Scientific Games has been playing catch-up in the past few years on renewing classic games on modern equipment. Fortunately, though, these efforts have led to a proliferation of both classic games coming back, and some brand new sequels that evoke previous games.
The Wizard of Oz line has been a proven performer for WMS and now Scientific Games, and with their latest Oz game Emerald City, it, like a recent three-reel Lord of the Rings, works to revive the three-reel mechanical game they had out some years ago, but with some new twists.
Like before, you can collect emerald gems to trigger a bonus, but this time around you can also collect ruby slippers. They can be mixed and trigger the bonus as well, but only if you’re playing at least 150 credits – this is the latest version of a more/better bet on a licensed machine.
The four bonuses are:
- Dorothy: Free spins bonus that can trigger more bonuses (or extra spins) within the bonus as you collect the symbols. 8 free spins award awarded on the initial trigger. Retriggers award 3 spins if the retrigger spin was mixed emeralds and ruby slippers; 5 spins are awarded for three of a kind of the ruby slippers or emeralds on the respin trigger.
- Tin Man: Spin until you win, with a growing multiplier that can reach 10x. It starts at 2x, increments each losing spin by 1x until it reaches 7x, and then jumps to 10x and stays until a winning spin is found.
- Cowardly Lion: A credit prize is awarded after whittling down the options one by one.
- Scarecrow: Apples are thrown, placing and enhancing wilds on the screen, and then a spin is evaluated. 2-9 positions are randomly covered with Wild or 3x Wild.
If you’re wagering at least 150 credits and collect three of a kind of emerald gems or ruby slippers, a deluxe bonus is triggered with enhanced options. Those are:
- Each of the original four bonuses above, but in an enhanced form (double reel set for Dorothy, Tin Man and Scarecrow; double prizes for the Cowardly Lion)
- Great and Powerful Oz: 5 reel spins, with symbol substitutions and/or reel spins awarded based on whether the ruby slipper or emerald lands on that reel and the wheel slot that lands above it.
- Glinda the Good Witch: A wheel spin with 200-10000x the bet multiplier (credits shown are already multiplied)
A further wrinkle is the high-limit wagers at $5 or more on a $1 denomination; which will automatically give you the Glinda the Good Witch wheel if three symbols are collected.
The new additions make the game a bit more diverse, while keeping to the active and diverse bonus game arrangement of the licensed 3-reel games that have been around and popular on casino floors for years.
It follows both in the footsteps of the recent Lord of the Rings where a second bet level exists with more chances to bonus over the original version, and the Road to Emerald City 3-reel game that was out a number of years ago with similar mechanics, albeit some different bonuses.
Watch and Learn
Here’s Scientific Games’ promotional video for the game:
Here is RandomSlots with a video featuring the pay tables and a Deluxe Bonus:
