Game of the Day 2/8/2016: Top Shop

[celerystalker]

Near the end of the PS1's lifecycle, A1 games became basically America's D3 Publisher, and started churning out a pile of low-budget games with little to no advertising in modest print runs at $9.99, many that were already part of D3's Simple Series lineup. One of these was Top Shop (or Board Game: Top Shop), which became my (and my friends') gateway drug into the world of video board games. Sure, it's since been eclipsed by Culdcept and Itadaki/Fortune/Boom Street games, but Top Shop will always hold a special place for me, and is still a good play on the right occasion.

The game plays out not unlike Monopoly, but set on a vertical board that represents a mall. You travel up from the Bank through the top of the mall, eventually descending back to ground floor and the bank for a payday. You buy shops along the way, which become increasingly valuable toward the top, and you stock them with items that opposing players must purchase (at least one, but can opt for two) upon landing there. Buying two or more adjacent shops will cause them to merge into a larger store, which can hold more and costlier items. They can be bought out, though, if they run out of stock, so you must re-order when you land on one of your own. The goal is to reach a target net worth or bankrupt the other players.

There are, of course, a few wrinkles. There are elevators that can help you better and faster traverse the mall, event cards that have good or bad effects, and points. You gain anywhere from 0-2 points each time you buy an item from an opposing store, and can opt to take one or cash in when you hit the bank. Points can be exchanged at the bank for wild events, ranging from gaining money to closing rival stores to limiting movement and more. Points add a layer of depth and strategy that helps the game become far more intense and less random.

Still, being a board game, there is a lot of randomness to the proceedings, and sound strategy doesn't always win the day. I like it in a party setting, where trash talk can really fuel a funny evening.

I like this one, with its super deformed anime characters (I prefer Merlin, the kid dressed like a wizard with snot constantly dripping from his nose) and colorful stores, like Meat Land. The original Japanese version on Saturn is called Tenant Wars, but aside from the charmingly crude English translation, I couldn't tell the difference.

Have you put on your Chrip Chrip Shoes today?

[Daria]

I love Top Shop; it's charming, fun, and addictive. Propbably one of the most replayed PSOne games. The computer ends up constantly screwing you over and my games tend to make little head way (I build up a property, AI steals it, then I steal theirs). But keeps me entertained for an hour or two at a time.

[MachineGex]

My boy and I love playing this game. Every time we put it in, we end up playing it for 3-4 days in a row. Fun game!