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SUPER-SLOTS!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Matt Broughton testing out some of the superhero slots. SHAZAM!
It has to be said that right now is a VERY good time to be a superhero/comic book fan. Having been born in the 70s I was personally privy to Superman the motion picture (super) the first Spider-Man film (not all that amazing) and the original Hulk TV series (incredible!) However, all that pales into insignificance compared to modern times.
Thanks to the more recent movie incarnations of Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Hulk, Batman, Superman, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers (actually there are a ton more but I thought the list was getting a bit silly!) the superhero is very much at the centre of today’s pop culture.
As well as being mana from heaven for those of us that love superhero books, video games and films, it’s also provides a rich vein of material for slot creators – with a guaranteed fan base on board as soon as you flash a recognisable logo, and decades of material to plunder for inspiration.
With this in mind I set out to test some of these ‘Super Slots’ to see if any made me feel connected enough to my favourite characters to press that magic button hidden inside my sock drawer and put my tights on. Read on true believer…
SPIDER-MAN
Playtech: Five reels, 25 paylines, 500 auto-spins
Remember that I’m approaching this not as a gambler, but as a superhero fan looking for a quick fix … and I have to admit Spider-Man does the job! The presentation is sharp and clean, with reel elements bringing Spidey, Mary-Jane, Venom, The Daily Bugle and various other related images to the player. Reel spot animations are nicely done, with Venom growling out of the screen at you, and WILD Spidey swinging about the screen as you count your winnings.
DO I FEEL LIKE…
…Spider-Man? Well yes, thanks to the feature triggered by hitting three or more Spider-Man logos. At this point the player choses between taking 15 free games with all prizes doubled, or fighting Spidey’s arch nemesis Venom and saving the girl. Guess which I go for every time!
Fighting Venom is effectively a number of coin-flip situations where you hunt left or right for the bad guy. With each choice you’ll either come across a crime scene (kerching!) find and fight Venom (kerching!) or hit a dead end and watch as Venom escapes with Mary-Jane (ker…death). It’s all very much in keeping with the vibe of Spider-Man. Now, where did I put my red knickers?
THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Playtech: Five reels, 25 paylines, 99 auto-spins
Though the Hulk’s never been high on my superhero list, this slot game does a lot to improve the angry giant’s standings. As you might expect there’s a tremendous amount of green involved (duh!) but some nice background music with ominous growling, while plenty of animating reel icons award this slot with a lot of positive marks. Standard police car and helicopter reel icons are countered with bubbling green goo and spinning radiation warnings, while the Hulk himself tears through the reels to deliver respins. RUN!
DO I FEEL LIKE…
The Hulk? Oh you bet ya! You need a Smash Bonus in reels one and five (and once reel one has hit there’s a nice dramatic pause while you wait to see if reel five will deliver) to initiate the feature game. This is more of a scratch card affair, where Hulk must first smash three of five police cars to reveal cash amounts, and then smash one of three helicopters to reveal a multiplier. MATT SMASH!
IRON MAN
Playtech: Five reels, 25 paylines, 99 auto-spins
Iron Man was the comic that really got me into the hobby so you can imagine my glee at recent films, and here I am playing an Iron Man slot. Who’d have thunk it! Anyway, reel icons feature logos, Tony Stark, missiles, briefcases, etc, and probably have the least spot animations of the games reviewed here. Shellhead flies into the sky when a WILD is triggered, but that’s pretty much it in standard play; the audio is also pretty sparse (and when the cheesy keyboard rock kicks in you kinda wish it hadn’t).
DO I FEEL LIKE…
Iron Man? Hmm... I guess so, but probably not as much as the other heroes reviewed here. Hit three IM logos and you’re off into the sky chasing a fighter jet that fires 12 missiles towards the city. Shoot these down as a scratch card mechanic to reveal cash prizes, free spins, and multipliers. It feels like you get more bang for your buck with this feature, but it’s probably the less rewarding of the FOUR games from a comic book fan’s point of view.
HELLBOY
Microgaming: Five reels, 20 paylines, no auto-spin
No doubt the least obvious of the heroes on these pages, but such a nice slot I felt it worth including. Presentation-wise Hellboy wins: the graphics are very much in keeping with comic book style, with a smart choice of fonts and great backgrounds (the gothic background audio is also very decent). Having no auto-spin is slightly frustrating, but an added gamble option makes up for this. With any win – no matter how big or small – you can play a card gamble game to spin that amount up. Pick red or black to double-up, or select the specific suit to quadruple. The reel icons are logos and Hellboy characters, with a few spot animations and a rare random SUPERMODE that sees Hellboy himself appear and award ten free spins.
DO I FEEL LIKE…
Hellboy? Not really. It must be said that of the four games played, Hellboy goes the longest without much happening. I played for some hours and rewards were very few and far between; I ended up reading a magazine clicking the spin button until the three stone fists (finally!) triggered the Underworld Bonus. This is a progressive scratch card affair, with Hellboy working through a maze of tunnels opening hatches and doorways. Find a nasty, shoot it and take the cash. Find a team mate and you automatically win everything on that screen before moving deeper into the depths. Reveal a blocked passage and it’s all over. Beautiful graphics here to be sure, but a waste of a wise-cracking hero who is sadly mute throughout.
