ICE Barcelona filled the massive Fira convention facility with displays of every category of casino supply for the three-day event January 20-22, but for brick-and-mortar casino operators, as usual, special attention was paid to the top worldwide slot suppliers.
For slot manufacturers, the October Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas is normally the venue where the new portfolio of games for the year is revealed. At ICE, the emphasis is on first-time releases for the U.K and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) markets—new versions of G2E game releases debuting for these markets, plus a few ICE show reveals of new games.
Here are some of the highlights from major slot manufacturers among games revealed for the first time for British and EMEA markets at the ICE Barcelona show.
Ainsworth Game Technology
While Ainsworth did not have a dedicated stand at ICE, several of the manufacturer’s games were featured at the huge stand of Novomatic AG, the company’s majority shareholder.
Featured were games on the new dual-screen version of the A-STAR Raptor cabinet, which expands the hardware series beyond the original 49-inch portrait version.
Featured games included Mariachi Mice, a three-pot game with a free-spin round called the “Mariachi Bonus” that features one or more enhancements attached to the funny mice characters. Depending on the pot trigger, the Mariachi Bonus awards eight free spins enhanced with sticky wild symbols, extra free games, or a “Jackpot Chance” feature.
The latter feature displays all four jackpots at the top of the screen, including the top Grand Jackpot. Each jackpot has a row of circles underneath, and any time a jackpot symbol lands during the free spins, one of the circles is filled. Thus, players can win multiple jackpots in a single feature.
Other highlighted games included the two-game family of Rising Bull and Rising Rooster. Each is a three-pot game in which the pots—represented by the title character—enhance a hold-and-spin feature. During this feature, reaching various coin thresholds unlocks extra symbol rows—up to four additional rows for an eight-row feature.
Enhancements include Extra Spins, which adds a fourth spin to the normal three-spin cycle; Growing Credit Prizes, which enhances the cash-on-reels symbols; and Instant Locks, which dispenses with the thresholds to instantly add the four extra rows for an entire feature played out on eight rows of symbols.
Aristocrat Gaming
Aristocrat rolled out many of its top games in packages for the U.K. and EMEA markets, including Bao Zhu Zhao Fu, a refresh of the elegant classic Asian Festival theme with a firecracker spin, enhancing the Aristocrat signature Hold & Spin bonus.
The game was presented on Aristocrat’s new Baron cabinet, which was launched at the G2E show in October. It features dual 27-inch ultra-high-definition 4K display monitors, a 27-inch LCD topper that integrates play and jackpot features, and technological innovations including never-before-seen integrated dynamic lighting, advanced display monitors, and sleek design elements.
Aristocrat also showed several multi-game packages for U.K. and EMEA markets that are available on either the Baron or the MarsX cabinet. One, the Royal Collection III, includes a collection of top-performing games first introduced in the Australian market. Another, Fortune’s Choice, features up to eight popular Asian-themed games. In the latter collection, the player can select not only the denomination, but the bet, with no pre-set forced bets.
Also launched for U.K. and EMEA markets at ICE were popular games including Phoenix Link, Buffalo Gold and Whisker Wheels, all available on either the Baron or the MarsX.
Aristocrat also showed an EMEA version of Ultimate Fast Cash. This game features a Hold & Spin bonus in which thresholds unlock up to four additional rows for an eight-row grid in the feature, and includes a feature-in-feature symbol that triggers an extra bonus game after the Hold & Spin feature ends. A nine-row grid appears, in which players can land cash-on-reels symbols or Mini and Minor jackpots in a normal three-spin cycle. Filling all nine spots in this feature triggers the Super Jackpot, a second-level jackpot not available elsewhere in the game. It is available on the Neptune and MarsX cabinets.
The company also launched its hit Lightning Link series in versions designed for the U.K. and U.S. Army installations. These games are designed with the bet limits for those two markets built in—£5 for the U.K. and $10 for the U.S. Army.
Finally, Aristocrat launched its latest game in its NFL series, Triple Score, for U.K., EMEA and U.S. Army markets—the first appearance of the NFL series in these markets.
First launched at G2E in October, Triple Score features three metamorphic pots leading to an enhanced Hold & Spin feature, and a random feature during the main feature called Jackpot Kick, in which the player selects from three footballs for a kick that can result in credit prizes or any of the three progressive jackpots.
Aruze Gaming Global
Aruze Gaming Global (AG2) introduced its new MUSO Summit cabinet to EMEA markets at the show. Featured games included Cash Master Blaster, which offers a perceived-persistence collection bonus that throws coins landing on the primary-game screen to an image of dynamite above the reels.
Randomly, one of these symbols triggers a hold-and-spin bonus that includes cash-on-reels credit awards, icons for lower-level jackpots, and a “+1 Spin” symbol that adds a spin to the three-spin cycle. The bonus lasts until three spins occur with none of these symbols, or until the entire grid is filled, resulting in the top jackpot.
Also featured was AG2’s “Horrorific” game series, with the game family Monster Lab. The player can select from three games in the family, each themed on a famous monster—Wolfie’s Wild, Mummy’s Hold & Spin, and Frankie’s Hold & Spin. Each has a primary game with unique symbols and a bonus tied to the featured monster.
Gaming Arts/Merkur
Gaming Arts games were displayed on the stand of its strategic partner, Germany’s Merkur Gaming. The games displayed were slots designed by Gaming Arts in Las Vegas for Merkur’s MOD EX hardware, consisting of a triple-screen version and a 55-inch J-curve model. Featured was Wild Temple, in which three pots of gold coins trigger unique features in a free-game bonus round.
The Gaming Arts display was part of a huge Merkur stand that also included game offerings from a wealth of the German company’s other strategic partners, including the Spiel Banken arcade games, Blueprint in the U.K. market, the Bede platform for the Ontario lottery, Spintek electronic table games and more.
Merkur also launched its newest product, a live gaming solution designed for live-dealer ETGs.
IGT
IGT used ICE for U.K. and EMEA launches in several game categories. Among the highlights was Diamond Mania, the first perceived-persistence game it has released for AWP markets in the U.K.
The game is already a proven performer in the U.S. and other markets. It has a unique primary-game diamond collection feature called “Wild Stays, Charges Then Pays,” in which any diamond symbol that lands changes into a gold-framed spot. Every 10 spins, all gold-framed symbols turn into wild symbols.
The player selects from three free-spin options, to choose the volatility of the feature.
Elsewhere, IGT featured several multi-level progressive games for EMEA markets on the dual-screen PeakSlant32 cabinet. One standout was Magic Treasures (base games Dragon and Tiger), which is already the top-performing game in France, according to company officials.
It is a three-pot game, but the pot symbols each enhance the Lock & Spin bonus individually. One of the most clever involves “Money Balls,” which accumulate during the primary game. When the bonus is triggered, the Money Balls immediately change to credit awards, multipliers for cash-on-reels symbols, or one of the lower-level jackpots, and instantly award those prizes.
Other highlights at the IGT stand included Wheel of Fortune Big Money Week, a game designed specifically for the U.K. market. In addition to the signature wheel-spinning bonus, the player can trigger a feature called “Quadruple Up Free Spins.” This multiplies the screen to four independent reel arrays for 12 free spins.
IGT also displayed several of its industry-leading video poker games with a new responsible-gaming feature called the “Bank.” When players buy in, the credits appear in a “bank,” and must be withdrawn to the credit meter—an extra step to encourage responsible wagering.
Finally, IGT did an ICE reveal of a new electronic table game setup, Synchronized Auto Roulette. The screen displays two roulette betting layouts, with special betting features like “Neighbor Bets,” in which players can automatically place bets on up to nine neighboring spots with one move; hot-number bets, and “Copy Bets,” which duplicates bets on one wheel to the neighboring wheel.
The two wheels spin on a quickly staggered timeline, so wagers can be made quickly on both physical wheels, resulting in a game speed reaching 1.5 spins per minute.
Konami Gaming, Inc.
Konami Gaming used ICE to launch a new game series titled “From the Universe.” Amid a sea of three-pot games, this new series, consisting of base games Starlight Alaska and Sparkling Egypt, each features unique free-game rounds triggered by line combinations.
The free-spin bonuses start with five free games, and can be extended during the features. Players can win cash-on-reels awards, lower-level jackpots and extra spins during the free games, with each award granted instantly. None of the symbols lock in place.
Each of the two games awards its top Mega jackpot, a progressive resetting at €10,000 ($10,493), in a unique manner. In Starlight Alaska, accumulating 100 star symbols during the free-game feature triggers the top prize. In Sparkling Egypt, the top prize is triggered if cash-on-reels symbols land in all reel spots on a single spin.
Light & Wonder
Light & Wonder (L&W) rolled out its new Cosmic Upright cabinet for EMEA markets. Introduced at G2E in October, it is a portrait version of the successful Cosmic cabinet with the same 49-inch screen and distinctive edge lighting as the original slant-top version, on an upright base.
The company displayed seven different games on the new cabinet, including Hot Hot Double Blazing Lock, a three-pot game with the pots adding enhancements to a free-spin round that include “Jackpot Spins,” “Royal Replace” and “Extra Flamey.”
Jackpot Spins places circles under each of the four jackpot meters, and each jackpot symbol that lands on a free spin goes toward completing the rows and awarding what can be multiple jackpots. Royal Replace transforms up to three lower-paying royal symbols to cash-on-reels symbols for immediate awards. In Extra Flamey, one or two “Flamey” symbols—animated flame characters—is added to the reels to multiply all cash-on-reels symbols by two or three, respectively.
Also launched for EMEA markets was Huff & Puff Highrise, the newest entry in one of L&W’s most popular game families. First released at G2E, it features White Hat symbols that expand the reels, and Gold Hat symbols—six trigger a free game round. The Three Little Piggies sit on a scaffold above the reels, and frequently travel down to the reels to add wild symbols or upgrade reel awards.
The game also includes the original Huff & Puff bonus, in which the wolf character “blows down” the pigs’ houses to reveal jackpot awards.
Other games launched for EMEA markets included Huff & Puff Money Mansion, with its bonus awarding several levels of jackpots; and Lion Link Fortunes, a three-pot game with a hold-and-spin bonus.
Finally, L&W released its latest game in the hilarious Planet Moolah series, Invaders Attack Again from Planet Moolah, to EMEA markets. It is a sequel to the theme involving flying saucers attacking a farm, abducting cows and other farm animals with tractor beams.
Novomatic
Novomatic AG featured new games in its Xtension Link progressive slot series. One of the prominent games was Fu Flow, an Asian-themed game featuring a hold-and-spin bonus in which coin thresholds reached during the three-spin cycle expand the reels from four to eight rows.
Also featured were a new group of three-pot games—Tiger Rise, Griffin Catch and Dragon Boost. All feature themed pots into which symbols are collected, triggering free-game and hold-and-spin features.
Zitro
Zitro introduced its new Deluxe Concept Prime cabinet to EMEA markets. The cabinet is available with either a 55-inch flat-screen monitor or a 55-inch J-curve version.
Featured games included Wonder Dream and Dragon Koi, both first previewed at G2E in October. The games feature multiple jackpots that can each be won with a single symbol, and a free-games feature that plays out simultaneously on two independent reel sets.
Both are three-pot collection games. Depending on which pot bursts to trigger the bonus, the player is awarded six, nine or 12 free games. During the bonus, players can win cash-on-reels credit awards, jackpots, or a “Blast Multiplier” that increases the value of all symbols.
Zitro also launched a new version of the popular Fu Frog game. The original is a three-pot game in which each pot—they are different-colored frogs—triggers an enhanced hold-and-spin feature. King Fu Frog adds a fourth pot, represented by a giant frog. When triggered along with one of the original pots, the big frog enhances the enhancement triggered by the main pot.
When the multiplier feature is triggered along with the big pot, multipliers are added that go up to 5X, applied to each cash-on-reels symbol that lands in the hold-and-spin feature. The Double enhancement, which triggers a double reel array for the hold-and-spin feature, increases the five-by-four reel arrays to five-by-five arrays when landing with the big frog, for extra credit awards. When enhanced by the King Fu Frog, the Extra Spin enhancement increases the spin cycle to four—every time a coin or jackpot symbol lands, the spin meter returns to four spins.
