NEW GAME REVIEW

BY FRANK LEGATO

Dragon: Jin Long Jin Bao Light & Wonder

This game on Light & Wonder’s giant Mural cabinet combines a persistent cascading feature with both spinning wheel and free-game bonus events.

The base game is a five-reel video slot available to casinos in five-line, 10-line or 25-line configurations. The fiveline version applies to the highest denominations, $1 and $2. The more common penny version is a 25-line game.

The distinguishing feature of this game is a persistent event that plays out on a reel array that can expand up to eight rows of symbols, called the “Coin String Feature.” If a player lands a coin symbol inside a ring of fire, it pays a cashon-reels award for that coin and any coin above it on the reels. The reels then cascade downward, repeating the payoffs for any fire-ring coins until none appear on the reels.

Firestorm Aruze Gaming

This new slot series on Aruze’s oversized Muso-55 cabinet features unique free-game and hold-andspin sequences. There are two inaugural base games, Firestorm Lion and Firestorm Bull.

The base game is a five-reel, 50-line video slot. During the primary game, a “WIN” symbol appearing on the reels changes to one of 15 different symbols. If several WIN symbols appear on one spin, they all change to the same symbol for potential big wins.

Manufacturer: Aruze Gaming

Platform: Muso-55

Manufacturer: Light & Wonder

Platform: Mural

Format: Five-reel, five-line, 10-line or 25-line video slot

Max Bet: 150, 240, 600

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

Top Award: Progressive; $2,000 reset

Hit Frequency: 26.07%

Theoretical Hold: 6.04%-12.99%

Triggering symbols activate a two-level bonus wheel. The double wheels spin, and the outer wheel lands on a free-game number while the inner wheel indicates the height of the reels for the free-spin round, up to 10 rows of symbols. Ringed coin symbols stay in place for the duration of the free games, for multiple pays as more coin strings appear. The wheel can also award one of four jackpots— static awards on the penny version of $25 (Mini) and $50 (Minor), and progressives resetting at $500 (Major) and $2,000 (Super).

Format: Five-reel, 50-line video slot

Max Bet: 75-975

Denomination: .01

Top Award: Progressive; available resets ranging from $5,000 to $100,000

Hit Frequency: Approximately 35%

Theoretical Hold: 7.8%-14.61%

There are two main bonus events. A scatter symbol on three or more consecutive reels (beginning with the leftmost reel) triggers the free game feature. A number then appears on each of the triggering symbols; the numbers add up to the number of free spins awarded—numbers from one to 10, for a free-spin round from three to 50 spins.

Six or more gold or purple fireball symbols trigger the main Rising Fire bonus event. This is a hold-and-re-spin event that starts with three free games. The triggering symbols are held in place during the re-spins, and any additional fireballs lock in place and set the free spins back to three. The feature continues until no free spins remain or the entire four-by-five reel array is covered with gold fireball symbols. That triggers the top jackpot.

Each fireball returns a credit award or one of four jackpots, with static prizes of $10 (Mini) and $50 (minor), and progressives resetting at $1,000

(Major) and $5,000 (Grand). Alternate versions of the game feature higher Major and Grand jackpots, the top available prizes resetting at $10,000 and $100,000, respectively. The jackpots also can be won through line combinations.

The purple fireball symbols unlock additional rows in the reel array—up to a sevenrow reel set. Numbers at the right of the screen indicate the thresholds of purple fireball symbols needed to unlock each row. Unlocking all rows awards a special “Up Up Jackpot” progressive, resetting at $500.