If you’re a fan of Monopoly, say bye bye, iron, and hello, kitty. The board game that’s been around since the 1930s introduced a cat that will replace the iron as one of the tokens, or game pieces. (Don’t worry, the thimble is hanging in).
Purists of the board game might not like the move, but game-maker Hasbro let the cat — in huge form — roam around London this week.
The celebri-cat was photographed posing on Millennium Bridge, approaching a Tube station and visiting the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where at least one dog jumped on its back. And maybe the Scottie dog token will have some competition now that the cat joins the other choices of race car, thimble, shoe, battleship, top hat and wheelbarrow.
Earlier this year fans from more than 185 countries weighed in on Facebook to select the cat as the new token over a robot, diamond ring, helicopter or standard guitar.
“While we’re a bit sad to see the iron go, the cat token is a fantastic choice by the fans and we have no doubt it will become just as iconic as the original tokens,” Eric Nyman, senior vice president and global brand leader for Hasbro Gaming, says in a statement.
The game is available in 43 languages and 111 countries, according to Hasbro’s website, and the high-rent properties vary according to which version of the game you’re playing.
The luxe Boardwalk in the U.S. game, for example, is named for a street in Atlantic City, N.J., but in Spain it’s Paseo del Prado in Barcelona and the shopping district Rue de la Paix in Paris.
Mary.Forgione@latimes.com
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