This game is a ground-breaker for WMS. It places the “Sensory Immersion” format-a virtual-reality-style experience enhanced by Bose surround-sound speakers-and places it in a self-contained, server-based format. WMS is calling the resulting new series of games “Adaptive Gaming.”
The central server for each bank of games enables a slot experience that can be continuous over several sessions. One of the main features of the game, which carries the theme, sounds and images of the original Star Trek television series, is that the player can earn “medals” that will unlock a new “episode” of Star Trek.
There are three “episodes” in the initial release-“Trek Through Time,” “The Trouble With Tribbles” and “Explore New Worlds.” Each time the player enters a bonus round-he gets to pick from two bonuses-he earns a medal, and additional medals are earned for accomplishing various levels within the bonuses. A set number of medals can be used to unlock a new episode-the complete game will change, including top box, reel symbols and bonus events, to reflect the theme of the next episode.
When a session is complete, the player can “save his progress”-a ticket prints out with a log-in code that can be used to resume the game right where you left off.
Meanwhile, each episode contains a wealth of bonus features. At the end of any winning spin, the central computer may randomly award any one of four bonus features specific to the episode. For instance, in “The Trouble With Tribbles,” it’s either “Kirks Gone Wild,” in which all the Kirk symbols become wild symbols; the “Spock Multiplier,” in which Spock appears to multiply wins from 3X to 10X; “Scotty’s Wild Reel,” which transforms one or two reels into wild reels; and “Enterprise Fly By,” in which the Enterprise flies across the screen transforming symbols into jackpot symbols.
You get the idea.
Each game also has a bonus triggered by game symbols, and each gives the player a choice between a free-spin bonus and a pick-a-tile bonus game.
The visuals in the bonus events are remarkable, and combined with the surround-sound effect, the player is taken right into the “episode.”
Manufacturer: WMS Gaming
Platform: Adaptive Gaming
Format: Five-reel, 25-line video slot
Denominations: .01 through 50.00
Max Bet: 1,050
Top Award: 300,000
Hit Frequency: 41.33%
Theoretical Hold: 6.05%-13.51%
