Big Wheel
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Publisher : Games Warehouse
Game Engine : QuantumDodo Language : Flash AS3 Resolution : 750 x 600 Year : 2012 |
Big Wheel
Big Wheel is a feature-rich slot game with a fun-fair theme. It has a 3-reel base game, and a bonus trail with wheel spins, win multipliers, and 8 fairground features. The game also includes an optional gamble.
As one observer noted about Martin's Big Wheel Flash game ...
Big Wheel is the holy grail of online games. It successfully combines the high tech feature trails of 1990s pub fruit machines, with the stakes and prizes of online slots.
The game play area covers 2 screens. Above the main reels screen there is a bonus FEATURE TRAIL. This can be viewed before starting a game by pressing the PREVIEW FEATURE button.
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To win, the player must match 3 reel symbols on the win line, or reach THIS TALL TO RIDE on the bonus trail. All line pay symbols must appear on the win line. Only the highest win on the win line is paid. Bonus wins are added to pay line wins.
The WILD symbol substitutes for all symbols.
The WILD symbol substitutes for all symbols.
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Some reel symbols have numbers on them. At the end of each spin, even if there is no paying win line, all the numbers on the win line are added to the bonus trail:
In the PICK A DUCK bonus, 3 ducks swim into view. Each duck has a hidden number. The values of the ducks are always 1, 2 and 4 (in random order). The player must pick one of the ducks. The value of the chosen duck is then added to the bonus trail. If the bonus trail position reaches THIS TALL TO RIDE, the FEATURE TRAIL starts.
The screen scrolls down to reveal the bonus FEATURE TRAIL game.
- if the bonus trail position reaches THIS TALL TO RIDE, the FEATURE TRAIL starts
- if the bonus trail position reaches between 3 and 6, the PICK A DUCK bonus is randomly awarded
In the PICK A DUCK bonus, 3 ducks swim into view. Each duck has a hidden number. The values of the ducks are always 1, 2 and 4 (in random order). The player must pick one of the ducks. The value of the chosen duck is then added to the bonus trail. If the bonus trail position reaches THIS TALL TO RIDE, the FEATURE TRAIL starts.
The screen scrolls down to reveal the bonus FEATURE TRAIL game.
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The FEATURE TRAIL is fully interactive. The player is always given the choice of whether to COLLECT the current win, or CONTINUE
(unless the end of the trail has been reached, in which case the bonus automatically ends).
Pressing CONTINUE spins the feature reel. All the symbols on the feature reel are numbers. When the reel stops, the trail position advances by the amount shown on the feature reel.
The FEATURE TRAIL is packed full of interesting things:
(unless the end of the trail has been reached, in which case the bonus automatically ends).
Pressing CONTINUE spins the feature reel. All the symbols on the feature reel are numbers. When the reel stops, the trail position advances by the amount shown on the feature reel.
The FEATURE TRAIL is packed full of interesting things:
- FEATURE - bonus features range from FORTUNE TELLER to the eponymous top feature BIG WHEEL
- WHEEL SPINS - awards between 2 and 12 bonus wheel spins
- X-MULTIPLIER - awards a cash prize of up to 10 times the player's stake
- ? - awards a random move, forwards or backwards - pressing STOP decides the outcome
- BOOST - adds a random number of steps to the current trail position
- ADD AGAIN - the trail position increases by the same number of steps as the previous move
- LAST RIDE - ends the feature - a randomly prize square is awarded - it could even be BIG WHEEL!
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In the WHEEL SPINS bonus, the player is awarded a number of spins of the bonus wheel. Each time the wheel stops, the prize pointed to on the wheel is added to the TOTAL WON value. After all the spins are complete, the final TOTAL WON value is awarded to the player.
In the FORTUNE TELLER feature, the player must select one of the 3 crystal balls to reveal their fortune.
In the FORTUNE TELLER feature, the player must select one of the 3 crystal balls to reveal their fortune.
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In the GHOST TRAIN feature, a ghost train rolls past. Each carriage has a cash value attached. Some carriages are worth more than others. The player must press STOP to halt the train. The sum of the values of the next 3 carriages is then awarded.
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In the QUACK SHOT feature, 7 rubber ducks float into view. The player must press the STOP button when the moving cross hairs are over their chosen duck. The duck is then knocked down, and a target pops up in its place:
- if the target has a CASH VALUE, it is added to the running total, and the bonus continues
- if the target has a STOP on it, the bonus ends and the running total is awarded
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The TIN CAN ALLEY feature consists of 2 stages:
- in stage 1, the player chooses 1 of 4 cans - the can explodes to reveal a cash prize
- in stage 2, the player chooses 1 of 4 more cans - the cash prize from stage 1 is multiplied by the value that is revealed, and the resulting cash value is awarded to the player
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In the TEST YOUR STRENGTH feature, the player is given 3 attempts to test their strength on the strength-o-meter. The strength-o-meter dial has a scale of multiplier values. The player must press the button to launch the pointer round the dial. Each value lights up as the pointer passes over it. After the highest point is reached, the pointer bounces back down to zero. The highest value reached by the pointer remains lit. The cash value from the player's best attempt is awarded.
In the WALTZERS feature, 4 waltzer cars are set spinning, and gradually come to a stop. When the waltzers have stopped moving, the value pointed to by the 'WIN' arrow is added to the 'TOTAL WON'. The waltzers then spin again, and the process repeats, until one of the waltzer cars land with the 'WIN' arrow pointing to 'STOP'. The final 'TOTAL WON' value is then awarded to the player.
In the WALTZERS feature, 4 waltzer cars are set spinning, and gradually come to a stop. When the waltzers have stopped moving, the value pointed to by the 'WIN' arrow is added to the 'TOTAL WON'. The waltzers then spin again, and the process repeats, until one of the waltzer cars land with the 'WIN' arrow pointing to 'STOP'. The final 'TOTAL WON' value is then awarded to the player.
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The ROLLER COASTER feature consists of an undulating trail of multiplier values - the top value is 'x250'! The player pops balloons at the bottom of the screen by clicking on them. Each balloon reveals either a number or a 'STOP':
- revealing a NUMBER increases the trail position by the amount shown
- revealing STOP ends the bonus - the player is awarded a cash prize equal to their stake multiplied by the value at the current trail position
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The BIG WHEEL feature consists of 2 stages each featuring a giant spinning wheel of prizes:
In stage 1, the Big Wheel spins, and stops on 1 of 12 multiplier values:
In stage 2, the MEGA SPIN wheel spins, and stops on 1 of 12 mega-multiplier values. The player is awarded a prize equal to their stake multiplied by the value shown, and the bonus ends. This value can be as high as 500 x the player's stake! - which is the top prize in the whole game.
In stage 1, the Big Wheel spins, and stops on 1 of 12 multiplier values:
- if the prize is a MULTIPLIER, the player is awarded a prize equal to their stake multiplied by the value shown - the bonus then ends
- if the prize is MEGA SPIN, the player progresses to stage 2
In stage 2, the MEGA SPIN wheel spins, and stops on 1 of 12 mega-multiplier values. The player is awarded a prize equal to their stake multiplied by the value shown, and the bonus ends. This value can be as high as 500 x the player's stake! - which is the top prize in the whole game.
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If the player chooses to, they can gamble their winnings up to the maximum win in the gamble game.
Best Strategy
As is standard for online slots, the game is totally random. The outcome of previous games has no influence on any subsequent game. Owing to the interactive nature of the game, and the choices open to the player in the feature trail, the game has different average payouts if different strategies are used.
The game's help screen informs the player that, whenever there is a choice to COLLECT or CONTINUE, the best strategy is:
The game's help screen informs the player that, whenever there is a choice to COLLECT or CONTINUE, the best strategy is:
- press COLLECT if the current trail position is on any gold feature, i.e. TEST YOUR STRENGTH, WALTZERS, ROLLER COASTER or BIG WHEEL.
- press CONTINUE if the current trail position is NOT on a gold feature
Development
The Flash game design was based on the original B3 game of the same name. The B3 game runs on a dual screen cabinet, with some of the trail features being played on the base game reels.
For Martin's Flash game, new graphic-based features replace all those features which would have required returning the player to the base game reels. The all-new graphic features include FORTUNE TELLER, GHOST TRAIN and WALTZERS. The original dual screen TEST YOUR STRENGTH feature was also reworked for the Flash game. The WALTZERS feature was the most fun to develop - the waltzer cars rotate on the end of arms which themselves are rotating.
Martin also added several flourishes to the game, including the appearances of the comical rubber ducks that quack their approval whenever the player achieves a big win in the features.
Big Wheel was a massive development project, containing 3 or 4 times as many features as the average online slot game. Martin commenced work in autumn 2011, and completed the game in spring 2012.
For Martin's Flash game, new graphic-based features replace all those features which would have required returning the player to the base game reels. The all-new graphic features include FORTUNE TELLER, GHOST TRAIN and WALTZERS. The original dual screen TEST YOUR STRENGTH feature was also reworked for the Flash game. The WALTZERS feature was the most fun to develop - the waltzer cars rotate on the end of arms which themselves are rotating.
Martin also added several flourishes to the game, including the appearances of the comical rubber ducks that quack their approval whenever the player achieves a big win in the features.
Big Wheel was a massive development project, containing 3 or 4 times as many features as the average online slot game. Martin commenced work in autumn 2011, and completed the game in spring 2012.