Manufacturer: Aristocrat Technologies
Platform: GEN7
Format: Five-reel, 25-line video slot
Denominations: .01, .02
Max Bet: 350
Top Award: Progressive; $2,500 or $3,000 reset
Hit Frequency: Approximately 50%
Theoretical Hold: 4.18%—11.02%

With this game, Aristocrat introduces a sleek, new cabinet, called “VERVEhd.” The cabinet features 21.5-inch monitors, panoramic digital audio, interactive LCD buttons, an ergonomic design and a very artsy look. Aristocrat acknowledges this last fact by inaugurating the cabinet with a game based on the art world.

Godard’s Rockin’ Olives features the work of world-famous Las Vegas-based artist Michael Godard—also known as the “Rock Star of the Art World.” Godard, known for whimsical works in which fruit, plants and inanimate objects are personified as cartoon-like characters, has done many works involving casino gambling—he is, by all accounts, an avid gambler—but the most famous characters in his paintings are olive characters.

Godard, who hand-painted every image used as artwork in this game, used his famous olive characters as the theme for the slot. The game itself is a five-reel, 25-line video slot designed for penny and 2-cent denominations. The minimum bet to activate all the game’s features is 25 credits plus a 10-credit ante wager. The olive, of course, is wild.

The game features four progressive jackpots—three minor prizes exclusive to each machine plus a grand-prize progressive shared by the entire bank. When flaming dice appear on the first, third and fifth reels with a wager of at least 70 credits, the dice roll to award one of the lower three progressives. The top progressive—resetting at $1,500 on the penny version of the game and $3,000 on the 2-cent version—is won by lining up five olives on an active payline with the maximum wager (175 credits).

There is a sixth video reel that is activated by any symbol appearing on both reels one and five with a lightning symbol. When that happens, the sixth reel spins to one of four bonus features:

“Rock Show” displays speakers, which the player touches to reveal a credit award up to 500. “Risky Rhythms” displays a drum-playing olive character, who does a solo to reveal a credit amount—players can take the amount or risk it for a higher (or lower) award. “Guitar Battle” features two olives going head-to-head with battling guitar solos until a bonus of up to 400 credits appears. “World Tour” awards 15 free games.

By GGB Staff

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