Slots have become one of the biggest growth areas in online gaming over the past couple of years, as virtual casinos have grown in popularity and legislation regarding their legality has been relaxed.
The concept of slots is one that has been around since long before the internet age – in fact, the very first slot machine was invented way back in 1902. But today’s most popular slot games have only the most tenuous connection with those one armed bandits and fruit machines of years gone by.
If you thought slot gaming was just about spinning the reels and hoping for matching symbols, think again. Today’s slots involve story arcs and bonus games that make them as immersive and exciting as any other genre – with the added dimension that you might just get lucky and walk away with a big win! Here are a few examples.
Immortal Romance
The vampire genre is a well-worn one in gaming, but this slot game from Microgaming stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s one of the most popular slot games at Mount Gold Casino and involves four characters, each of whom has an individual back story. The game also boasts visual and audio effects that are almost movie-quality. It all makes for a Gothic treat that is big on atmosphere and realism.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
With some movie-based slots, you get a few special symbols and background music from the soundtrack – but otherwise, a slot game much like any other. That’s not the case with this creation from Playtech. It takes several aspects from this timeless comedy classic and bases aspects of gameplay around them. These include those taunting French soldiers, the killer rabbit and the three-headed knight. It’s a must-play for any Python aficionado!
Hot as Hades
Here’s another visually stunning offering from Microgaming that is available across a number of online casino platforms. Very loosely based on Greek mythology, the animations are top quality. Perhaps the real highlight, though, is the bonus game, called the Quest for the Silver Helm. Here, you must defeat three adversaries, each more challenging than the last, in order to access Zeus’s chamber and choose a prize from a treasure chest.
Rocky
The 1970s was a great decade for movies, and here we have another classic that’s been turned into a truly memorable slot. A white boxing glove on the left reel matched with a red one in the right takes you into the bonus game, which delivers real footage from the movie. Choose which opponent Rocky will take on, out of Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago. Every round won delivers bonus coins.
Avalon IIMore grail-seeking here, but the game could not be more different to the Monty Python one. In fact, this is more evocative of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story arc takes you across a mythical landscape, and as you progress across the map, each location has its own bonus events. A truly immersive experience that you will want to play time and again.
