Tower Dream

Infobox VG
title = Tower Dream


caption = Title screen
developer = C-Lab
publisher = ASCII
designer =
engine =
released = vgrelease|JP=October 25, 1996 [cite web | url = http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/data/571489.html| title = Release date reference #1 | publisher = GameFAQs | date = | accessdate = 2008-04-29] [cite web | url = http://superfamicom.org/info/1377/| title = Release date reference #2 | publisher = superfamicom.org | date = | accessdate = 2008-09-18]
genre = Strategy with board game elements
modes = Single-player, multiplayer (up to 4 players)
ratings = vgratings|CERO=n/a (not rated)
platforms = Super Famicom
media = 12-megabit Cartridge
requirements =
input = Super Famicom controller(s)

nihongo|"Tower Dream"|タワードリーム [cite web | url = http://homepage2.nifty.com/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTC2_SFC1996.html| title = Japanese title | publisher = Nifty | date = | accessdate = 2008-04-29] is a Super Famicom strategy game where the player rolls the dice (that has 10 sides), places properties in the center of the gaming board, uses Japanese currency in order to make towers that attract revenue from the other players, and tries to make the other competitors bankrupt (or perform as poorly as possible). Four different kinds of "Monopoly"-like cards and a slot machine are included to make the game more unpredictable (and fun for the players). Anime-style animation is used to show exaggerated emotions from pure joy to pure misery.

Special player-only characters include Link from the "Legend of Zelda" and Princess Peach (better known as "Princess Toadstool" in North America) from the "Super Mario Bros" series. Statistics for each character are held in the game's battery backup and the game functions almost like a perpetual world. The meaning behind the saving feature is that the play can resume play at the certain spot that they stopped at instead of starting over again. If the player's turn has passed or not occurred yet, then some moves may be cancelled by the game. If the player's first turn hasn't happened yet, then the game would start over new. Therefore, the optimal use of the automatic save feature would be within the player's turn but before he or she performs any action on the board.

Worlds

The player can choose from many worlds to play from including America, Hong Kong, clown world, prehistoric world, horror film world, and ocean world. Hong Kong is the only level in the game to have two separate boards so that players can go from the lower board to the upper board and vice versa by using the special airplane icon. Buildings and towers look completely appropriate to the world that the game takes place in. Stone towers are used for the prehistoric world, which strongly resembles "The Flintstones". The Hong Kong world uses Asian-style buildings and the clown world uses dessert food for buildings.

Properties/corporations

Once two properties are purchased side by side, a corporation can be started even if the properties belong to different players. However, if a person buys a property that is between two corporations, then the stronger corporation will buy out the weaker corporation. The shares of the weaker corporation becomes shares of the stronger corporation. People who have invested in the weaker corporation will receive monetary rebates. The different corporations in this game include automobile companies, television stations, and even coffee shops. However, there can only be up to 9 corporations on the board. If they are all used up, then a player cannot start another corporation.

Corporations that are even strength can decide the corporation that will cease to exist out of the two corporations that are merging into a single corporation. Since mergers between equal strength corporations don't really give an advantage to any player, the only consideration for who should be bought out should be based on pure strategic value (i.e., which corporation would benefit the most on the playing field). Players should remember that corporations can be resurrected if they are at least two free spaces on the board and there are not many corporations on the board.

Beneficial people

Item giver

Occasionally, the player bumps into a strange man in drag who is carrying a cannabis-like object on him. He gives the player stuff that affects him or her on the video game board. The pouch deducts cash from his or her bank account for every step that he or she takes. A sword makes him pay more money when he lands on a square that is owned by another player. The pair of shoes force him or her to bounce back a square after finishing his or her move on the board.

Taxi

However, there is also a taxi that is found on most boards that acts as a rapid form of transportation. While inside the taxi, rolling a 9 means moving ahead 18 spaces. Therefore, the number of steps a person takes inside a taxi is double to the number that he or she rolls. Instead of the player stepping into the taxi, the taxi swallows up the player. When the player arrives to his or her destination inside the taxi, the taxi spits him or her up and tries to find another player to be its passenger. It is suggested that the taxi operates on solar power because there is no fee involved in using the taxi unlike in real life.

Methods of victory

The most conventional way to win the game is to have the most amount of cash and the most expensive properties on the board when the number of turns remaining reaches 0. An alternative way to win is also considered when the three other players playing the game lose all their money and go bankrupt, making it so there is only one player left on the board with money. If the bankrupt player is the only human player in the game, the game ends prematurely as it is considered unfair for the other computer opponents to finish the game without the human player giving input. The other alternative way to determine a winner is when the entire board is covered with property from one corporation and players cannot buy any more property. [cite web | url = http://home.netvigator.com/~tarot/Games/Tower1.html| title = Rules of the game | publisher = Netvigator | date = | accessdate = 2008-04-29]

Other pictures

References