Halloween is usually a particularly busy time of year for online casino software developers. At this time every year, countless developers release their latest Halloween themed slots. This year, though, despite only a handful of Halloween themed slots being released, the conveyor belt for new slots has never been more active.
Most of the major developers have been hard at work released non-Halloween themed slots of late, in what can best be described as a break from a major trend. At the end of last month, a Jungle Book themed slot was released, and the long-awaited Zeus 1,000 video slot made its way out of WMS Gaming to casinos all over the net, none were exactly laden with ghouls and goblins.
Following on from there, Blueprint Gaming released an Austin Powers themed slot, ELK unleashed Taco Brothers, the Riches of Don Quixote was released by Playtech, Titans of the Sun: Hyperion, and Titans of the Sun: Theia were Microgaming’s latest twin hits, and Net Ent’s Pyramid: Quest for Immortality was released just last week. Again, the witches and vampires of the slot world seem to have been vanquished. In fact, the only sign of a Halloween themed slot at all has been Play ‘n Go’s cheesy, and quirky Happy Halloween slot game.
The trend is set to continue this week, with the announcement by Net Entertainment that they are working on another new slot, with an anime theme. They aren’t alone, either, as Quickspin has just unveiled its pre-historic Razortooth video slot, IGT unveiled their Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania 2 slot, and NextGen Gaming has launched its own Jack and the Beanstalk themed slot game. Monsters and pumpkins are so last year, it seems.
Of the new slots, Razortooth is a sabre-toothed cat themed title, and one which has 5 reels and 243 ways to win. The slot features multiple wild cons and offers stacked wilds in its free spins bonus game. By contrast, the Jack’s Beanstalk slot, is played on only 25 lines, and features a classic fairytale theme which all players will be familiar with. Special wild features, and pick me bonus games also play a part in this new slot’s offerings.
However, Net Ent’s upcoming Koi Princess is as far from Halloween as you are going to get. This new slot isn’t yet released, but we already know that it will feature anime on its reels (one of the few major slots to do so). Also included in the slot will a complex wagering system and gaming structure, making the game one of the biggest hits in recent times for players seeking things out of the ordinary.
That about sums up this Halloween – out of the ordinary. It was inevitable that Halloween slots would eventually fall from popularity, but this fast? The sheer lack of new titles this year has certainly given rise a whole host of more creative and original titles, though, and that is certainly not a bad thing by any standards.
