The CD-ROM Game of LIFE is a pleasant combination of the familiar board game, and fantastic animations and sound. Even if you have never played the game before, you can pick up the concept in no time and be enjoying this title.
While many board game to PC conversions really offer nothing revolutionary, The CD-ROM Game of LIFE brings the game, for lack of a better term, to life. Even I, a hardcore shoot-em-up action game fan found the animations hilarious at times, and the game enjoyable.
The fact that I had fun playing this game speaks leagues about how fun it must be for a family, or young children that are completely into this genre.
The game has a musical soundtrack which contains familiar 'adaptations' of popular songs through the ages. While they are essentially elevator music, you'll still find yourself humming along.
Major events in the game are marked by animations which are humorous and well-done. As well, moving through the board is all done in 3D, seating you in your car playing piece.
I can honestly recommend this title for anyone, of all ages, and say "You will enjoy this game!" with confidence. The addition of multiplayer gameplay allows kids of all ages to connect to up to 6 worldwide players.
While the PC version costs more than the board-game, the enjoyment factor is increased tenfold by having sound, animation, and great visuals. Although, if you plan on doing travelling without a laptop, you can't exactly take The CD-ROM Game of LIFE camping. Of course, if you needed me to tell you that, you have bigger problems on your hands to worry about.
For kids, and adults, The CD-ROM Game of LIFE is a hit.
Graphics: Looks great! Nice Animations.
Sound: While the music is elevator music, the voice-overs are well done and funny at times.
Enjoyment: Fun for all ages. A great game. I actually had friends who wanted to borrow this to play at home.
Replay Value: The point of a board game is to play again!
Are you ready for the game of Life? Great . . . playing this game has got that old jingle stuck in my head. But I don't really mind so much because Mass Media's computer adaptation of the spinner-endowed board game is pretty darn fun. For anyone out there who doesn't know about Life, here's a synopsis: (1) pick a car, (2) twirl the spinner to determine how many spaces you move, and (3) follow the directions on they square you land on.
Although the game board isn't laid out exactly how I remember it from my childhood, the basics of Life are all still here. First, you decide whether you want to go to college or simply start the 9 to 5 grind. Of course, a college education will cost you, but you can get a better job with a degree. Possible careers are more varied than in the original board game and include such choices as Athlete, Travel Agent, Accountant, Doctor, and Salesman. Career choice also influences game dynamics. For example, if you land on a square that tells you to "Give a Party for Grammy Winners: Pay $5000" and you're a Rock Superstar, then you get $5000.
The computer adaptation allows two gameplay modes: Classic and Enhanced. The Classic mode plays pretty much like the original board game with your ultimate goal being to retire (get to the end of the board) with the most money. The Enhanced mode expands gameplay by adding random events referred to as "Life's Little Games." These include such things as collecting payola from other players, getting money from the bank or, occasionally, forfeiting some of your fortune. This is Life after all, you can't win all of the time.
The rendered graphics in Life are impressive and you get a first-person 3D view of moving through the game board after your spin. Brief cutscenes are associated with each game square. These range from beautifully 3D rendered movies to uninspired 2D graphics with semi-witty commentary, and all of the characters have really big heads. Maybe I just don't understand this big-head phenomena in video games. Are they supposed to be cute? Funny? Are they going to Carnival in Rio? Frankly, the big heads scare the hell out of me.
The sound and music really add a lot to Life. The voice effects are crisp and clear and the period-influenced soundtrack is 'Da Bomb' as it changes to reflect the time period in the game. In the CD-ROM Game of Life, the further you progress around the game board the further you progress in actual time. The soundtrack in mainly Do-Wop in the 50s, Bubblegum Pop and Acid Rock in the 60s, Disco and R&B in the 70s (is that Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love"?), Thomas Dolby influenced Synth Rock in the 80s, and Techno in the 90s and into the year 2000.
In a single-player game, you can choose to play against up to 5 computer opponents. Of course, the game of Life wouldn't be nearly as much fun without human opponents, and the CD-ROM version allows you to play over a Network or via the Web.
As simple as it is, Life is truly and entertaining game with few flaws. Gameplay could have been sped up a bit when playing against computer opponents, but overall Life is a solid game. If you enjoyed the original board version or if you just need a break from the fast-paced blood-baths that dominate the computer game market today, then you might want to check out Life.
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
People who downloaded Game of Life have also downloaded:
Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion, Monopoly (1999), Sorry!, Risk 2, Clue, Battleship: The Classic Naval Warfare Game, Ultimate Yahtzee, Monopoly
©2024 San Pedro Software. Contact: 
, done in 0.001 seconds.