Pop Culture And Slots: A Match Made In Heaven
Megavegas is just one of the many places that you can find the latest slot innovations, some of which tie directly in with your pop culture favourites! Slots have come a long way since the original machine was invented back in the 19th century, both in the sense of the machines themselves and the migration of Slots to online casino sites. However, the 1990s later brought forward an expansion in the development of Slots, as gambling was now being legalised across the United States, attracting even more players. The makers of these Slots then went about making the games more fun and entertaining, beyond the chance of just winning or losing. One way that this has been achieved is by incorporating pop culture icons and including well-known references into the games through bonus features, videos, audio and speciality reel symbols!
Celebrities in Slots
The promise of celebrity appearances often entices people to visit brick-and-mortar casinos, just to get the chance to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. A celebrity presence has a similar effect on the online casino audience, as players can seek comfort in seeing someone they know appearing amongst the reels.
In 2001, Frank Sinatra featured in his own themed slot, produced by IGT. In this slot, four of the King of Swing’s songs feature throughout the three-reel game – ‘My Way’, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ and ‘My Kind of Town’. The game also had a huge progressive jackpot to keep your blood pumping, as if Sinatra wasn’t enough!
The following year, 2002 saw the development of the first Elvis Presley themed slot game. IGT hit it out of the park once again when they released this game to carry on the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s legacy. There are four progressive jackpot levels as the gameplay begins, named after four of Presley’s biggest hits – ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Jailhouse Rock’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and ‘Viva Las Vegas’. There is also a ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ bonus feature which involves selecting various hotel rooms on the screen in an attempt to find bonus credits. If you’re lucky enough to find the King himself then you will be awarded all of the credits on that level! Generous or what?!
Television in Slots
If family-friendly fun is more up your street, then the Wheel of Fortune slot is the perfect game for you! Based heavily on the TV gameshow of the same name, this three-reel slot is one of the most successful slot games in history. The similarities between the show and the game are heavily demonstrated in the following ways – the graphics, audio and logos are all the same in both forms of the Wheel of Fortune. However, the slot version has an added layer of fun, in the form of a puzzle-solving bonus! The bonus round simply enhances the main game, potentially multiplying your winnings!
Another absolute classic gameshow, which is echoed in the world of Slots, is Deal or No Deal. Although the Canadian televised game unfortunately came to an end in 2017, the game lives on in this IGT Slot. The reels spin just like in any other game, but it’s the bonus that truly makes this Slot different. In the Suitcase Bonus, players must choose a case and decide whether or not to hold onto it as the others are gradually open – much like the real gameshow. However, instead of sums of money, the suitcases hold various credit awards, just waiting to be collected by one lucky player!
