New Game Review

Devil’s Lock

Bluberi

This new game on Bluberi’s tall Novus Series b49 cabinet features a locking bonus and several primary-game mystery events.

The base game employs a five-by-three reel array, with 15 individual reels and 40 pay lines. Randomly during base-game spins, the main devil character will appear to grant credit awards, multipliers, wilds or other bonuses. He also appears to celebrate big wins.

When the devil lands in the middle position, he activates all cash-onreel coins symbols on the screen, as well as any symbols corresponding to one of the four jackpots—static prizes of $25, $75, $500 or even the top Grand of $6,600. A “Rewind” symbol on the screen brings out the devil character to transform other reel spots into additional prizes.

Also, any devil symbol landing on the reels can randomly unlock one of two “Pig Pots,” which each award six free games. During the free games the devil locks in position, awarding the value of any cash-on-reels coin symbol that lands in that spot during the free games.

Manufacturer: Bluberi

Platform: b49 1.0, b49 1.5, b49 2.0

Format: 15-reel, 40-line video slot

Max Bet: 660

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

Top Award: $6,600

Hit Frequency: 32.19%

Theoretical Hold: 4%-14%

Ultra Rush Gold X

Incredible Technologies

This is one of the inaugural games on Incredible Technologies’ Prism VXP cabinet, which uses a commercial grade motor to cause a giant 55-inch flatscreen monitor to physically raise and lower to enable different game features. There is a main game screen and an oversized button deck that serves as a third monitor, but during bonus game play, the 55-inch monitor physically rises, adding 13 inches to the height of the display.

The Ultra Rush game family has been a big hit for IT, with players flocking to Ultra Rush and Ultra Rush Gold, which feature fantasy Asian warrior characters and a lock-and-spin bonus feature.

The new version, Ultra Rush Gold X, takes that hold-and-re-spin bonus to a new level with the vertical expansion of the reels.

The base game is a five-reel, 30-line format with three rows of symbols. Five scattered bonus symbols—there are three different symbols that can work together—trigger the Ultra Rush Bonus. The triggering symbols—pearls, gold pearls and wheels—lock in place for three free spins. Each time another of the scatters lands, the spin count returns to three. Three spins without any scatters ends the feature, awarding the accumulated bonus. Filling the screen with the symbols triggers a wheel spin for a guaranteed progressive.

For the new “X” version, the big monitor physically moves upward to add more rows of symbols to the reel grid. Each symbol with a green arrow adds a row of symbols, with the motor moving the big monitor upward. If you pick the 5-cent or 10-cent denominations from the multipledenomination lineup, the grid can rise to nine rows. That can result in huge credit awards in the lock-and-spin feature.

Manufacturer: Incredible Technologies

Platform: Prism XVP

Format: Five-reel, 30-line video slot

Max Bet: 450

Denomination: .01, .0-2, .05, .10

Top Award: Progressive; $10,000 reset

Hit Frequency: Approximately 35%

Theoretical Hold: 5.84%-14.87%

Grand Legacy

Ainsworth Game Technology

This new game on Ainsworth’s A-STAR Slant and A-STAR Dual cabinets offers a classic highdenomination stepper-style experience with a number of more modern extras.

The base game is a three-reel, nine-line game with 2X, 3X and 5X multipliers on screen overlays. Multipliers can be added together for wins up to 125 times the normal value. There are all the classic winning reel symbols, including single, double and triple bars, and four different-colored “7” combinations. Wins are greeted with a classic ringing bell.

The wild symbols consist of green, red and silver diamond symbols marked “Jackpot.” Landing three jackpot wild symbols on a pay line returns one of the corresponding progressive jackpots displayed in the top box, where the complete pay schedule is displayed much like the classic mechanical reel-spinners.

Mixed diamond wild symbols on a pay line return a progressive resetting at $975. Three green diamonds return a prize starting at $2,100. Three red diamonds return a progressive resetting at $4,500. Three silver diamonds on pay lines 1-4 return a prize resetting at $10,500. The Grand Prize is returned for three silver diamonds on pay lines 5-9. (Significant, since most similar slots only return the top prize on one pay line.) That resets at $30,000.

The reels also contain a “Triple Jackpot” symbol that triples the value of the progressive when it hits.

The game offers a chance at multiple jackpots when diamond combinations land on more than one pay line. The prize values are added together when that occurs.

Manufacturer: Ainsworth Game Technology

Platform: A-STAR

Format: Five-reel, nine-line video slot

Max Bet: 27, 45

Denomination: 1.00, 5.00, 10.00

Top Award: Progressive; $30,000 reset

Hit Frequency: Approximately 15%

Theoretical Hold: 4%-15%

Lucky Coin Link

IGT

This new progressive slot family from IGT features two base themes, Asian Dreaming and Atlantica.

Lucky Coin Link utilizes the video slot engaging coin collection mechanic from the company’s proven Coin O’ Mania game, in reset which players can collect coins until they trigger the re-spin feature. Lucky Coin Link also features five progressive jackpots and free games.

The five-reel base game is available with 10, 20, 30 or 40 pay lines. In the fiveby-four base game, any coin symbol appearing in the coin collection row will lock and trigger the re-spin feature when five coins lock. The reels expand to a five-by-six matrix during the re-spin feature and can award wilds, multipliers, and free games.

Furthering the win potential during the re-spin, if a coin lands on one of the five progressive jackpot symbols, the corresponding value is won.

Lucky Coin Link also features a free games bonus that is triggered when three treasure chest symbols land on the reels in the base game.

Lucky Coin Link is available on IGT’s PeakSlant49 and CrystalCurve cabinets.

Manufacturer: IGT

Platform: PeakSlant49, CrystalCurve

Format Five-eel, 10-, 20-, 30- or 40-line

Max Bet: 880

Denomination: .01-1.00

Top Award: Progressive; $10,000

Hit Frequency: Approximately 40%

Theoretical Hold: 4%-14%