Sometimes, a theme can make a game. Take the case of Rakin’ Bacon. The game is effectively a clone of other AGS games like Olympus Strikes in that the pay tables are basically identical. I believe the only difference is around linked progressives in a banked machine, but even that could be the same.
They have other games like Fu Nan Fu Nu that have the same bonus round, and the games themselves bear a striking similarity to Dancing Drums, right down to the number of spins and reel height options in the bonus round.
So what makes Rakin’ Bacon special, enough so that there’s now a sequel? Some of it’s going to be the music, but a lot of it has to do with their replacing the pot/fireworks/etc. with an adorable, and growing, piggy. As the wilds come out and throw into the piggy, it gets fatter, and more bloated, and makes faces, and ultimately that does the trick.
The game is your standard 88 Fortunes/Dancing Drums style game with 88 credit bet increments, all ways pays to win, the chance for a progressive pick and free games. The free games bonus symbols can match with wilds, but must appear on at least three consecutive reels starting from the left.
In other words, if you’ve played other games of this type, you’ll feel right at home.
Yet despite that, players flock to this game because it can pay well when things line up just right, and five of a kinds on this game pays a bit better than on Dancing Drums and its ilk.
Which it just goes to show you sometimes the right theme can capture the imagination and attention of players.
Watch and Learn
RandomSlots comes through as always with the pay table and some live play:
Here’s Brian Christopher‘s massive Major win on a high limit Rakin’ Bacon, along with other play on the machine:
You definitely nailed it. There’s so many games that are similar to Dancing Drums but Rakin Bacon seems to be one of the only similar ones that works.
I think the fat pig is sort of like table games and how the historical results displayed help influence a player’s decision. The fat pig is a demonstration of how long it’s been since the last trigger. If you walk up to a roulette table and see the last 5 results were black, you’ll probably go red thinking there’s no way it could be black again. If you walk up to Rakin Bacon and see a fat pig you’re going to think you’re closing to popping it.
Fantastic analogy on the table games – these play into players’ hopes to “crack the code” and hopefully find a way to pick a winner… and those indicators aren’t it.