Ever since the very first slot machine was invented in 1894 by an enterprising young electrical engineer in California, they have gripped people’s imaginations.
This means that there has been a constant and enthusiastic search for the best slot machines to play with a number of games emerging as clear favourites. There are many reasons for their popularity which is as strong today as it was when they first swept across the States in the early 20th century.
The main one of these is just how easy the games are to play. You pop in your coin, even if it’s a virtual one, pull the handle or press the button and let the reels decide your fate.
There’s also the excitement of seeing the reels spin round and gradually click into place, hopefully accompanied by a flashing of lights and a flurry of electronic sounds indicating a win.
Themes for all
Something else that has always made slots games appealing to so many people is the sheer range of themes that is available. In the old days these were limited to various fruits spinning on the wheels – hence the slang term “fruit machines” that’s still sometimes used. But as time’s gone on many more variations have appeared.
These include lucky leprechauns promising riches at the end of the rainbow to searches for the treasures of Ancient Egypt. With the graphics and music to match, these aren’t just machines to try to win money, they are very entertaining to play as well.
There are many themed slot games, including historical events such as Ancient Egypt.
Slots go online
Think of slots games and probably one of the first images to come to mind will be rows and rows of the games in a Las Vegas casino or an amusement arcade. A whole bank of flashing, bleeping machines, each one trying to capture a player’s attention.
But if there’s one thing slot players love, it’s having as much choice as possible and the sheer physical constraints of a casino or amusement arcade mean there is only so much room that can be dedicated to slots. After all, in casinos they need to fit in the gaming tables and bar areas too while in arcades there are video games that need space as well.
On the other hand, online casinos and slots sites have a theoretically unlimited amount of space that they can dedicate to slots games. Plus, with most offering simple search tools, it’s easy for players to find exactly the game they want to play.
All of these slots’ games work powered by the same basic piece of software – something called a random number generator. This replicates the way that physical reel’s spin and means that the outcome each time is unique. With this at the heart of each game, it means that developers can attach virtually any theme that they want – and the world of superheroes has become a very popular one indeed.
From The Dark Knight to Iron Man
This is no surprise really as so many aspects of the world of superheroes make it a natural fit for slots. In turn, this brings in a whole new group of players – comic fans from around the world.
One of the key reasons why superhero games are as big as they are lies in the technology behind online or video slots. It has now reached a level of sophistication that means that clips of movies and snippets of the soundtrack can even be included.
So, for fans of the particular franchise, they can see favourite scenes from favourite movies as they try to win money too.
It’s also a win/win situation for the movie studios themselves. Often a slot will be launched to tie in with the release of the latest blockbuster and developers will have to pay considerable licensing fees for the rights. With many movies making more from the merchandising than they do from the box office receipts, this just adds to the total income.
It goes without saying that it also adds to the general marketing noise about the movie itself.
Because superheroes tend to have such a long heritage with some dating back to the 1930s, it also allows for the creation of some distinctly retro games which rely more on traditional comic book graphics than on their movie versions today.
A great example of this is the Spiderman slot. This combines tr traditional comic book style made famous by Marvel with a totally modern game incorporating bonus rounds, special features and much more besides.
Compare this with a slot game like The Dark Knight Rises and the difference is clear. This uses stills and action from the 2012 Christopher Nolan movie to create an atmosphere that is as dark and brooding as the film itself.
There are many popular superhero themed slots including Superman and Spider-Man.
Big names, bigger games
These are just two of the big-name superheroes who you’ll find immortalised in slots, but the list goes on and on.
There’s everyone from the Incredible Hulk to the X-Men and from The Avengers to Iron Man. So, whatever your favourite franchise, the chances are that you’ll be able to find a game to suit.
And this isn’t a trend that’s likely to stop anytime soon. With many more superhero movies in production and set for release over the next couple of years we can expect many more slots. Like the movies themselves, they promise to be bigger, better and more action packed – so strap in for an exciting ride!
