Bonus Rounds are a relatively new concept in the world of slot machines. A Bonus Round on the one-armed bandits of old would have been almost inconceivable, but they were mostly mechanical devices whilst modern slot machines are electronic, opening up a wealth of possibilities and options. The fact that slot machines have also moved online has pushed the potential even further, and as their popularity grows and people tire of the same-old and want something newer and newer, they continue to develop. Slot machines are very much like video games now, and although the reels are setup much like they were in the old days, the true potential and uniqueness comes from the Bonus Rounds.
Bonus Rounds are the goal of every slot machine player. Without a Bonus Round a slot machine is almost not worth playing, which is why the vast majority of them have Bonus Rounds. They can come in many forms, the most common of which is the Free Spin round.
The Free Spin round is pretty self explanatory, but it is rarely ever just about free spins. Some of the most popular games add something a little extra to their Free Spin rounds. In the Spiderman slot machine for instance there are extra wilds and extra possibilities to win big, in the Chain Reactors slot machine the free spin round comes with different symbols that pay a lot more than the ones they replaced. The best superhero slot machines use Free Spin rounds that throw up extra multipliers, extra wilds and even bigger symbols. Although one of the oldest forms of Bonus Round, and one of the least preferred (due to the fact that players want the big graphics of the newer Bonus Rounds) Free Spin rounds often have the greatest potential for big wins.
Another forum of Bonus Round is a standard game of choice. In Rainbow Riches, for instance, this takes place on the reels themselves. As soon as the player gets three of the “well” symbols, they pick one of them and are awarded with a multiplier that pays them in accordance to how much they staked for that spin. The Rumble in the Jungle game has something similar, although it takes place in a different environment, whilst the Ghost Rider superhero slot machine also uses the same principle, but does so in a highly graphical feature. Most Bonus Rounds use this principle in one way or another; there is always an element of choice, always the possibility of winning something or nothing, and however they gloss it up, this is what most of the Bonus Rounds are about.
Another form of Bonus Round is the Random Bonus. This is something that happens throughout the game and comes completely at random, irrespective of how many scatter symbols you get. The best example of this is in the Wizard of Oz themed game known as ruby Slippers. Although it also has three Bonus Rounds similar to the ones mentioned above, it tosses in this Random Bonus every now and then as well. This bonus comes in the form of a bubble that floats around the screen and creates a wild reel wherever it lands. Sometimes two or more bubbles are released, creating more wild reels and drastically improving the odds of big win. the South Park slot machine also has such a round, as does the superhero slot machine Super Team. These are often the most rewarding of Bonus Rounds as the fact that they come out of the blue is a very nice surprise and can turn your luck upside down in an instant.
Simply put, it is the Bonus Rounds that make the slot machines these days. If you want to check out some of the best Bonus Rounds currently on the market, then the aforementioned Super Team, South Park and Ruby Slippers are well worth a look. Miss Red, a new game based on the tale of Red Riding Hood, also has a very rewarding Free Spin round along with a nice little extra bonus that connects symbols together across several reels. Odds of the Gods, The Pig Wizard, The Deal or no Deal Slot and Cash Drop also have some unique and fun Bonus Rounds and are well worth a look.