This game features what is arguably the best 3D imagery ever used for a slot machine. Called “True3D,” it is billed as the best 3D available “without glasses.” It may be even better than 3D glasses.
Sphinx 3D also constitutes the launch of GTECH’s next-generation cabinet, but the hallmark of the game is what’s inside that cabinet—3D artwork depicting the areas surrounding the Sphinx, and the interior of the Sphinx itself. The 3D effect enables the player to go on a journey toward, and then inside, the Sphinx.
Even the primary-game reel-spinning is in 3D, with the Sphinx and other symbols popping out at the player with an authenticity that invites them to be grabbed out of the air. Mystery wilds are accomplished by a box that flies out of the screen and then back to the reels to change symbols to wild.
Even the “Easter eggs”—butterflies that fly out when the screen is touched—are in 3D.
There are five total bonus rounds—only one with the minimum wager; the others are unlocked as the wager goes up, with all five available at max-bet. It is one of several incentives to bet up that are built into the game.
The bonus rounds are masterful. The player is lost in a journey through an Egyptian town, or market, or neighborhood scene, to arrive at the Sphinx and go inside. In a nod to the original Sphinx—the 1990s game by Atronic, one of GTECH’s predecessor companies, which pioneered 3D slot video—there are several bonus levels, with picks along the way that increase credits and unlock new chambers within the Sphinx.
When three Sphinx symbols land in the base game, the main Sphinx Bonus is triggered. The player “travels” through ancient Egypt to the Sphinx pyramid, and then inside, going through chambers to select the bonus award in 3D. There also is an “Ancient Wheel Bonus,” the “Ramosis Free Game Bonus,” and the “Stars Progressive Bonus,” which moves the action to the upper screen to select one of five progressive jackpots. At least one jackpot is guaranteed. In the “Diamond Chamber Bonus,” players pick from a selection of diamonds to reveal credits and multipliers. In the “Wild Scarab Bonus,” a set of bonus reels is activated.
Manufacturer: GTECH
Platform: prodiGi Vu
Format: Five-reel, 30-line video slot
Denomination: .01—100.00
Max Bet: 400
Top Award: 5,000 times line bet
Hit Frequency: Approximately 50%
Theoretical Hold: 8%-14%
