Manufacturer: Aristocrat Technologies
Platform: Viridian WS
Format: Five-reel scatter-pay video slot
Denomination: .01
Max Bet: 400
Top Award: Progressive; $2,000 reset
Hit Frequency: Approximately 50%
Theoretical Hold: 4%—12%

Reel Tall Tales is Aristocrat’s first triple stand-alone progressive. Featuring the new Viridian WS cabinet, the game places a common progressive bonus on various base games themed according to “all-American legends” including Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Bigfoot.

The first two base games are Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Both are “Reel Power” games, which means the player wagers to activate reels instead of paylines, and all wins are paid as scatters for 247 possible paying combinations on each spin.

The Viridian WS top box utilizes a 32-inch vertical LCD monitor, with improved high-resolution graphics. Each base game has its own game-specific bonus events. In the Paul Bunyan version (pictured), “Axe Throw” is a five-round interactive bonus in which players use the touch-screen to “throw” an axe at targets. The first four targets reveal credit awards; the last target reveals a multiplier. The game also includes a free-games feature, which awards the player 10 free spins with a multiplier.

The Pecos Bill base game features two bonus events. In “Tornado Riding,” the player chooses clouds to reveal credits, and ultimately reveal a tornado for Pecos Bill to ride. The longer the ride, the higher the multiplier. In the free games feature, the player wins 10 free games, and any win with the Tornado substituting is doubled.

The common events in the series are three “Bigfoot Bonus” events. In “Bigfoot’s Pick-a-Foot Progressive,” the player chooses five feet, moving Bigfoot along on a treasure map toward one of the three standalone progressive jackpots. In “Bigfoot’s Big Deal,” the player collects prizes over three rounds that they can then keep or risk for a credit prize behind a big curtain. In “Bigfoot’s Chase,” players hunt Bigfoot, and the longer the hunt, the higher the credit prize.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.