New Game Review

by Frank Legato

This new game series on L&W’s Kascada cabinets centers around values displayed on “Fireballs” on the reels. The base game is played on a five-by-four reel array, but during the main progressive bonus and free-game event, the reels can expand to eight rows.

The game is available in 10-line, 15-line, 20-line and 50-line versions. Featured base-game titles in the series are Dragon Song and Buchae Blossom.

Fireball symbols result in instant awards of credits or jackpot prizes. During the base game, the Fireballs return from one to 100 times the total bet, or one of the two static jackpots—a $15 Mini or $50 Major. During the free games bonus, Fireballs return up to 20 times the bet, the Minor or the Mini. During the main Golden Fire Link feature, Fireballs are good for up to 100 times the bet or one of the four jackpots—the Minor or Mini, the Major progressive resetting at $500, or the Mega progressive resetting at $10,000.

The Mega also can be won via a line combination of five bells.

Scattered green gem symbols on the three middle reels trigger eight free games, and the reel array can expand during the feature—beginning with five rows, each “Unlock Row” symbol activates another row, up to the maximum eight rows. Fireball symbols return the prize displayed.

Four or more scattered Fireball symbols in the base game trigger the main Golden Fire Link hold-and-respin bonus event. The four Fireball symbols remain in place after their value is awarded on an accumulating display. Players are given three free spins, and each time a Fireball lands, the additional bonus is awarded and the spins return to three. The Fireballs also expand the reels one row, up to the maximum eight.

Collecting 24 or more Fireball symbols during the feature unlocks a top bonus wheel, with the chance to win the top progressive prize.

Manufacturer: Light & Wonder, Inc.

Platform: Kascada

Format Five-reel, 10-, 15-, 20- or 50-line video slot

Max Bet: 200, 500

Denomination: .01,.02, .05, .10, .25, 1.00, 2.00

Top Award: Progressive; $10,000 reset

Hit Frequency: 30.01%

Theoretical Hold: 5.06%-12.49%

This game on Everi’s Empire Flex cabinet employs a novel display, play mechanic and math model. During game play, cashon-reels symbols, multipliers and free-spin symbols appear on an otherwise blank game field, which accommodates three reels and five rows of symbols.

It is an easy-to-learn play mechanic based on successful three-reel mechanical themes, with a “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” pay scheme. On random spins, all empty reel positions on the third reel will fill with cash symbols—five cash amounts, with any multipliers on the other reels applying.

“Free Spins” scatter symbols on the first two reels trigger seven free spins, with possible re-triggers. A wheel symbol on the third reel triggers a spin of a bonus wheel at the top of the display, yielding credit awards ranging from $30 to $750 and a possible multiplier up to 6X.

Money Line features player-selectable multi-denomination and the ability for players to choose to activate one, three or five pay lines. The game also offers a clear bet-up incentive with volatility decreasing and feature frequency increasing at higher bets and denominations.

Manufacturer: Everi Holdings, Inc.

Platform: Empire Flex

Format Three-reel, single-, three- or five-line video slot

Max Bet: 450

Denomination: .01, .02, .05, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00

Top Award: 125,000

Hit Frequency: 61% (.01, .02, .05), 56% (1.00, 2.00, 5.00)

Theoretical Hold: 4%-15%

Aristocrat Gaming reprises one of its most popular game groups, as well as its much-copied “Hold & Spin” mechanic, in this new version of the Lightning Link series, Lightning Dollar Link.

Lightning Dollar Link gathers the best of Lightning Link, Dragon Link, Dollar Storm and Buffalo Link, and adds an experience that appeals to players across denominations and preferences.

Lightning Dollar Link offers lower denominations for core Hold & Spin players. The expanded denomination sets the range from penny to $5, creating appeal to low-denomination, mid-denomination, and high-denomination players in one game.

Lightning Dollar Link gives players more choices than ever as they select their line count. Lower-denomination players can choose to play a 50-line or 100-line game, while $5 denomination players can choose to play a five-line or 10-line configuration.

Lightning Dollar Link launches with four titles: Checkered Flag, Chica Bonita, Kung Fu Master and Corrida de Toros. All feature the popular Hold & Spin bonus, in which three free spins are awarded, and cash-on-reels symbols lock in place. Each additional cash symbol returns the spin count to three, and filling all spots with cash symbols returns the top Grand progressive, resetting at $10,000.

The other three jackpots also can appear in the Hold & Spin feature, including static prizes of $10 (Mini) and $50 (Minor), and a progressive resetting at $500 (Major).

In addition to the Hold & Spin bonus, Checkered Flag and Chica Bonita offer free games with the popular “Symbol Reveal” mechanic, and Raging Bull and Kung Fu Master offer free games with “Twin Spin” reels. Completely new added symbols in the Hold & Spin feature give players the chance to win a progressive jackpot value up to three times from a single Hold & Spin symbol.

Lightning Dollar Link is featured on the MarsX Portrait cabinet.

Manufacturer: Aristocrat Gaming

Platform: MarsX Portrait

Format: Five-reel, five-,10-, 50- or100-line video slot

Max Bet: 450

Denomination: .01, .02, .05, .10, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00

Top Award: Progressive; $10,000 reset

Hit Frequency: Approximately 40%

Theoretical Hold: 5.53%-10.2%

This new game on Konami’s Dimension 49 cabinet has a unique primary game feature and a bonus feature that can land one of four jackpots.

The base game is a five-reel, 40-line video slot, with the central smiling moon character as a wild symbol. During the primary game, if a frame appears over two or more reels, the Sparkle Feature is triggered. Any reels with a frame are nudged until all positions on the framed reel are the same symbol.

If the player bets 180, 270 or the maximum 360 credits, the Triple Sparkle feature is activated. When the feature is active, all line wins are multiplied by two, three or four credits wagered per line, respectively.

If reels are framed during this feature, the potential framed symbols include all the jackpots—static bonus jackpots of $50 (Mini) and $100 (Major), and progressives resetting at $1,000 (Mega) and $10,000 (Maxi). If all symbols inside a frame are randomly replaced with one of the jackpot symbols, that prize is awarded.

There also is a free-game feature, triggered during the Sparkle Feature or Triple Sparkle Feature. When one of these features is active, a woman symbol on two, three, four or five reels triggers 10 15, 20 or 40 free games, respectively. During this feature any moon symbol appearing transforms all symbols on that reel to the wild moon symbol.

Manufacturer: Konami Gaming, Inc.

Platform: Dimension 49

Format: Five-reel, 40-line video slot

Max Bet: 450

Denomination: .01, .02, .05, .10

Top Award: Progressive; $10,000 reset

Hit Frequency: 39.29%

Theoretical Hold: 3.92%-17.8%