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Culture > Play

‘Monopoly’ and ‘Mario Kart’ have joined forces

Perfect for your nerdy, car-loving friends and officemates

The adorable sight of Mario slow-karting around a game board is worth the price tag. Sweet. PHOTO BY ENZO LIWANAG

Both Monopoly and Mario Kart are legendary games in their respective formats and genres—the former as a property-trading board game and the latter as a racing video game. Now, imagine playing these two as a single unit. That’s basically the point of the Monopoly ‘Mario Kart’ Edition, which Hasbro released just this year.

We got one as a gift to a nine-year-old boy (who, by the way, took the photos for this article). Here’s the official description of the game:

Move around the game board as Mario, Princess Peach, Luigi or Toad. Buy iconic Mario Kart properties such as Bowser’s Castle and Rainbow Road. Pass ‘Go’ to trigger a race from Mario Kart Cup, dodge banana peel tokens, toss shells and collect coins. A Super Star space activates special abilities, and rolling the Power-Up die adds a special boost. Winning in this game is all about winning races! Who will end up with the coveted Grand Prix card? When the final race is over, the player with the highest score wins.

It’s hard to miss the packaging on the shelves. PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

When you open the box, your attention is immediately drawn to the four character tokens.

Aren’t they cute? They look playable by themselves. PHOTO BY ENZO LIWANAG

Here’s Mario up close:

The Mario character token. PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

And then Luigi:

The Luigi character token. PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

Princess Peach, of course:

The Princess Peach character token. PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

And last but not least, Toad:

The Toad character token. PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

They make a great picture together.

Ready, set, go! This game is for two to four players. PHOTO BY ENZO LIWANAG

The package includes one numbered die and one Power-Up die.

Just roll it. The Power-Up die makes it more fun. PHOTO BY ENZO LIWANAG

The game board looks a whole lot of juvenile fun.

It’s quite difficult to decide where to look first. PHOTO BY ENZO LIWANAG

Also included are four character cards, four reminder cards, eight Grand Prix cards and 16 title deed cards.

There are so many possibilities in this game. PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

Take a look at the character cards…

So, which ‘Mario Kart’ character is your favorite? PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

Online reviews have been generally positive (no, we have not played it yet).

Why play the video game when you can have fun with the gang around a board game? PHOTOS BY ENZO LIWANAG

This game is now available at local toy and gaming stores for P2,000. Pricey, yes, and we have branding licenses to blame for that. Still, the wholesome fun you’re sure to share with friends and family is definitely worth every peso. And since Christmas is just around the corner, this makes for an awesome gift, too. Get it.



Vernon B. Sarne

Vernon is the founder and editor-in-chief of VISOR. He has been an automotive journalist since July 1995. He became one by serendipity, walking into the office of a small publishing company and applying for a position he had no idea was for a local car magazine. God has watched over him throughout his humble journey. He writes the ‘Spoiler’ column.



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