Extraordinary functions and special features of slots
More than 2000 thousand online slots, but all similar in design and style of play? This would be a disastrous scenario. Fortunately, the main online casino software providers are aware of this and have taken care to incorporate various novel functions, which always generate new expectations in the public. Among the added elements are not only the best possible graphics or big jackpots and jackpots, but also the bonus turns, changing squares, double screen, 3D technology and much more. In this review we present a summary of the most interesting features and the machines that best represent them.
Additional wildcard boxes
This type of variant on each spin is designed to help the player form better combinations with the lines. There are different types, depending on the exact moment of appearance and the way they modify the course of a turn or a series. They are usually activated with “Wild" symbols and the number of squares in each Slot varies between operators and titles. The main forms of appearance are:
Characters and symbols that modify a reel
Expandable lines
Another possible function of a “Wild” square is the expansion to a full reel or reel. The best example of this is the slot
Starburst
, because when one of these symbols appears, not only the entire line is transformed into Wild squares, but the winnings are multiplied and a free spin is obtained. This action can be repeated several times, until a new Wild badge appears. Thanks to this, the prizes of this machine are usually quite attractive and it has become one of the favorites of the public. In New Zealand it is possible to find the en
888casino, both in test mode
like for real money.
Fixed boxes
A new trend is to include figures that directly influence one or more boxes, changing the way they rotate. In the South Park Slot for example, several characters can appear in the course of the game and create temporary static images, which with each spin move to the left or right. This situation increases the chances of creating a winning line and even releasing the bonus phase. With extremely colorful and fun animations, NetEnt created undoubtedly one of the best current titles.
Extraordinary bonus stages
Usually, extra or bonus sessions are released when you get at least three simultaneous Wild, Bonus or similar symbols, regardless of their alignment. The bonus consists only of free spins and sometimes includes some kind of multiplier. But there are also Slots with totally different and novel extra turns.
Various non-roller options
One of the best examples is seen in the musical-inspired machine Monty Python's Spamalot , in turn based on the film The knights of the square table and their crazy followers from 1975. With medieval graphics, the five-reel, three-reel slot mixes the original humor of the film, with phrases from the play and constant humorous elements. In addition, there are several boxes with hidden prizes, multiplier treasure and an exceptional bonus round, which has the star role. In it, the knights of the reign must conquer the castle and stay united all the time. The entrenched bourgeois defend themselves from the attack by throwing... with cows in the air! and you must save the group of heroes. For each of the stages passed, the winnings grow significantly and free extra spins can be released in parallel. Added to the existence of a millionaire jackpot , it is no surprise that Spam a Lot is listed among the top 50 preferred titles in New Zealand. If our readers wish to try their luck here, you will be able to do so from the Sportium casino platform .
On each spin there is a chance to get up to three Wild squares (regardless of the order) to activate the special rounds.
A “Showdown” style fight
In the new slot of the saga
South Park Reel Chaos
a new feature was added: the Showdown-style bonus stage. In it, the protagonist of the game
Captain Mintberry
he must face the
General Chaos
and his henchmen. Before each attack on both sides, the reels are rotated and the result directly influences the fight: if the roll is won,
Mintberry
he attacks, but if he is lost, the adversaries cause damage to the superhero. Every time any character suffers an aggression, a life bar is reduced from the board. This bonus phase lasts as long as the captain retains vital blocks. For each defeated opponent, the multiplier is raised by one digit and does manage to defeat the
General Chaos
, a large win bonus is released. Sounds pretty interesting? Do not hesitate to
visit Interwetten
to have access to the game.
First-person video games
So far, the best visual innovations belong to the Swedish company NetEnt, who since their foundation have contributed a great boost to the sector, mainly by including or merging different styles of games with Slots. A very good example of this is the machine Alien . Based on the classic James Cameron saga, the user becomes a space soldier and his goal is to find the alien queen and destroy her, as well as all her offspring, in order to save humanity. To do this, you must first find the queen's nest with a scanner, which is activated with the spins of the reels that this slot contains. Once located, the bonus battle begins.
The user must go through the dark passages of the crew ship, surprised from time to time by some Aliens. After each won spin of the reels, ammunition is obtained, which are used to defend against attacks and eliminate threats. Without provisions (i.e., when losing a roll) it is not possible to counterattack and therefore, the bonus phase is concluded. In case the player manages to find the queen, the armament grows to grenades and heavy artillery, to completely destroy her. By achieving this, the profits are multiplied greatly.
Lineups out of the ordinary
Another kind of innovative variety can be seen in the very construction of the machine and the “traditional" functions. For all those who want to try beyond five reels with minimum 20 possible combinations, we recommend the following options:
Double symbols (Monopoly)
The table classic has a worthy online representative. The game system seems at first glance quite simple and without any peculiarities that make it stand out, but a couple of turns are enough for the user to be surprised. Some boxes include the well-known objects used to play on the board, such as loot, hat or car. All of them are part of a unique sequence and when the Monopoly symbols appear, they transform into Wild cards. That is, the odds of winning are much higher, since it does not require a particular line, but a random group of them to obtain winning combinations and even release the bonus roulette with multipliers of up to 100x!
Vertical and horizontal combinations
Do you think that the maximum possible number of lines in an online slot is 243? If so, you should try immediately Reel Rush . This machine starts with five reels and each one contains five symbols. On the first spin not all the squares are released and as spins are won, little by little the missing spaces are conquered in the same way. By accumulating won rotations, new lines with a prize are activated, until a total of 3125 lines is reached! (no, it's not typo: three thousand one hundred twenty-five) and up to eight free spins with multiplier included.
Symbols of various corners and shapes
Like the previous title, the online slot Pyramid it defies standards in the shape of the reels and introduces paylines with pyramid combinations. The base of the structure and the next two subsequent levels are composed of 5 reels, while the fourth only by three and the fifth by a single square. The Wild symbols are scattered on all the steps just like the golden beetles. Due to the atypical formation of the reels it is much easier to get winning combinations and release the bonus stage. In addition, the more wild squares appear, the multipliers are activated and increase continuously. The best thing is that both Slots can be played in trial mode or for real money, at the Barcelona Casino, for example.
Tetris-style cascade of squares
This designation for this type of slots is not official, but describes the gameplay very aptly. When a payline is activated, the winning blocks change and immediately afterwards all the symbols involved disappear, while new ones replace them as they fall from the sky as in an avalanche (from the top of the screen). With the new squares you can re-form paylines and therefore higher final winnings. This situation is permanent, usually, until some extraordinary benefit - such as the release of an accumulated jackpot - happens.
Avalanche of awards
A last variant used by some games to include variety in the development of bets is the elimination of blocks and the individual separation of squares, in the style of the well-known video game classic: Tetris. The most famous machine currently employing this system is Gonzo's Quest and can be found on the Finnish portal paf . In the slot, the conquistador (probably Gonzalo Pizarro or Gonzalo de Sandoval) is in the jungle inside some ancient Mesoamerican civilization and watches as the stone blocks (three levels in total with five columns) fall from the sky. Similar squares are removed and for each winning combination one level of the multiplier is increased. After 5 steps, the free fall is activated and up to 15 times the value of the prizes obtained in each spin can be reached. Finally, when the "avalanche" is unleashed, the players are overwhelmed with huge winnings that can reach several thousand Euros.
With each spin, the prize multiplier is activated and reaches up to 15 times the total spin.
Two games in one
Finally, a category in which many Slots could be included is that concerning the inclusion of rules or elements typical of other games. This usually happens in the bonus phase, because in that space there is more space to modify the development of the slot. A good example of this is
the King Vegas machine
, which at first glance looked like a normal title with reels and poker values, but getting three squares with the figure of the King (a cartoon-like animation of Elvis Presley), the player goes to the bonus zone with a dice board called “double or nothing”. At each opportunity you must guess if the final value will be less than or greater than 11. If you are right, the winnings are doubled and you can bet again; if you lose, the prize will be canceled and you return to the initial screen of the Slot.