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Fortune Street

 

 

SCORE: 92

 

Fortune Street 

 

I am keenly aware of the debate over digital board games versus the traditional board games. I like both of them. I know that sounds like straddling the fence, but it is true. We play board games in our family, and we play digital board games as well. We use both of them to spend time as a family. Why am I even talking about this? Fortune Street is a digital board game.

Thanks to our friends over at Nintendo and Square Enix, Fortune Street is seeing the light of day in the United States of America. I for one am very pleased they decided to bring this game over. I find similarities with Monopoly, but Fortune Street is so much more. Plus the boards do not always stay the same. How cool is that?

I recommend families start with the tutorial to get the basic understanding of Fortune Street. Start in easy mode, and when you are ready you can add stocks to the districts. Players roll the dice and go around the board. Each player starts at the bank, and decides which way to go. The main goal is to reach a certain dollar amount. If a player goes bankrupt then the game ends and the highest player is declared the winner. Buy properties and other players pay you money when they land on them. Property can be upgraded, and if you have properties side by side they automatically increase in value. Finally there are icons on the board that need to be collected. Collect all of them and go back to the bank for payment.

I know Fortune Street may sound complex, but after playing it for a few minutes most people pick up on the rules. Again if you think about Monopoly the concepts in Fortune Street are a lot easier to pick up. And since this is on the Wii, then you can expect quite a few different boards.

Fortune Street has all the shine and polish of a Nintendo title. I was wondering since there has not been a big push for this game. But thankfully Fortune Street looks really good. There is some mild comic mischief in this home console game. Not much since this is a video board game. Families will find many recognizable characters from Nintendo and Square Enix. I won't spoil that for you. It is fun to see them. Players can also pick their Miis to play with.

I found myself smiling and laughing while playing Fortune Street. The sounds in this Wii game are fun. The characters have interesting and timely things to say. One example would be when I was leading in a game and another player landed on one of my properties. They commented on how they did not need to give me more money. This helps Fortune Street feel like a family board game.

Games in Fortune Street can last a long time. Especially on the larger boards. Thankfully Fortune Street includes saving under the other section when it is your turn. There are more than fifteen interactive boards in Fortune Street. That is like getting fifteen different versions of the same board game in one package. Families can enjoy Fortune Street for years.

The game play in Fortune Street can be extremely frustrating at times. It all depends on the roll of the dice. I had good games, and bad games. The difference was luck. I love the various strategic elements to Fortune Street. This home console game is best played with four family members. The helpful or not helpful cards if you land on certain squares are a nice touch that add some spice to Fortune Street.

I love getting to go around the board in whatever direction I choose. This is a really neat aspect of Fortune Street. There are also multiple paths to victory. Upgrading your property is important, but you can also force buyout an opponents property that you land on. I found myself deeply pondering what path I wanted to take.

Some basic financial lessons are available in Fortune Street. First off owners wind up making more money than renters. Another lesson is spending time together playing a game like this as a family is a lot of fun. I really hope to see this franchise continue in the future. I would also love to see this concept expanded. There are all kinds of ideas out there for board games that could work in the video game world.
- Paul

 

Graphics: 90%
Sound: 90%
Replay/Extras: 100%
Gameplay: 92%
Family Friendly Factor: 90%
System: Wii
Publisher: Nintendo
R
ating: ‘E’ - Everyone
{Comic Mischief}

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pbury@familyfriendlygaming.com