Great new slot machines

25 February 2018

By John Grochowski

Regardless of whether casino operators are looking for inventive new slot games, video poker, electronic table games, management systems or analytics, International Game Technology is practically a one-stop shopping source.

That includes a wide range in the slot department, where durable three-reel favorites, a wide range of video playing styles, Megajackpots games and, of course, the ever-popular Wheel of Fortune line fit comfortably under the same corporate roof.

Among new games we'll be playing in 2018, one that's sure to be a good time is Wrecking Ball, where teardown time builds up your credit meter.

Wrecking Ball is a video slot IGT's Crystal Curve cabinet, and the enlarged video display is used to bring you reels with a difference. Wrecking Ball's base game features a unique 5x4x7x6 reel interface — four reels, the first being a column of five symbols, the second with four symbols, the third with seven and the fourth with six.

With that configuration, you have 840 ways to win. During the base game, crane symbols that land at the bottom of a reel trigger the Wrecking Ball feature. This feature includes an animated crane that swings through the reels, crushing symbols and imploding buildings, leaving behind a trail of wild symbols that offer opportunities for big wins.

The Smash Bonus feature is triggered when a bonus symbol lands on reel one and reel four. Players interact with a virtual crane by moving the digital joystick left and right to target and select a building to smash revealing a prize.

Graphics are sharp, and all those extra ways to win created by the reel configuration will have you anticipating every spin. And at bonus time, you feel like you're in control as you operate the crane.

Another that's sure to capture player attention is The Voice, based on the reality TV show that has drawn viewers to NBC for 13 seasons. IGT is bringing the concept, complete with coaches lending their aid to up and coming singers, to the CrystalCurve Ultra cabinet with a five-reel, 40-payline video slot.

The Voice delivers an immersive experience with popular songs and video footage from the show, and features celebrity coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Ricky Martin and Rita Ora. The game highlights iconic elements from The Voice including the stage, coaches’ chairs and red button.

IGT takes all those show elements and transforms them into wagering fun, highlighted by The Voice Bonus. The bonus serves as the gateway to the Audition Free Spins, Performer Bonus, coach progressives or The Voice Jackpot. With so many bonus options, there as many surprises as in the TV competition.

Also new to players is Sphinx 4D, which I've written about before after it drew raves in demo versions at Las Vegas' Global Gaming Expo in the fall of 2016. Now it's making its way into casinos in a five-reel, 27-payline video slot with a 400-credit max bet and spectacular, glasses-free multidimensional imaging.

Gesture recognition technology enables players to use hand movements to move and manipulate the game’s graphics in both the base game and during its seven interactive bonuses.

During the base game, players can customize their experience by using special gestures, such as a circle, to switch the game’s background between day and night. Players can also unlock the Magic Butterfly Bonus by drawing a crown symbol and change the look of the game by drawing a heart in the air.

The addition of the touch element has taken Sphinx 4D a quantum leap beyond the already amazing Sphinx 3D.

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