Monopoly 'Here & Now' New Zealand Edition product reviews

Everyone knows Monopoly and over the years the makers of Monopoly have put out a range of different variants that build on the same classic game. "The Here & Now New Zealand Edition" is a hybrid, being both an update of the classic New Zealand edition that had Queen Street and Lampton Quay as the pieces of prime real estate (or dark blues), and also part of the "Here & Now" family that has dealt with inflation by increasing the lower denomination from $1 to $10K in order to make it easier to pay those insanely high rents.

Like the original New Zealand Edition, the new version features some familiar place names, but this time instead of sticking to street names, the properties are grouped by type and were voted for by the New Zealand public. For example the browns are now iconic town markers - the Te Puke Kiwifruit and the Ohakune Carrot, the oranges are Mt Cook, Milford Sound and Fox Glacier, and the prime real estate of the dark blues are Rangitoto and the Pukekura Park Festival of Lights (although I'm not entirely sure how these two are connected). The movers have also been updated with Kiwi favourites such as a surf board, a pair of jandals and a Holden Ute replacing the roller skate, the race car and the thimble. There is also a jar of Vegemite but why that's there instead of Marmite is anybodies guess.

There are a few new rules for the Here & Now variant, but overall anyone familiar with the original (and really who isn't?) should have no trouble picking this game up. The kiwiana flavour to it may not be to everyone's tastes, but it's an enjoyable enough way to waste away a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I love Monopoly and in fact collect Monopoly.

I brought this one on special and it came with a bonus pack with different game pieces.

I play Monopoly so much that there is no thought into the money and rents, etc. But with this new one I had to really think about it all as all the prices are much higher than in previous games, kind of cool though, something different :)

I have always loved Monopoly in all it's various incarnations, and though I have a vague rememberance of a previous NZ version of the game, but admit that if I ever played it, it must have been only once and it is lost in the crowd of other Monopoly games I have played.

However, this version will stand out because it is the first one that has any connection to the modern economic situation... though I doubt anyone picks up $2m per week in pay, outside of the Governmental and Multinational Conglomerate sectors.

It does my heart proud to see the new range of high-profile regional landmarks, both locally and nationally, and even internationally, famous. I was also surprised that the oft-maligned "The Square" in Palmerston North made it onto the board... especially as the picture used is no longer current, due to massive renovations of the grounds and clocktower itself. Talk about timing!

Overall, other than the new board locations, this game is identical in all important aspects with the other 'Here & Now' editions so if you have to choose one edition, get this one. If you have an older version, it could be time to tuck it away to collect dust in peace... update to this new one, and get the kids involved, help spread the passion to a new generation or two.