The new Mario Kart Monopoly game has some crazy new rules
Those of us who grew up before the internet was a thing can remember a time when board games were not simply nostalgic relics. My family had the original Nintendo Entertainment System, but raucous rounds of Yahtzee and Scrabble were also a regular occurrence.
In a brilliant mashup of old-school and new-school gaming, Hasbro is releasing a new Monopoly edition that features some of the most beloved Nintendo characters.
In “Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart,” the player tokens are modeled after characters from the Mario Kart video game series, including Toad, Princess Peach, Luigi and Mario—all of which come in their own “karts” and are standard with the game.
Alternatively, you can buy Mario-themed Monopoly game pieces from the Monopoly Gamer Edition game if you’re a Mario fan but not keen on Monopoly—they’re pretty cute and inexpensive (I found them for $3.99 on BestBuy.com).
More Mario Kart characters will be available to purchase separately in the fall, according to Polygon, including Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong and others.
Something that separates this version from other Monopoly special editions is that each token has its own special powers that can be used during the game. The game also comes with a Power-Up Die, which lets the player drop bananas, throw shells and boost their character’s abilities—just like in the Mario Kart games!
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“Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart” has its own, unique set of rules, and the racing aspect of the Mario Kart series is heavily incorporated. According to Game Informer, each time a player passes Go, a Mario Kart Cup Race is triggered. You’re able to collect coins around the way that can then be used to purchase properties, which of course are all classic locations from Mario Kart, like the infamous Rainbow Road, which fills in for Boardwalk.
For now, you can only purchase “Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart” at Gamestop, where it sells for $29.99. But it is expected to be be made available through other outlets this fall. The company also sells the additional characters for $4.99 each.
The Mario Kart edition comes after Hasbro released its first collaboration with Nintendo, “Monopoly Gamer,” last year.
The Mario Kart video game series has been around since 1992 and remains one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises. Last year, the company released “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” for its latest system, Nintendo Switch.
“Monopoly Gamer: Mario Kart” seems like a great way to introduce the video game generation to the fun of classic board games!
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