erwin and lost twice,
    	and I've played Carmen and Gertrude.
    
    							GTI

	



	Gertrude can be a real witch.  She tries to make outrageous trades.
I'm still hooked on the game though.  Maybe my wife will get it for me for 
Christmas.  I was going to get it for my Birthday but nobody in town had it. 


	_ed-

    I went to Blockbuster Video in Nashua the other day they had about 5
    copies in stock!  And 3 of them were not rented yet!  I rented this
    game a few weeks ago at a local video store - I was actually lucky to
    get it.  They only had one copy.  I hadn't been able to rent it since
    even trying to put it on reserve...until I stumbled into BBV.  Love
    this game!
    
    
    

    
    Does this game have a battery backup or password feature so you can 
    save/restart a session?

    
    
    	NO.

    
    	RE: .24
    
    	You can use the game editor to set up the board as you'd like
    	to start the game ... which means writing everything down be-
    	fore shutting it off.
    
    							GTI
    

    My parents got this game for my 8 yesr old son for Xmas.
    What a life saver as the entire family ended up sick for
    the holidays.
    
    We must of sat for hours playing against each other and
    against the computer players. I faired much better than
    I thought I would as I was never much good at this game.
    
    THANK YOU PARKER BROS/NINTENDO !
    
    Rick A

	My mom was trying to get this game for me for my birthday
	(which was a couple of weeks ago).  It seems that ToysRus
	had had it on sale.  She went that morning, and they were
	all out.   She did get a raincheck, but the store manager
	said that they weren't sure if they were going to be able
	to honor it.  Seems they heard something about Parker Bro
	making Nintendo stop selling this game.

	Anyone heard anything about this rumor?  I hope it's not
	true, I really want the game..  :-)

	Thanks
	Charlie

    
    	I have not heard of any such rumor.  I know that we got it
    last month at a software store.  I don't think PB will pull the
    license since it is so popular and I am sure that they get a cut
    out of it all.
    
    	_ed-

    
    	Well, I can verify the rumor, but can't verify its merit.  I
    	was talking to a guy at Emerald Square yesterday who said that
    	PB only released a limited number of copies, so they're all
    	out there now, however many that happens to be by now.  He
    	also said that PB demanded money up-front for the games, in-
    	stead of extending the usual merchandise credit to the stores,
    	payable upon the sale of the games.
    
    							GTI

    
    	I got the most recent Citibank Citishopper booklet in the mail
    	yesterday, and guess what was listed?  Monopoly.
    
    	So I called up and ordered it, and asked if she could tell me
    	how many copies they had in stock.  The reply was that they
    	are shipped from Nintendo, so she had no way of telling.  But
    	when I asked if that meant I might be told they were all out,
    	she said that if it was in the system then it was available,
    	so I guess I'm all set.  $47 total, including S&H.
    
    							GTI
    

    I went to 10 different toy & software stores and had no luck. I was
    told several time that they'd only get a few copies in every couple
    of months. I'm dyin' to get this game. It's Great!
    
    I'm considering renting it and then telling the store I lost it and
    paying them for it but I wouldn't feel to hot about it.
    
    It'll turn up,
    Bill
    

    Ask your rental place about them ordering it for you.  They sould be
    able to get it, no problem.   I know that a few places will do this for 
    their customers....
    
    Ron.

    Yea, I've gotten on a few waiting lists but I'm told that some
    of the people have been on these list for months and the store only
    gets a few at a time (the places with lists are the small electronic 
    stores) every couple of months.
    	I have a fellow noter keeping his eyes out for me and I can always
    rent it until one of us finds it.
    
    The search goes on,
    Bill
    

    
    	I might regret this, but here goes:
    
    	If CitiShopper [or Nintendo] comes through and sends me the one
    	I ordered, I will see what I can do about ordering cartridges
    	for those in here that want it [at my cost + shipping].
    
    	It's been 1-2 weeks now since I ordered mine, and I don't have
    	it yet, but we'll see.
    
    							GTI
    

  Babbges here in Colorado Springs has three copies left.  $49.99 + tax.

  What a great implementation !!  My wife and I just love it !!  It adds a
whole new dimension to the old board version !!

					-=> Jim <=-

P.S.  If anyone wants a copy badly, then send me mail and I will arrange to
purchase it and ship it to you.

	Got my copy last week.  Toys R Us was able to honor their
	raincheck from back in September...

	Tried it out over the weekend, found the game to be good,
	but have to watch out who controls the controller..

	Found that if (by accident of course) I hit the 'A' button
	for my oppenent (human), then my contoller had to be used
	for the rest of that particular turn.  ie, I had to hit
	the buttons to acknowledge plays and moves.

	Also, I find that making/offering trades are very confusing.
	I almost traded away property without anything in return,
	fortunately the system noticed and warned me..

	I used Game Genie on it once, It was nice to get extra $$
	going around GO, and not paying as much on EXCISE and Luxury
	taxes..

	All in all... I'm pleased with the game

The Fair in West Boyston had several copies in stock.  I think the price was
around $50.00

/marc

    
    	RE: .37
    
    	The reason the controllers behave like that is so that 8 people
    	can play at once.
    
    							GTI
    

    I Joined Citishopper 3 weeks ago and got my info. package over the
    weekend. I called last night and they had it. The best part was I was
    able to use the $15 off my first purchase coupon so I was able to order
    it for $32. They said 4 weeks shipping time. Thanks to all those who
    offered to help.
    
    	Anyone who has a Citibank charge card can join Citishopper but I
    haven't gotten a catalog so I'm not sure what they have and I'm not
    sure who's eligible for the 3 months for $1 trial membership with the
    $15 coupon like I got.
    
    Thanks again
    Bill
    
    PS Yeah, you have to be real careful about what buttons you hit. I've 
       had some real stupid trades, built when I meant to sell and
       auctioned off properties I wanted to buy.
    

    
    	It's heeeere!!
    
    	"Monopoly" was delivered yesterday, 5 weeks [to the day] that I
    	ordered it.  So of course I had to play a few games ... won 2
    	out of 3.  And as they say, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
    
    	8^)
    
    							GTI

    
    	Does anyone have any Monopoly strategies they'd like to share?
    	Here's some of mine:
    
    	Whenever one of the computer players buys a railroad, I offer
    	them $275 right away.  Some will take it, and some won't.  But
    	the railroads are a key investment, especially if you have all
    	4 of them.  At $200 rent each, they're a definite money-maker.
    
    	The oranges [TN/NY/ST. JAMES] are great to have because they're
    	within striking distance of anyone tossed in jail.  And the
    	light blues [VT/CT/ORIENTAL] are usually pretty good because
    	they're within striking distance of "GO".
    
    	The computer players seem to love building houses, and almost
    	always put up as many houses as they can without going below
    	$200 or so.  I don't like this too much, because it doesn't
    	leave you with too much of a cushion in case you need money.
    	Then you have to sell the houses anyways to pay a bill.
    
    	And if you get caught in an "auction", as long as you can come
    	up with more money than the computer player[s], you will win
    	the property ... the computer players will not mortgage any
    	property to buy something else, even if it means they'll comp-
    	lete a color set by buying it.
    
    							GTI

    Depending on money situation, I will sometimes use the AUTION
    to financial break a computer player. Especially if the have
    monopoly in a color. This gives me a chance to get ahead and
    stop their hoese/hotel buying spree.
    
    Something else I have done (by accident at first) is to keep
    as much money as you can in the first couple of times around
    the board. The computer player will buy like mad, and I have
    found that 9 out of 10 times I get a monopoly first and have
    enough $$'s to build it up quick.
    
    Damn, I am hooked on this game !
    
    Rick A

	If anyone in the Worcester area is still looking..

	I noticed that The Fair in W. Bolyston Ma has(d)
	3 or 4 in stock last night..

	Selling was either 44.99 or 49.99

	Csw

    
    
    		I picked up Monopoly in Nashua this past Tuesday at
    		Toys R Us for $49.99 and they had about a dozen in
    		stock.
    
    		DR.

Things I found and use to my advantage.

On a 3 property monopoly if you own one and the computer one when the
third is up for auction, make an offer for the computer's property.  
It does not check that you will get a monopoly since the third is in 
auction. Then buy the last.  Haven't tried this on a 2 property monopoly.

If you have Park Place and the Computer has Boardwalk, it will try to
trade to get Park Place.  I countered the computer offer for Park Place
if I get Boardwalk (the chance card - advance to Boardwalk at least 
ensures someone landing there) and the computer agrees.  Later I 
work Park Place out of the computer.

If the computer is low on cash and it is making a deal with you, if it
looks good, then mortgage the property it wants and then make the deal.
You get the money and the computer has to either sell houses/hotels or
mortgage another property to pay the interest.  Sort of cheating
but it's my way of getting even.  Sometimes I feel the roll the computer
gets seems to miss my properties more often than my missing the computer's.


If the utilities are split, you have one and the computer has one, when
the computer wants yours, swap for its.  Sometimes you will get the deal.
This is good if you own everything from Jail to free parking except the
electric company or along the other edge from free parking to "go to jail"
except water works.  This takes away the only safe space for the computer
and you are sure to get some rent from that section of the board.

    getting poor? CHEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    keep pressing "Select" and..............................
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    when the sceen says "TO WHOM AM I SPEAKING?" answer the
    computer................
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    go to the menu and change the computer into human and...............
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    go to trade......................
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    take what you what and make the computer a computer again,and........
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    watch
    
    it
    
    get 
    
    bankrupt!
    
    ain't I a stinker?

    Who lett that kid play with the computer?????		

    Add me to the list of players who think this game is great! Terrific
    interpretation of the 'manual' version. I especially enjoy the little
    things like the animation whenever you have to pay rent, taxes, etc, or
    watching the hat token advance to its current position (you glimpse a 
    rabbit hopping along under the hat), and especially the computerized
    Irish brogue saying "Don't be coming back now!" when you buy or roll
    your way out of jail.
    
    We rented it over the weekend, and didn't have a chance to explore very
    many of the possible options or customizations, etc, so a few questions
    while I wait for my wife to buy me a copy for my upcoming birthday...
    
    	o can you configure it to pay money for landing on Free Parking?
    	(Yes, I *know* it's not allowed in the rule book, but that's how 
    	we've played it since we were kids.)
    
    	o how can you 'subsidize' a computer opponent who's on the verge of
    	bankruptcy? (other than giving him/her some of my assets...in other
    	words, can I transfer funds to them from the bank? After getting my 
    	butt kicked quite a few times by various combinations of computer
    	players, I was absolutely stomping on a single opponent, and would
    	have liked to have toyed with him a bit longer before he went
    	belly-up. (What can I say...it was late and I was in the mood for
    	revenge...;^).
    
    Thanks in advance for any advice.
    
    Freddie

    No to both of your questions.  The only way to give someone extra money
    from the bank is by using the game editor in the very beginning.
    
    Benjamin

    
    	If you're so far ahead of the computer [or any] opponent you can
    	go into the trade menu and just give him/her some money.  That's
    	the only way to do it.
    
    							GTI

    Yeah...I played some more last night (the 2-day rental is now on it's
    5th day...:^), and found that out thru trial and error. Oh well...I
    guess I'll have to be satisfied with the quick kill! ;^)
    
    Just for yucks, I loaded a pre-set game, Trader's Delight, using 4
    computer players, and let it run while I sat there balancing the
    checkbook. Talk about cutthroat! I had to reset the play mode from
    'Hurry' to 'Relax' just so that I could keep up with the wheeling &
    dealing...Game lasted approx 90 minutes before someone won.
    
    Plus, I swear the computer cheats! I managed to get a Monopoly on the 
    two neighborhoods just before and just after Jail. In *8* passes thru
    that side of the board, the computer managed to avoid my hotels and
    landed on either Just Visiting or the Electric Company, while my cash
    kept dwindling and I kept coming around Go and landing on Tax....Grrrr!
    
    Great game!