Reviewed On: Nintendo Wii

Available For: Nintendo Wii

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Square Enix

Genre: Board Game

Age: 3 (PEGI)

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Boom Street had my scepticism running high. I normally hate the idea of board games coming to life on television screens. It’s like having a brand-new Ferrari fitted with a Vauxhall Cavalier engine.

Here in the UK it’s called Boom Street, in the USA its called Fortune Street; I however like to call it Nintendopoly Quest. It’s basically Monopoly with a Nintendo and Dragon Quest makeover. Instead of nicking the oppositions’ money by procuring streets, houses and even hotels, it’s all about buying businesses. You can invest money in shops so the opposition will need to pay more if they land on them. You can even buy more in a row to increase their value. It’s all about making money and building your assets in a struggle to be the first to reach a set target. Every step of the way is a step towards unlocking more characters, boards and costumes for your Mii.

One feature makes Boom Street differ from Monopoly massively - stocks and shares. If you have money invested in the ice-cream shop and the owner upgrades the store, your value will also get a boost. It’s more tactical and time consuming than Monopoly, but it also adds extra challenges and risks. Thankfully an easy mode rids the game of the stock options, so at least kids can get involved too.

The one advantage board games do have when being played on a television, is having the ability to host mini-games. Boom Street fails to capitalise on this, not because it doesn’t have mini-games, but because it doesn’t have many. However, this sparing use helps to provide a steady pace to the meat of the game.

Boom Street doesn’t look like a Ferrari, but then it hasn’t got a Vauxhall Cavalier engine either. It’s visuals are perfectly adequate whilst the gameplay is enriched with it’s more complex features. All in all – it’s actually quite a smooth ride.

SCORE: 6 / 10

PROS: Good tactical play by using stocks, plenty of collectibles, familiar gameplay.

CONS: Games can drag on a bit too long, not much in terms of mini-games, a little too similar to Monopoly.