Hasbro is turning to Nintendo for help in launching a new version of Monopoly this August. Monopoly Gamer Edition mashes up the Super Mario series with the traditional tabletop game in an attempt to make it more appealing to “gamers” of a different kind.
Monopoly Gamer, according to a press release from manufacturer Hasbro, deviates from the classic board game in some big ways. Instead of buying up property and racking up cash, players will “complete levels” and collect coins. The biggest changes are the addition of power-ups and boss battles, which will see the Mario, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach and Yoshi tokens taking on some “legendary bosses” — presumably Bowser and his relatives.
Power-ups will require a separate die and give players a boost for cashing out from the bank and racking up board space. Each character has a unique skill, just as they would in a standard Mario game. Check out the demo above to see how these work in-game.
More characters are on the way — Monopoly Gamer Edition has downloadable content, of sorts. There will be “power packs” with Luigi, Boo, Rosalina, Wario and Diddy Kong tokens launching alongside the game, retailing for $2.99 each.
While the $24.99 standard version of this new Monopoly set isn’t out until August, collectors can check it out now. GameStop has a special Collector’s Edition in stock now for $39.99, which comes with a Bowser token.
Whether any of these Gamer Edition features will cut down the time it takes to play Monopoly, one of the more long-winded family tabletop joints, remains to be seen.