As the name suggests, this program is a simulation of the popular board game. If you enjoy Monopoly but cannot find an opponent, you can now play against your trusty ZX81.

This program is also written in Basic and is quite long, taking 6.5 minutes to load - at least you don't have to lay out the board and distribute the money. The computer is banker so no chance of cheating I'm afraid.

As in the real game, you first select your piece, and the computer chooses one. In the main, play observes the usual Monopoly rules, although there are a few variations (for example, there are hotels but no houses in this simulation). There is no board display; at each turn the screen indicates the player's financial situation, current board position, a list of title deeds held, and a choice of options. The computer rolls its own, and your, dice.

Because you are not physically using a board and pieces, and since the computer as banker does all the necessary arithmetic quickly and accurately, a game against the ZX81 is usually over much more quickly than a game against human opponents. The cassette is recorded on both sides and comes complete with a printed sheet of instructions.

This simulation has been well thought out and works well. It certainly takes an alternative approach to Workforce's Do Not Pass Go for the ZX Spectrum in which the computer replaces the board and pieces for two to six players, but does not play itself.

In my opinion, however, one really would need to be a fanatic Monopoly enthusiast to obtain much pleasure from playing against a computer; one of the great joys of board games of this sort is the social contact that they engender.

If you do want to play against your ZX81, this cassette seems good value for money and its author is promising to offer a free 16K arcade game to all purchasers.