Branded slots have been dominating the games portfolios at online casinos for the last few years with blockbuster movies being the main content source. They create a sort of second innings for the older movies, allowing slots players to relive their favourite moments. Some of the branded slots that have been very successful are Jurassic Park from Microgaming, Aliens from Playtech and Planet of the Apes from NetEnt.
Which ones made the cut?
Movies are not the only source for branded slots content. Online casino games providers draw inspiration from TV series, game shows and music groups as well. An area that has been largely ignored, but has potential, is video game. The first well-known branded slots were Tomb Raider and Hitman based on the Eidos video games. However, this concept went on the back burner after that.
The online casino industry is poised for rapid growth. Ever since HTML5 software has permitted games to be played on smartphones and tablets there has been no looking back. Slot machines have been the driving force of this industry capturing over 70% of the casino games portfolio. More than 100 developers are bringing out innovations regularly to stay ahead in the race. Sooner or later, someone will pick out popular console games from yesteryear.
Sega Can Be a Popular Medium for Branded Slots
Anyone that has grown up with gaming will be familiar with Sega. The corporation had its heyday in the 1980s with the SG-1000, Master System and Sega Genesis consoles. The hit games on these, some of which are discussed later in the article, are the subjects of nostalgic reminisces when ardent gamers meet over drinks.
To understand why the Sega retro classics would make tremendous branded video slots, one has to know a bit about the structure of slot games. The slot machine revolves around symbols, which are taken from the brand. Each Sega game has its set of iconic characters and these will be perfect for the symbols. The more important the symbol in the Sega game narrative the more it pays out in the slot machine.
Online casino players will know that there is a trend to generate slot games in a series so that they can leverage the common brand equity. Sega can be fitted into this mould as well with say the company logo being a wild symbol in all the slots of the series. The developer could also think of connecting these slots to a common progressive jackpot network. Another integral component of slot machines are bonus features and action from the Sega games could be used here. The best way to play these slots is to do it for free by using no deposit codes available at NoDepositHero.
Our Wish List for Sega Themed Slot Games
These are some Sega title we would like to see reincarnated as slot games.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog has an unusual claim to fame. It rescued the then floundering Genesis console and brought Sega back into the limelight. Not many players would know that Sonic the Hedgehog had briefly appeared on the reels of a free-to-play game on Sega Slots. To be able to play it for real money at an online casino would be something else. All the favourite characters like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose would be the symbols. Slot machines give equal space to the villains, so the evil Dr Robotnik would feature prominently as well. In the video game Sonic collects rings to bolster his health and in the slot bonus game he could collect rings for big payouts.
Out Run
Slot games based on driving, like 5 Reel Drive and Multiplier Mayhem are popular and so we have picked the Sega game Out Run as our next choice. You are placed in the driver’s seat of the red Ferrari Testarossa Spider and have to race against time to reach the finish line. Launched in September 1986, Out Run introduced many new concepts like nonlinear gameplay, selectable soundtrack and the hydraulic motion simulator deluxe arcade cabinet.
In the slot game, the wild symbol will have to be the Ferrari. Since there are no characters in the video game, the other symbols would be ancillary graphics like road signs, chequered flags, trucks and palm trees. The winner’s trophy would be the bonus symbol and would trigger a racing themed bonus game on the second screen. The red Ferrari would race against other cars and your payout would be determined by where it finishes.
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Vampires is another popular online slot theme with titles like Blood Suckers and Immortal Romance drawing high traffic at online casinos. So, we have picked Bloodlines from the Castlevania series that was released on Mega Drive in 1994. Incidentally, this is the only Castlevania game to be played on Sega platform.
Bloodlines video slot would feature the main characters John Morris and Eric Lecarde along with their preferred weapons whip and spear respectively. When Morris and the whip appear adjacent to each other you could win a payout multiplier, and the same with Eric and the spear. Dracula also plays an important role in video game and will have to be fitted in the slot. We leave it to the game developer to work out the details.
Streets of Rage
The first Streets of Rage was released in 1991 and appeared on Sega’s Master System, Mega Drive (Genesis), Game Gear and Sega CD. Axel, Adam and Blaze are former police officers that have formed a vigilante group to rid the city of a crime syndicate headed by the evil mastermind Mr. X. Many character based slot games have each character triggering its own bonus feature and this would be very appropriate for Streets of Rage. Each character could trigger a number of free spins with special features. Every time the triggering character appears in the free spins, you could get a payout multiplier or additional free spins.
