Eye Candy

These slots may get your attention, but will they keep you seated? by Melissa Cook

There are some slots that just scream to be played. Their presentations are so elaborate, their themes so entertaining, you’re compelled to sit down and insert at least a twenty.

But for all their bells and whistles, are they really worth playing? With that much hype before the handle is ever pulled, how many of them can deliver the goods and how many, like a well-edited movie trailer, show the best bits for free?

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, IGT

Here’s a machine that’s hard to miss. Part of IGT’s Vision Series, the slot is a confetti-covered explosion of color, topped with the glittering Times Square New Year’s ball. If that’s not enough to convey the theme, Dick Clark is centered in the top box, wrapped in a jacket and smiling down at the casino floor.

Everyone knows New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. For many, it wouldn’t be a celebration if Dick Clark wasn’t hosting from the television. So, the nostalgia factor is built in. Just seeing the slot brings back warm (albeit champagne-fuzzy) memories. You’ll find yourself pausing for at least a minute as you pass the machine for the first time.

That’s when you’ll discover its other unique features.

There are five spinning reels, with five paylines. Above, on an LCD screen, is a video version of the same reels that mirror the spins on the physical reels. The video reels are meant to explain what’s happening on the physical reels. And there’s a lot going on.

The symbols are just what you’d expect: party favors, champagne bottles, etc. In addition, there’s a photo of Dick Clark, which is not only wild (it substitutes for two other jackpot symbols), it’s the trigger for the main bonus event.

If three images of America’s eternal teenager appear on the reels, the LCD screen splits into four squares. In one corner, Clark begins the famous 10-second countdown to midnight. Hoards of revelers are partying it up in Times Square. Another square shows the ball making its annual descent. The third corner is devoted to the countdown clock. And in the fourth, bonus amounts begin flashing. When the countdown reaches zero, the bonus award is locked in. Throughout the event, the excellent sound system reproduces the celebratory noise of New Year’s. It’s quite a display.

There’s another bonus event, triggered by three or more champagne bottles on a payline. The corks pop to reveal a bonus amount.

Throughout the primary game, Dick Clark’s voice is egging you on to the bonus with phrases like, "Oh, so close!" And inactive games in the bank are periodically holding their own parties, counting off the seconds on their screens.

Sounds fun, huh?

Well, here are the problems I had.

LCD or no LCD, I rarely knew what was happening or why I was being paid (or not paid, as the case generally was). The line pays were meager at best, and it took forever for me to get to the countdown. Which meant each time Dick said, "So close," I got frustrated.

When I finally did hit the main bonus, I sat back to enjoy the fun. The machine went into its countdown mode, the bonus amounts were flashing…the whole thing seems like it takes quite a while to play out. And after all that hoopla, I ended up with a paltry 25-coin bonus. The second time I managed to hit it, I received 50 coins. Granted, I was playing only one coin per line, but still! It was hardly worth the hype.

I think I’ll skip this slot, and be happy with the free televised version.

Monkey Business, CDS/Anchor Gaming

Here’s another eye-catcher. Picture neon palm trees, a giant screen showing computerized monkeys playing musical instruments, a spinning wheel, and ultra-sharp 3-D graphics. That’s Monkey Business.

This machine has everything I normally complain about–specifically small line pays (most are less than the original bet) and bonus rounds that often return an anticlimatic amount. You’d think I’d recommend running the other way. But guess what? This slot is so entertaining, none of that mattered to me. I wanted to play it just for the sake of playing.

This is possibly the most interactive slot I’ve ever encountered. In fact, there’s so much going on, it’s difficult to describe it without confusion.

But here goes…

On the reels are monkey symbols. If you get two scattered, you get to spin the wheel. The wheel consists of multiplier amounts, a Witch Doctor symbol, and three monkey symbols. If you spin and land on a monkey symbol, you go to the first bonus round, played out on a video screen.

The monkeys reveal a game board. The goal is to pick squares until you match three like symbols for a bonus amount. Behind one of the squares is the Witch Doctor. If you hit him, the game’s over. If you succeed in matching three symbols, say, for 90 credits, the screen transforms again. The bonus amount is split into three equal amounts (in this example, 30, 30, and 30). You then get to spin the wheel again. If you land on a multiplier, the 30 credits are multiplied by that amount. If you land on a monkey, it stays the same. And if you land on the Witch Doctor, the game’s over and you are paid the amount you’ve accrued to that point. Should you land on a monkey on all three spins of the wheel, you’re paid a random bonus.

One more thing: If you get three scattered monkeys in the primary game, you skip right to the game board. No need for the initial spin to hit a monkey.

The Witch Doctor will quickly become your nemesis. He foils many a bonus round. But if you can avoid him, with multipliers on the wheel ranging from 2X to 25X, you can win a healthy chunk of cash.

The hit frequency on this game is amazing. It seemed I was hitting something–even if was less than my bet–almost every spin. And the bonus rounds, or at least the chance to spin the wheel and get to the bonus, occur more often than on any slot I’ve played.

The bottom line? Between the action and the graphics, this game is pure entertainment. Sure, you may end up paying for that entertainment, but at least you’ll be getting your money’s worth!

Break the Spell, Atronic Casino Technologies

Break the Spell may not be quite as elaborate looking as the other machines I’ve mentioned, but, amidst a sea of video slots, its clever medieval motif still stands out.

The theme centers around a wizard, whose symbol on the second, third, or fourth reel is wild. And here lies the first unique twist to this game. The animated wizard isn’t just wild in that one spot. He comes off his place on the reel and moves to that corresponding position on all three lines, substituting for any symbol that results in a win on that payline.

Right off the bat, I like that. First, graphically, it keeps the game visually interesting. But more importantly, it results in a lot of extra (although mainly small) wins.

Three coins in any position trigger the bonus round, a thoroughly entertaining event that occurs with surprising regularity.

Five enchanted frogs are sitting on lily pads in the moat outside the castle walls. You choose one of them, and the wizard releases them from their spell. In a great display of colorful animation, you discover not only your bonus amount, but get to have fun with the frogs. One of my frogs got up and did a dance. Another was revealed to be a chicken. It’s enough to make you giggle–and keep playing.

The wizard figures into the bonus round in another way as well. If his symbol appears on the reels at the same time three or more coins hit, the bonus amount is doubled.

Break the Spell strikes a great balance between entertainment, bonus features, and frequent decent-sized payouts. You have to give Atronic credit for that–it’s a balance that, judging from other games I’ve played, is difficult to achieve.

I did find it took me a while to figure out exactly what was going on. This is definitely a game where taking a minute to read the help section is worth the effort. I couldn’t figure out why I was being paid. Granted, if the credits are racking up, it’s not a bad problem to have, but I did enjoy the experience more once I realize how the wizard functions within the primary game.