Bonus Slots Update: Stooges II, Fire & Fortune, Tailgate Party

17 December 2001

By Gayle Mitchell

The 2001 bonus slot review is complete, however 2002 will offer many more to view.

1) Stooges II: A much improved version than the previous reel spinning Stooges that never really caught on. During the primary game, you hear actual audio clips from Stooges films. When three TV's appear scattered on the reels, a 1950s TV with rabbit ears pops up along with a random bonus amount while you view a film clip of our heroes. Another bonus event called "Moe, Larry and Curly in the Middle" occurs when two stooges land on adjacent reels and the missing Stooge becomes "Larry in the Middle" or "Curly in the Middle," etc. The player touches one of the outer symbols and the missing Stooge appears followed by the usual hi-jinx. Another bonus occurs if three seltzer bottles appear on the reels when the screen transforms into Curly's face labeled with various slapstick actions such as an "ear twist" or "head bonk". The player selects an action then a hand appears to proceed with the selected action while bonus amounts accumulate. After a random number of actions, Curly finally falls down and the bonus round has ended. This second version proves to be a 'knee-slapper' for Stooges fans.

2) Fire & Fortune: This Medieval themed slot's base game is similar to Double Diamonds with wild symbols that double or quadruple the payoff in winning combinations. When the bonus round begins, the player hears minstrel music as lights flash around the bonus board grid. Most of the boxes display bonus amounts, others display fire-breathing dragons and/or knights. At the bottom are dice displaying the numbers, 1 through 6. The player chooses, rolls the dice and moves the amount of spaces indicated. The next decision is to either take the bonus in that box or try another roll for a larger bonus. If the player lands on a knight he moves to a higher bonus, landing on a dragon ends the bonus round plus the player forfeits bonus amounts while tumbling down a "fire slide" accompanied by the moans of the crowd. During your adventures, if you rescue the "princess" and avoid the dragon, your reward will be up to 1000 coins. May thou only have fortune in ye merry adventures!

3) Tailgate Party: The probability of a 'score' is 'hiked-up' with fifteen paylines criss-crossing this football themed game. The main screen bonus occurs when two cheerleaders land on the first and fifth reels. They then proceed to dance around until a random multiplier from 3X to 10X the line bet is determined. The second bonus event is called the "Barbecue Blitz". When three or more of these symbols land anywhere, the player gets to choose from an assortment of tailgate party foods to fill three plates at the top of the screen. After the plates are filled, bonus amounts are revealed and you receive the highest values accumulated. Three or more "clipboards" trigger another bonus event called "first and ten". The player selects a play from eight cards hoping to make a first down. Each play has a random number of yards gained and the bonus increases as the yard count mounts up. A field goal or a touchdown results in an additional bonus. I am rooting for the Player's Team in this game.

Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year. I will be back in 2002 with more than a few--Bonus slot choices.