Mini moguls

GAME OF THE WEEK: Boom Street,3 cert, Square Enix, Wii ****

It goes by the name Boom Streetin Europe and Fortune Streetin the US. Whatever its title, the game has certainly made an impact. Square Enix has brought together characters from two separate franchises – Marioand Dragon Quest– and built it around a Monopoly-style board game. The end result is more interesting than you'd think.

Some well-known characters make an appearance, among them Mario, Luigi, Slime and Playpunk. You can also choose to bring your own Mii into the mix. Up to four players can play locally or online, which really ramps up the competition.

Boom Streetis one of those strangely compelling games that probably shouldn't be as good as it is. The ultimate aim is simple: make the most money, buy property and businesses, bankrupt your opponents and win.

It’s not all about cold hard cash; you have to build your net worth rather than your cash reserves, so making a few strategic investments is worth the risk.

There are additional elements, including an in-game stock market that you can invest in to increase your wealth. And some depend on the difficulty level you’ve chosen. If you opt for beginner, you’re given the chance to learn the game and how it works before moving onto the more involved and strategic standard mode. Because that’s really what the aim of the game is, although its cynical side is softened with cartoon graphics and colourful interactive board we’ve come to expect from Wii games of this type. You may be nuturing a new generation of speculators and investment bankers under your on roof without realising it.

Cynicism aside, Boom Streetis a fun alternative to the traditional board game, although it takes a while to really get to grips with it.