Hot Hot 8 Slot Machine
Every now and then we see a game which is so clever, yet so simple, we wonder why everyone isn’t doing it. Hot Hot 8 is just such a title, WMS have created an entirely new slot, simply by combining eight of their most popular slots in a framework where they can be played at the same time, multi game titles aren’t new per se, but the way this one is combined certainly is.
Added to the unique game structure is a series of bonus options and a crazy progressive jackpot system where all eight of the available jackpots can be won with a single spin, not one for the faint of heart as this creates a very high variance 4096 ways to win game.
If the idea of playing multiple game titles at once, or playing one of your favourite WMS slots on up to eight screens simultaneously appeals, then this may be the game you are looking for. If easily bored or lacking in patience you may find waiting for one of the massive bonuses to drop cools your appetite for this new Vegas game.
Theme
It’s a little difficult to succinctly describe the overall theme on this game, this is the first title to use WMS’s Blade 32” twin LCD cabinet, where a bonus screen sits above the reel displays and you can control the action via touch on the main screens or via a 10” game tablet on the console.
In essence, you choose your theme, you can either manually or randomly select 1-8 different games or one game to play on all 8 reel sets for a total of 4096 win ways. Each title retains its own bonus game structure so you have eight different themes and feature sets active at once if you wish.
Two random reels are wild in the Jungle Wild theme, you can win up to 100 free spins in the Zeus and Mystical Unicorn™ games. Red Zeus can appear and shoot a bolt of lightning across the symbols on the same row, turning all icons wild in the Great Zeus game. Wild symbols multiply reel wins in the Raging Rhino and Far East Fortunes II game and expanded wilds stick and hold for any remaining spins in the Black Knight game. Last but not least unique bonus symbols can add up to 50 additional free spins in the Fallen Angels title.
One thing that is strange is that unless you are playing the same game across eight screens is that the sound effects and music are one bland overall tune, they don’t emit separately from the games, I’m sure they could have found a way to integrate this better but it’s a small bugbear as it really only affects base-game play.
Gameplay & Features
All the games involved are big WMS titles so we won’t go into them separately, what’s worth covering is how combining them affects gameplay and how the betting structure has been changed from the original titles. You now have a 0.25 credit bet per reel across all games selected, so to play all reels is 2.00 credits and this is a fixed max bet. Seasoned gamers will see straight away that this does not make for heavy base-game wins, it is free spins rounds and the bonus game where large cumulative wins are possible.
Each games spins bonus remains intact, so you can trigger and re-trigger spins exactly as you would when playing the stock individual game, the biggest change is that when you are issued spins, a random wheel bonus of 1-8 gives you a choice whether to play them high variance on one reel -set with an 8x multiplier (assuming you won the 8 max) or low variance on eight reel sets with a x1 multiplier. When you are playing multiple reels the re-triggers are per reel set, this often means your spins remaining is different for each reel set and this adds another level of entertainment to a spins round.
The second area of bonus covers replacing each individual titles bonus game, as unlike the spins rounds that does not stay intact. Instead land 3 of the flaming hot 8 logos on any of the reel sets at the same time to trigger a wheel of fortune style spin. This can issue you credits, one of the eight progressives, or if you are incredibly lucky, all eight of the available progressives at once! It is that high pay-out potential that keeps the normal game round so low on action.
Summary
I’m still not sure if I love or loathe this game, after long periods of time in the base game with paltry wins I found myself ready to move on, only for a huge bonus to drop and for an incredible period of excitement to ensue! I do think they could help the base game play by working on some 3D animation and sound congruity, but overall, I still find myself wanting to play which is a telling sign!
