Thunder Reels Slot
Inspired by the kind of vintage arcade games that populated seaside establishments and casinos in the ‘80s, Thunder Reels comes at you from the Playson software suite. The three-reel video slot, which includes just five pay-lines, shares more than a few similarities with a pub fruit machine, giving players the chance to win dough by spinning combinations of fruit and BARs. Which is not to say it’s all bog-standard and basic; the game does include a gamble feature, which can help users double or even quadruple their bank balance.
OK, so the Thunder Reels slot isn’t for everyone. In the digital age, some will feel that we’ve moved beyond such games – that as consumers we deserve superior graphics and 3D animations. Whatever. If you’ve made up your mind that Thunder Reels isn’t for you, you need read no further. If you’ve a suspicion that this three-reeler might have the potential to entertain you for a few spins, read on for a detailed breakdown…
Familiar Symbols, Familiar Reels
The symbols in the Thunder Reels game will be familiar to any experienced player of slot games. There are the usual fruit symbols – oranges, lemons, cherries, blackberries – as well as a dyad of gold stars and a couple of BAR icons. There’s also a pair of 7s. The grid itself is set against a backdrop of darkling sky, with forks of lightning appearing at the side of the reels. Above the grid, the name of the game appears, with a garland of fruit either side. Along the bottom, as is usual, you can view all of the game’s controls. You can set your total bet, number of pay-lines (you can choose to play on one, two, three, four or all five) and have a glance at the pay-table.
Before you start, set your betting range. Arrows appear either side of the bet button, and it’s here where you can set your coin size, which ranges from one to 20. Simply assign your coin size, maximum bet and pay-lines; then spin till your heart’s content.
The All-Important Pay-Table
As is almost always the case with such games, 7s are the hottest symbols on the board. Spin three of these and you’ll win a handsome 750. Three gold stars wins 200, while three BAR symbols grants 60. The lowest paying symbols in the game are the Xs, which pay out just five for three. Any three fruit icons, meanwhile snags you 40 credits. All wins pay left to right, and only the highest win per line is paid.
If the entire 3x3 grid is flooded with a single symbol at any stage, your winnings will be doubled. So if you are fortunate enough to hit 9 7s on the board, your winnings will jump from 750 to 1,500. Not too shabby at all.
As stated, there are just five pay-lines in this game: players can hit matching combinations horizontally or diagonally. Somewhat like Connect Four, another old-school game children of the ‘90s will remember.
Game for a Gamble?
The gamble feature, much like the rest of this game, is not unique: it is triggered every time you land a win, just like all other gamble functions, and it works in exactly the same way, in that the player is presented with a couple of playing cards, laid face down. All you need to do to double your winnings is guess the colour: black or red? You can also quadruple-up by guessing the card’s suit. You are permitted ten correct guesses before the gamble function self-terminates. In this respect, Thunder Reels is a little different from other games in that, usually, you are only allowed five correct guesses. Needless to say, if you guess wrong at any stage, you forfeit your winnings and have to start from scratch.
Not Worth a Brag
Despite its simplicity, Thunder Reels sits pretty high on the variance scale; you can expect some fairly lengthy dry spells if your luck’s not in. That’s not something you should be saying about a game that has as little to recommend it as Thunder Reels. The inclusion of a free spins bonus or even a bonus game would have been great. Then again, such modern twists would have taken away this game’s USP.
Ultimately, Thunder Reels will be best enjoyed by lovers of old-school slot games – those wishing to relive their halcyon teenage years down the arcade.
