The Flash Velocity Slot Machine

The Flash is a character from DC Comics who’s often known as the “fastest man alive.” The uniform has most famously been worn by both Barry Allen and Wally West, and the longtime Justice Leaguemember has appeared in their own comic book since 1940.

The Flash Velocity slot machine was designed by NextGen, and it’s licensed out to online casinos affiliated with Amaya. Those looking for a game with vivid colors, bonus features, and plenty ofopportunities for gambling should get a kick out of the slot, and comic geeks should be absolutely beside themselves with excitement. For everyone else, I hope the details provided in this revieware sufficient to help you decide whether it’s something you would be interested in.

Before we discuss the paytable and bonus features, let’s take a look at some of the more basic rules of the game.

• All 50 paylines are active during each spin.
• Payouts are determined by the paytable.
• Payline wins are determined by multiplying the amount by the player’s wager.
• Scatter wins are multiplied by the wager.
• Scatter wins and payline wins are added together.
• When two or more wins occur on the same payline, only the highest amount is awarded.
• If wins occur on different paylines, the totals are added together to determine the player’s overall prize.
• All pays and plays are considered void in the case of a game malfunction.
• Wins begins on the leftmost reel and pay left to right in consecutive order. The only exceptions to this rule are the scatter and bonus symbols, which pay regardless of position.

The return to player (or “RTP”) is the amount of money that the player can expect to receive, relative to the amount of money wagered. This is expressed in percentage form, so an RTP of 98% wouldindicate that the player should get back $0.98 for every $1 risked.

This percentage doesn’t hold true for every spin, however. Sometimes, the payback amount exceeds the RTP, while other times it’s far less. The percentage expresses the RTP over the long haul,which is usually in the range of thousands of spins.

In the case of the Flash Velocity slot machine, the theoretical return to the player is 92.48% with the Bonus Bet inactive. When it’s activated, this number increases to 95.47%. The first numberis notably low for a slot, and most land-based casinos wouldn’t be allowed to put a game with such a meager payback percentage on their floor. The second percentage is a bit better, but it’sstill below average for what you’ll find at most online casinos.

The following symbols make up the basic paytable of the Flash slot machine:

• Wild

  This symbol takes the form of the Flash, and it causes any winning paylines to be tripled in value. In addition, it offers the following payouts: 10 credits for two matches, 250 for three,1000 for four, and 10000 for five.

• Bonus

  This symbol includes the Flash’s logo with the words “Bonus” underneath it. In addition to activating the Rogues Feature, this icon also offers the following payouts: 100 credits for twomatches, 250 for three, 750 for four, and 5000 for five.

• Scatter

  This symbol includes the Flash’s logo with the words “Scatter” underneath it. The following payouts are available when this icon appears multiple times on the reels: 100 credits for twomatches, 250 for three, 750 for four, and 5000 for five.

• Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Gorilla Grodd

  Some of the Flash’s greatest villains include a man with a freeze ray, an expert on mirrors, and a genius gorilla with psionic powers. If one of these rogues appears two or more times on thereels, the following payouts are available: two credits for two matches, 20 for three, 30 for four, and 250 for five.

• Clock, Flash Ring, and Flash Legs

  The clock represents the passage of time, while the ring was worn by the Flash and used to conceal his costume. The final icon shows the legs of the Flash as he speeds across the planet tohelp someone in need. When one of these symbols makes up a winning payline, the following amounts are available: 10 credits for three matches, 25 for four, and 150 for five.

• Ace and King

  These highest-ranking poker symbols are worth the following amounts if they make up a winning payline: eight credits for three matches, 15 for four, and 125 for five.

• Queen and Jack

  These poker symbols are worth the following when part of a winning spin: five credits for three matches, 10 for four, and 100 for five.

The following bonus features or special rounds are available in the Flash Velocity slot machine:

Each spin, the player has the option of activating the Bonus Bet. This is accomplished by risking 10 extra coins, and it can result in more money for the gambler. If the Flash wild symbol is partof a winning combo during the base game, then the payout is increased by x5 when the Bonus Bet is active. During the free games phase, this amount is raised to x10.

It should also be noted that the Rogues Bonus feature cannot be activated unless the Bonus Bet is engaged. Once the latter has been activated (which changes the background screen), it remainsthat way until the player cancels it.

I have mixed feelings about this option. Sure, activating it allows for an increase in payouts and a chance to access the bonus game. Of course, those same features could have been includedanyway, so it’s basically a way for the casino to wring even more money out of your account.

After a successful spin, the player is given a chance to gamble their winnings in an effort to increase the total payout. This is accomplished by clicking the Gamble icon that appears above theSpin button after a win (which looks like a heart and spade from poker).

The player then has two options, and the outcome hinges on a face-down poker card. The player can choose to predict whether the card is red or black, and successfully doing so results in thepayout being doubled. There’s also the option of predicting the suit of the card, with a correct guess quadrupling the latest win.

If the player’s guess is accurate, they can take the money or gamble it again. Winnings may be risked up to five times, and any incorrect selection results in the player losing everything gainedduring the most recent spin.

While this is an appealing function, it’s also a tricky way for the casino to immediately get back your winnings. I tried it numerous times in preparation for this article, and I lost my money90% of the time. If you decide to give it a go, let’s hope you have better luck.

Like most virtual slots, The Flash Velocity has a number of controls located beneath the reels. You’ll need to know how to operate these controls in order to initiate the basic functions of thegame, but a deeper understanding also provides the opportunity for a greater amount of customization. In this section, we’ll take a look at each option.

• Volume

  You don’t need the intellect of a mad scientist to figure this one out. By adjusting the level up or down, you can raise or lower the volume of the game.

• Info

  Clicking this icon takes the player to a series of separate screens. There, they can learn about the payline configuration, paytable, basic rules, and bonus features. In order to keep youfrom having to visit this section all the time, I’ve included almost all of the available information in this article. The only thing left out is the payline configuration, which is hard todo without including graphics.

• Bet Size

  With most slots, the overall size of the bet is simply displayed in numerical form. Here, it manifests as a series of coins, with each increase in size resulting in more coins being turnedinto gold. If the player clicks the area with the coin display, the bet size is automatically increased to the maximum amount.

• Bet Down

  This lowers the overall value of the denomination per payline. The five lowest amounts available to the player include the following: 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20.

• Bet Up

  This increase the size of the denomination wagered on each payline. The four highest amounts are as follows: 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00.

• Win

  Located directly beneath the reels, this field displays the cash amount gained when the player wins. As soon as the next spin is initiated, the amount is cleared from the display.

• Total Bet

  This field displays the total amount of money being wagered by the player on the upcoming spin. The amount is determined by factoring in elements such as denomination, active paylines, andwhether or not the Bonus Bet feature is engaged.

• Balance

  This field displays the amount of money in the player’s casino account. Casinos don’t accept credit, so anyone who runs out of funds must deposit more cash before they’re able to continue.

• Autoplay

  Even the Flash can get tired of running around the globe. Since the average player doesn’t have the superhuman endurance of Barry Allen or Wally West, this game (and most virtual slots)allows for the computer to take over the duties of spinning the reels. In order to do so, just click on the Autoplay function (which looks like two arrows moving in an infinite circle).You’ll then be asked to select the number of automatic spins, and your options include the following: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, and 100. Once you’ve made your choice and pressed “Start,” thereels kick into motion for the prescribed number of rotations. This continues until all auto spins have been completed or the player cancels the feature.

• Spin

  Clicking this symbol sets the reels into motion for the next spin. A normal spin takes about five seconds to execute, although this can be cut down to three seconds by stopping the reelsprematurely. This doesn’t alter the outcome, and I’ve noticed that an early stoppage isn’t available when the animated wild symbol is going to turn up.

• Gamble Feature

  This feature gives the player a chance to increase their winnings from the previous spin. Of course, they might also lose their newfound cash. For more details, see this my previous entry onthe subject.

• Bonus Bet

  As discussed earlier, the Bonus Bet feature allows players to wager even more money during a single spin. This provides a bonus payout on winning lines, and it’s also necessary in order tounlock the Rogues feature.

The Flash Velocity slot machine is a good-looking game with a lot of bells and whistles. Those who have a long-term relationship with Lady Luck should get a kick out of the Bonus Bet and Gamblefeatures, although less ambitious players may find these options to be an unnecessary drain on their wallet.

The payouts are respectable, although I’ve found the winnings offered during the bonus round to be underwhelming. The RTP is also a major disappointment, with the 92.48% basic payback well belowthe industry average.