Fruit Machine Chat

A few new games added to a FatBox near me. Another member of this board (for which read Hornby) had managed to get there before me today so he'll no doubt be in a better position to comment on profitability, but for what it's worth:

- Monopoly: Hot Property - new 3D graphics engine and very different gameplay from the last two Monopolies. One has to go round the board collecting properties which represent cash amounts between 50p and £20 (and also a number of points). When you've reached a (fairly challenging in my experience) points threshold you pick (at random I think) three cards from the properties you've collected and are offered a "buy-out". In my case I was offered £1. I declined, and picked one of the three, which turned out to be - you've guessed it - 50p. The other two were £3 and £4. So 50p's what I got. Enjoyed the gameplay but the endgame was a stinker. Hornby, any joy on this?

- Give It A Whirl - spin the Wheel of Fortune style wheel to earn points or alternatively have to answer a question instead. Reach a new level at set amounts of points. 10k gets you a quid right up to 50k for a tenner (IIRC). I got 8k and 10k first two games and I'd have thought 50k's a tall order for anyone. First impressions - avoid.

- Carol Vorderman's Sudoku Quiz - not the same Sudoku that came out a while back. Answer questions to get an attempt at solving a Sudoku grid, bit by bit. Each complete 3x3 section of the main grid advances you along a prize grid. First game looked potentially winnable, second was a dog. I think it has potential though. Hornby, any joy here?

Also Tetris had made its way onto the machine.

Hmm thought you'd been in- I nipped out to see someone for a pint having only had a crack at Monopoly and Tetris (the usual easy £3 on the latter) and then having returned was surprised to see your score on the spin the wheel thing bearing in mind the previously chaste status of the rest of the high score boards on the new offerings when I had left one pint previously.

Agree WRT to Monopoly- interesting to play but i had no joy apart from a lousy £1 for collecting the stations. Had a few cracks at CV suduko but whilst an improvement on a previous Suduko offering was no good but then I hate Suduko and at one stage it gave me a board with many of the squares filled in.

There was also a non Q&A effort- PAirz which has a crystal maze type end game. Clearly aimed at the multi-player audience and cant imagine there's mileage in this even with a camera phone.

grecian wrote:A few new games added to a FatBox near me. Another member of this board (for which read Hornby) had managed to get there before me today so he'll no doubt be in a better position to comment on profitability, but for what it's worth:

- Carol Vorderman's Sudoku Quiz - not the same Sudoku that came out a while back. Answer questions to get an attempt at solving a Sudoku grid, bit by bit. Each complete 3x3 section of the main grid advances you along a prize grid. First game looked potentially winnable, second was a dog. I think it has potential though. Hornby, any joy here?

Played this meself at lunchtime & lost two quid on sudoku. Never done sudokus but it doesn't really matter because it's pretty much all question based (it was just in shitmode for some reason).

I also really enjoyed the new style of Monopoly. I think the brand lost its way in the last edition as the original two standalones (Monopoly and Monopoly Deluxe) were outstanding. This is a return to the idea of collecting properties for cash.

I too found it hard going.

Sudoku and Whirl - load of rubbish.

With Pairz I got my mobile phone out and tried to photograph the pictures before they disappeared. Sadly the top line disappears from view just as the middle line is being displayed so this trick isn't as fruitful as it could be.

QT

Since the JPM Monopoly (unsnipped 10 move) and Monopoly Deluxe both had emptiers yes they were outstanding Unforunately with the software driven SWPs today that can easily be patched the makers try their best to avoid such a gifts to the quizarati.

And if one does appear there will always be some muppet who will crank up £500 and ask the owners for the money

Q

Think I was a bit mealy-mouthed with both Whirl and Su Doku on initial play. Have since JPed Su Doku at another venue and I definitely think there's potential for a £10 at a new venue. Even the second game didn't look so bad. Whirl I've won £5 on and got near when I played it again the next day. I suspect these are both worth playing. Monopoly I'm really losing patience with - finally reached a third endgame today. The prize? - you've guessed it - a third 50p. To my mind this game seems to give 50p out every 15 goes or so, which equates to a pathetic 3% pay-out rate.

Sudoku is the only game I've ever come across that actually sucks and blows at the same time!