Monopoly for Nintendo Switch

Quick note; the eShop version of Monopoly suffers from a loading bug that causes the game to stall at any load screen. The solution, for the time being, is to completely restart your Switch. I did encounter this issue a couple of times, but a patch is promised to be on the way.

If Monopoly is your thing, you can't really go wrong with Monopoly for Nintendo Switch. It performs exactly how you'd expect it to – offering an almost exact, neatly-executed copy of the experience that you can get from the board game. This is its main problem, though – it does so little to offer anything new that it almost seems pointless having it in the first place. Call us old-fashioned if you like, but we'd play the board game version over this one any day.

Basically, don't bother with Monopoly on Switch until it becomes way cheaper, and with far fewer bugs and glitches.

While Monopoly for Nintendo Switch doesn't feel like a big enhancement of the three-year-old iteration that came before, the flexibility of options it retains does incentivize those initially put off by the game's infamously, never-ending demeanor.

Monopoly brings the classic board game to life on the Nintendo Switch. The game remains intact, with easy-to-use controls, optional rules, and modes for faster games. If you're a fan looking for an interactive electronic version of the game, this could be the one for you.

Unlike UNO, there really is no reason to pick Monopoly for Nintendo Switch over its physical counterpart. The multiple boards, pieces, and unlockables are nice in theory, but they're plagued by inadequate load times, a choppy frame rate, and a surprisingly unfriendly UI. The inclusion of online is a good bonus for anyone desperate to play Monopoly on the go, but that's only in the hypothetical situation where someone happens to be online and is willing to throw a few hours into a laggy match. Monopoly should have been an easy adaptation over to the Switch, but it simply isn't worth purchasing when the actual board game can't be bogged down by technical issues and bizarre direction.

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch works for being a Monopoly game, but is ultimately a gimped port of a several year old game with features such as My Monopoly missing and questionable design choices such as not being able to mix and match house rules. If you're looking for Monopoly on the go, it may be better to wait for a price drop.

That product, mind you, isn't anything majorly exciting and would have benefitted from a bit more content. It's interesting playing an animated version, and if you are in for the commitment you can have a decent time. That being said, there are plenty of party games on the Switch that offer more instant fun.

It might well have been coincidence, but that's the problem with Monopoly as a game; it relies too much on luck and it's hard to spin that into something entertaining.

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch will satisfy those who want to play the iconic board game with friends on the screen or with a digital portable experience. It lacks the serious singleplayer experience with a dumb AI and performance issues when playing online, but overall is still a fun and kind of overpriced title for the Nintendo console.