This new game combines the WMS Powerball multi-state lottery brand with its “Community Gaming” series of multi-player products.
There are two initial base games, “Hoppin’ Wild” and “Thunderhawk.” Both are five-reel video slots in 10-line or 25-line configurations, available in a wide range of denominations.
The base games are placed into a three-game bank under a giant LCD Powerball bonus screen. The games are linked to a jackpot controller that randomly triggers one of four community-style Powerball Bonus Events.
Each player earns a bonus multiplier amount through normal game play. When the bonus is triggered, one or more of the slots on the bank are selected as “Power Seats.” Power Seat status increases the community bonus multiplier by 1X, 3X, 5X or 10X. Other games in the bank receive the standard Powerball multiplier.
After the Power Seat is picked, there is a “Powerball Bonus Qualifying Round” to decide what happens next. The overhead bonus display shows red and white balls in a lottery ball hopper. They are released and travel down a tube to a ball catcher. The last ball remaining will award either a credit amountùincreased by the appropriate multiplierùor one of the four Powerball Bonus events.
Those four events include the following:
In “Mystery Spin Bonus,” each player receives one free spin. The first two reels are filled with clumped mystery symbols; the remaining three have a combination of mystery symbols and regular reel symbols. When the spin is complete, a wheel on the video screen spins to replace the mystery symbols with reel symbols, and pays are evaluated and rewarded.
In “Tire Pump Bonus,” a red Powerball character is shown with a tire pump behind several white Powerball characters.
The red character pumps air into the white ones. Some explode. The remaining ones reveal their digits to form the credit value awarded to the players.
“Super Shot Bonus” is a second-screen event that depicts a stunt man in a cannon. He is shot into the air, bouncing off some items and jumping off others. The further the distance traveled, the higher the award.
“Matrix Bonus” presents a three-by-three matrix of spots on a game board. A “Money Reel” spins to stop with one, two or three Powerballs on the paylines. The ball colors and positions indicate the matrix values won.
Manufacturer: WMS Gaming
Platform: CPU-NXT2
Format: 10-line or 25-line video slot
Denomination: .01ù10.00
Max Bet: 100, 250
Top Award: 10,000 or 20,000 credits times line bet
Hit Frequency: 44.1%, 57.03%
Theoretical Hold: 4.04%ù12.95%
