Beat Square Casino Game
One of the things that many gamblers are likely to start seeing in Las Vegas casinos in the next few years are games that rely more on skill than on luck. Nevada recently approved the development of such games, in large part in response to the fact that younger gamblers aren’t as attracted to classic slots in the way older gamblers are.
One game that definitely fits this trend is Beat Square by Konami. First demoed at the 2016 G2E trade show, this title isn’t like traditional casino slot machines as we know them. There are no reels or paylines; instead, this is a rhythm game that has much more in common with popular titles like Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero than the games currently seen on the casino floor. Challenging and wholly unique when compared to anything that we’ve seen in the recent batch of releases, this could be one of the best examples of skill based gaming in a casino environment yet.
Touch to the Beat
While we’ve only seen a demo version of the Beat Square game, what’s obvious immediately is that this is a high intensity rhythm game that tests the coordination and speed of players. The cabinet is a sleek, modern-looking stand up that resembles the modern jukeboxes you find in bars today. We imagine that’s on purpose, as this machine is all about the music.
While there’s a large screen at the top of the machine that displays scoring information, gameplay takes place on a touchscreen area below where there are 16 touch panels in a 4x4 grid. At the start of each game, players must choose not only their bet size, but also what style of music they would like to play to.
Players can start with a practice round if they would like to get used to the game’s mechanics, after which they will have to play their chosen song. The object is to tap panels on the screen as they light up in conjunction with the beat. Players get points based on how well they match up with the beat: perfect hits score the most point, while those that are early or late earn significantly less.
Based on the number of points they earn, players might earn gold coins, which return prizes and could potentially even earn them an entry into a skill contest, where they are tested again the scores of other gamblers. There are what appear to be progressive jackpots available to players who put up the top scores, providing a lot of incentive for those who are skilled at this game – which is based on an arcade game in Japan known as Jubeat, also manufactured by Konami – to stick with it and attempt to claim the top spots.
Putting Your Skills to the Test
It’s difficult to guess just how popular Beat Square by Konami will ultimately be. A lot of that will depend on the potential return-to-player percentage, and just how skilled you’ll have to be to make the game offer even a reasonable RTP. There’s also the potential issue of gamblers who are not so skilled simply avoiding the game if they realize they just can’t win, which might lower the jackpot values for more skilled players, in turn driving them away from the game as well.
On the other hand, we have to say that this machine looks downright fun. If that’s the case, players might be able to suck up at least small losses just to play this like an arcade game, one that has already proven to be popular in Japan. If that’s the case, we might see at least many low limitplayers find their way over to the Beat Square video slot (though it is hard to really call this a slot machine), playing a few times and having fun, while leaving the bonus modes for the topgamblers who are on the looking for the real cash.
