Blade Slot Machines
Blade slot machines are something of a departure from the usual superhero games available at online casinos. Instead of an impossibly muscular hero who can fly around and punch holes inmountains, gamblers are instead treated to a scowling anti-hero in sunglasses who makes it his life’s mission to hunt down and slay vampires. Welcome to the world of Blade.
In this article, we’ll cover every facet of this 5-reel virtual slot from Playtech. From the basic paytable to special symbols, you’ll come away with a solid understanding of how the game worksand why you should be playing it. Fans of vampires and superhero films are urged to pay special attention, as the franchise creates a unique blending of the two.
Blade Background and Details
While the 1998 Blade movie first brought the character to the attention of mainstream audiences, he was actually active in comic books for over two decades prior. Created by writer MarvWolfman and artist Gene Colan, Blade debuted in The Tomb of Dracula #10 in July of 1973.
Over the years, the character appeared in the pages of Marvel comics such as Adventure into Fear, Vampire Tales, and Ghost Rider. In the early 1990s, he gained a moresignificant following thanks to a starring role in the 18-issue Nightstalkers series.
While large parts of his origin were changed for the transition to the big screen, the essentials remain. Blade was born while a vampire named Deacon Frost was feasting on his mother’s blood.This resulted in Blade (aka Eric Brooks) being turned into a half-human and half-vampire hybrid. He retained vampiric abilities such as superhuman physical prowess and regeneration, but he wasn’tcursed with weaknesses to sun or silver. This made him the perfect weapon against the forces of the undead, and he grimly set about killing them at every turn.
The film franchise wound up being surprisingly profitable, earning $415,098,928 worldwide against a total budget of $164 million. In case you’re unfamiliar with these movies, I’ve provided abrief rundown below. If you’re planning on playing the Blade slot, I suggest watching these vampire flicks in order to get in the proper mood.
Blade (1998)
Snipes and a grizzled Kris Kristofferson work together to stop an ambitious vampire (a pre-vaping Stephen Dorff) from wiping out the human race. The film was a major hit, and deftly combined asharp soundtrack with solid performances and kick-ass fight scenes. In addition to the previously mentioned performers, watch for Donal Logue in an entertaining turn as one of Dorff’s toplieutenants.
Blade II (2002)
While not quite as good as the original, the sequel still delivered plenty of action. There are lots more vampires in this one, mainly because Blade and Whistler (Kristofferson) are forced toteam up with them in order to destroy a new menace that threatens humans and undead alike. Ron Perlman is a standout as a villainous bloodsucker, and his frequent collaborator, Guillermo delToro, served as the director.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
The final film in the series, mainly because it underperformed at the box office and received a thrashing at the hands of critics. This time the villain is the original vampire, Dracula(Dominic Purcell), and Blade is joined in his struggle by fellow hunters Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds. The eclectic cast (Patton Oswalt, Parker Posey, Triple H) is worth a look, but prepareto be subjected to plenty of subpar jokes and an overall flat script.
Following the last film, a television series was developed for Spike. Called Blade: The Series, it ran for 13 episodes and starred Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones (from ‘90s rap group Onyx)in the title role. As of this writing, there’s also talk of once again bringing Blade back to the big screen. Whether the character’s leather coat would be filled by Snipes or another actorremains to be seen.
Paylines
The Blade slot machine has a total of 20 paylines, and these range from straight lines to zig zag patterns. Only the highest win per line is paid, and all winning combinations pay from left toright.
It’s also important to note that all payline wins are multiplied by the line wager. If a combination pays 200, for example, that means 200 times your wager. Therefore, a $2 bet would wind upgiving you a payout of $400 (or 200 x $2).
Game Denominations
Before making a spin, the player can choose the overall denomination to play with. The smallest amount is 0.01, and the largest is 5 credits. Other values include 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 1, and2.
Sound and Graphics
When it comes to the sights and sounds of the Blade slot machine, there’s not a lot to get excited about. The game is limited on both counts, with a generic background soundtrack and rudimentarymovement involving various icons.
Symbols that are part of a winning combination display some manner of animation, but it’s often limited. For example, when one of the playing card values (10, Jack, King) is involved, bloodquickly flows across the face of the symbol. The most complicated animations involve undead characters, but even these are nothing to write home about.
If you’re more concerned with payouts and/or comic book vampire hunters, then the Blade game may still have what you’re looking for.
Blade Symbols and Pay Table
Like all modern slots, Blade is filled with a variety of symbols to hold the interest of the player. In this entry, we’ll examine the game’s various icons, as well as discuss their value as partof winning combinations. More specialized symbols are discussed in the next section.
- Blade Symbol
This animated icon features Blade, the hero of the slot machine and the main character in the film and comic book franchise. While he wears his trademark sunglasses and bares his fangs, don’texpect him to look exactly like Wesley Snipes. I’m guessing that nobody wanted to shell out the money to buy the rights to the star’s likeness, so steps were taken to avoid a potentiallawsuit. This functions as the wild symbol in the game, and it substitutes for all icons except the Blade Scatter and Blade Split. When two or more of these symbols appear on a payline, theyreward customers in the following manner: 10 credits for two matches, 75 for three, 200 for four, 2500 for five, and 25000 for six (with the latter being the largest straight payout in thegame).
- Vampiress
This is a generic female vampire, so anyone hoping to see the likeness of the hot-yet-skanky Mercury from the first Blade installment is likely to be disappointed. The image does look alittle like Erika from the 2003 Underworld movie, however, so that may be enough for hardcore fans of undead cinema. This lethal beauty has blood on her mouth, and the animatedsequence shows her gnashing her teeth and baring her claws in an appropriately menacing fashion. If you get two or more of these icons on a payline, you’ll be eligible for one of thefollowing payouts: 5 credits for two matches, 20 for three, 150 for four, 1000 for five, and 4000 for six.
- Blade’s MAC-11 –
me, and it offers the following payouts as part of a winning combination: 3 credits for two matches, 10 for three, 100 for four, 750 for five, and 3000 for six.
- Assorted Blade Weapons
The vampire-killing business is always booming, but even a veteran hunter can get bored of using the same methods over and over. That’s why Blade and his buddy Whistler like to keep thingsfresh by mixing in a number of novel ways to dispatch undead opponents. Three such weapons are included as symbols in the game: stakes made of pure silver, Blade’s throwing glaive, and EDTAsyringes that cause vamps to explode. When part of a winning combination, each of these icons offers the same payout: 10 credits for three matches, 75 for four, 200 for five, and 2500 forsix.
- Ace and King
Most slots use playing card values to round out their list of symbols. The Blade slot machine is no different, and the two highest cards provide the same payout when part of a winningcombination. They include the following: 5 credits for three matches, 50 for four, 150 for five, and 500 for six.
- Queen and Jack
Two more playing card values. While the payout values are the same for each, a winning combination must be made up entirely of one type of symbol. For example, three queens would be a winner,while two queens and a single jack wouldn’t qualify. Payouts include the following: 3 credits for three matches, 30 for four, 100 for five, and 300 for six.
- Ten
The lowest playing card value used in the game, this is also the lowest-paying symbol available. Payouts include 2 credits for three matches, 25 for four, 75 for five, and 250 for six.
Blade Special Slot Symbols
In addition to the symbols listed above, the slot also has two special icons. These include the following:
Scatter Symbol
This icon emblazoned with the word “Blade” pays 6 credits for three matches, 66 for four matches, and 666 for five. Getting three or more scatters also triggers the free spin mode.Depending on the number of symbols, the free games begin with an initial random multiplier of either x2, x3, x4, or x5. After each winning spin, this multiplier increases in value (withsteps ranging from x2 to x5). If a complimentary spin doesn’t result in a win, then the multiplier decreases by one step (although it can never be lower than x2). During the extra spins,the scatter serves as an additional wild, substituting for all icons except the wild and Blade Split symbols.
Blade Split Symbol
If the icon that reads “Blade Split” appears on the fifth reel during a spin, then the last symbol in any winning combination will get chopped in two by Blade’s lethal samurai sword. Thiseffectively doubles the symbol, giving players a chance to get the lucrative six-of-a-kind combination. This feature is available in both the main game and free spins phase, and all iconsmay be split in both rounds.
Blade Progressive Jackpots
In addition to the payouts listed above, the Blade slot machine provides an opportunity for players to win one of the four multi-level progressives. These include (from least to greatest value)the following: Power, Extra Power, Super Power, and Ultimate Power.
These jackpots are triggered randomly, so players are always on the verge of a huge payout. In fact, the jackpot screen can even show up after a losing spin. Please note, however, that largerwagers do enhance the chances of triggering the jackpot screen.
If the aforementioned jackpot screen is activated, the player is presented with a 4×5 grid containing 20 squares. Each square conceals a different jackpot symbol, and these can be revealed byclicking on an individual space.
In order to win a specific type of jackpot, you must uncover three matching symbols that correspond to either Power, Extra Power, Super Power, or Ultimate Power. If this can be accomplished, theplayer immediately wins the progressive amount linked to that specific jackpot. As with other games of this type, the progressive amount resets to a base value after being won and begins to climbagain.
Conclusion
Blade isn’t anything special when it comes to graphics, music, and sound effects. It does, however, offer several decent payout options for a low amount of risk. It also brings Marvel’s premiervampire hunter to the online slot audience, something that should delight fans of Wesley Snipes, cinematic undead, and gritty superheroes.