Product Description

Monopoly: Here and Now Edition is a whole new twist on the classic property trading game. Move around the board, collect money, and punish your siblings financially as you have good clean family fun. This updated version includes modern day rents and all-new contemporary game tokens and airports. The 22 new properties salute America's greatest modern destinations from New York City to Honolulu. For the first time ever, Monopoly fans helped design the new board by voting on their favorite landmarks from selected cities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6703 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Hasbro
• Model: 18903
• Released on: 2006-09-14
• Dimensions: 15.80" h x 10.40" w x 2.80" l, 2.34 pounds

Features

• It's a whole new twist on the classic property trading game!
• The four railroads are now airports, including LAX, JFK and Chicago's O'Hare!
• Hot property includes Times Square in New York City, Boston's Fenway Park, Las Vegas Blvd., Houston's Johnson Space Center, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, and Minneapolis' Mall of America!
• New tokens include the Toyota Prius, New Balance Shoe, McDonald's French Fries, Labradoodle, Motorola RAZR Mobile Headset, and a Laptop Computer
• The goal still remains the same: buy, sell and trade well-known U.S. properties to win the game!

Amazon.com Review
The back of the box poses the question, "What would the Monopoly game be like if it were invented today?" One could sum up most of the difference in one word: inflation. If you're used to playing the traditional game, you might feel a little woozy handling Monopoly money denominations that start at $100k and top out at $5 million. Players are no longer vying for control of Atlantic city but now the entire U.S., from sea to shining sea. Entry level properties like Baltic and Mediterranean Avenues, which sold for $60 back in the day, have been replaced by Texas Stadium in Dallas and Cleveland's Jacobs Field, each selling for $600,000. The most disturbing piece of property for sale in this game is the White House--one can only assume it's someone's subtle political humor. Railroads have been replaced by airports like O'Hare and JFK. Utilities have been supplanted by cell phone and Internet service. And, of course, the game pieces have all been updated: laptop, cell phone, hybrid car, commuter coffee mug, jumbo jet, super size fries. Gameplay, however, is still the same. The idea is to buy properties, build houses and hotels, and charge other players rent when they land on your land. Thankfully, transactions are still handled in cash and not by some convoluted electronic banking scheme. There's a lot of changes here that will make cynics and traditionalists sour. That's okay. The original game is still available to them. What's interesting about this edition is that it brings back a kind of jaw-dropping thrill--one that made this game a household word in the middle of the Great Depression, when people dreamt of becoming a millionaires. This game will let you dream of becoming a billionaire. --Porter B. Hall

From the Manufacturer
A modern makeover for today's would-be billionaires! Play America's favorite game as if it were invented today. Move with cool tokens that are iconic to life here and now. Own popular destinations from across the United States. Buy and sell at values reflecting current market prices. Own it all to win. 2 to 6 players.

Customer Reviews

A Great Innovation
The up-dated Monopoly had to come some time, and this made a great game still great to play. I am still a fan of the original, but I enjoy this version too.

I have to agree with some comments about the money being harder to use, and that is true. However, I think it is a minor problem. The extra zeros on all the denominations make things a bit tough to work out, but this is something one gets used to when they play it a few times. The modern highrise buildings, (rather than houses and hotels), are a great little touch, allowing you to build "up" rather than across.

The new locations are great, and the new up-dated pieces are fun. Being made of metal, they are very durable too. The board folds in quarters, which is pretty common these days, (rather than in half with some of the older designs).

Overall, this is a great version of Monopoly and adds something to the experience. Although I would not abandon the original version for it, it is a great game.

Fun for groups, hard if you've memorized the classic edition
As an owner of over 30 monopoly sets, I've played some pretty bad versions. The here & now edition is not one of them. I enjoyed the national locations rather than confinement to a single city that I've never been to. The updated tokens are great, too. I did find myself wondering why PB didn't decided to go global with the locations, though, as the current economy is so globally dependent... Doesn't really detract from the game, though.

One problem I had (and the only reason this gets 4 stars) is that the money was cumbersome if you're very used to the classic denominations. All of my sets except this one use the standard 1-5-10-20-50-100-500 scheme, whether it's dollars, galactic credits, hobbit money, whatever. Switching to large money values is great, but I think they should have at least left the 1-5-etc scheme, so the money could have been $1000, $5000, $10000 etc. This would help tie the old versions with the updated-ness of the new version, allowing a connection between those of us who have been playing the classic sets for years and the people who are just starting.

Overall, nicely executed idea that could have used a bit more globalization and more familiar money.

Needs improvement,but still FUN
This game is a break from the traditional Monopoly game, I like the new spaces and the landmarks from around the Nation. I couldn't help notice a few things that I would have done differently:
1.Make the paper money larger for ease of handling
2.A lazy susan for the deed cards (like in Monopoly Deluxe Edition)
3 The game board be folded in 2 sections instead of 4 (less creases)
4. make the tokens larger (my friend has big fingers had a hard time moving his token)
Other than this i have to say that the game was still fun and challenging, and really cool to land on known landmarks instead of the traditional street names.
If anything grab this game and leave it wrapped as a collector item (as it was a limited edition!