Wolverine Slot Machines

Wolverine slot machines are among the most popular Marvel games offered by Playtech, largely because of the title character’s status as one of the more recognizable figures in comics. He’s been immortalized in multiple cartoons and comic books over the years, and his recent portrayal by Hugh Jackman has elevated him into a pop culture icon. In the following article, we’ll look at the various options available on this 5-reel, 25-payline game, from the basic pay table to bonus features and progressives. If you find yourself intrigued by the possibilities, you may also want to look at similar titles such as Captain America, The Avengers, and Ghost Rider (for which I also have reviews).

While the sound and graphics of the game are nothing to get excited about, they are slightly better than the average Marvel product turned out by Playtech. The reels deliver a traditional slot machine noise when set into motion, and Wolverine stands near the edge of the screen and occasionally shrugs or glances at a winning combination. The symbols also animate slightly when part of a winning combination, but it’s nothing like what you’ll find on more sophisticated 3D slots.

Like all Marvel slots from Playtech, this game comes equipped with four mystery progressives. They are known as Power, Extra Power, Super Power, and Ultimate Power. The least of these is Power, and it usually pays a few hundred dollars. Ultimate Power, meanwhile, can result in more than one-million dollars being deposited into the account of a lucky winner.

These progressives are triggered randomly, and reaching the jackpot game guarantees the customer of walking away with one of the prizes. In order to do so, the player must choose from 20 covered squares on a 4×5 grid, with each square containing an icon corresponding to one of the jackpots. Once three identical symbols have been uncovered, the player wins the amount associated with that icon. Afterwards, the base game continues, and the just-won jackpot resets and begins to grow again.

The base game of the Wolverine slot machine is packed with symbols that award payouts for winning combinations. In this section, we’ll take a look at all the icons, as well as discuss the awarded credits for various wins.

• Syringe

  No illegal (and painful) government experiments would be complete without lots of syringes. If three or more of these icons turn up on the reels, the player receives 12 adamantium free games (more on this in the next section).

• Wolverine

  The pint-sized killing machine acts as a wild symbol, substituting for every icon except the scatter, Berserker Rage, and syringe. He’s also a stacking wild, occupying up to three positions on the reels. When part of a winning combination, Wolverine pays the following: 10 credits for two matches, 100 for three, 1000 for four, and 3000 for five.

• Berserker Rage

  If this icon shows up anywhere on the fifth reel, the bonus feature of the same name is activated. This is discussed in greater detail in the next section.

• Wolverine Logo

  This icon shows the character’s name, as well as some rather conspicuous claw marks. It acts as the scatter symbol, paying five credits for three matches, 25 for four, and 100 for five.

• Daken

  The vengeful son of Wolverine, Daken usually serves as a supervillain in Marvel Comics and has abilities similar to his father. Pays 60 credits for three matches, 150 for four, and 500 for five.

• Adamantium Claws

  This icon shows Wolverine’s gloved hand punching through a metal wall with the aid of his indestructible claws. Pays 40 credits for three matches, 100 for four, and 250 for five.

• DNA

  Also known as deoxyribonucleic acid, it serves as an essential ingredient for most forms of life. In the case of Wolverine, his DNA pays the following when part of a winning combo: 20 for three matches, 75 for four, and 200 for five.

• Dog Tags

  Since the name on these dog tags reads “Wolverine,” I can only assume they were issued to him during his time as a superhero for the Canadian government. When they make up a winning combination, they pay 20 credits for three matches, 75 for four, and 200 for five.

• Ace, King, Queen

  These generic poker symbols pay 10 credits for three matches, 50 for four, and 150 for five.

• Jack, Ten, Nine

  The least valuable symbols in the base game, these playing card icons pay five credits for three matches, 25 for four, and 100 for five.

While the main game provides plenty of opportunities for payouts, the Wolverine slot also offers a number of bonus features to keep customers coming back for more. In this section, we’ll examine all the moneymaking opportunities not available in the base game.

Stacked Wilds

During the main and free games, the Wolverine symbol appears as stacked on all reels when occupying two and three reel positions. When it’s in a single reel position, it can also appear as a non-stacked symbol. This icon substitutes for all symbols besides the scatter, syringe, and Berserker Rage.

Berserker Rage Feature

This feature is unlocked when the Berserker Rage icon appears anywhere on reel five. If the icon appears at the top position of the reel, then two to four Wolverine wilds are distributed horizontally on the adjacent reels from left to right. In the middle position, the player receives three to five random wilds. On the bottom position, Wolverine turns a pair of reels into stacked wilds. Only one re-spin can occur at a time, and the syringe icon doesn’t appear during this phase.

Adamantium Free Games

This feature is activated when three or more syringe icons appear during the base game. The player immediately receives 12 free games, and an adamantium tank appears on the side of the screen. The initial level of the tank is determined by the number of triggering syringe icons, including the following: four levels for three, eight levels for four, and 12 levels for five. During the free spins, the level of the tank increase by one each time a syringe icon winds up on the reels. These levels can be used to freeze any Wolverine icons on the screen, including symbols that are stacked. When this occurs, the tank level is immediately reduced by one. The free games cannot be re-triggered, and the Berserker Rage icon doesn’t appear during this phase.

what I like to refer to as the “control panel.” This area allows you to make numerous adjustments to your gameplay experience, and the following section provides details for the options available to the player.

• Info – By clicking on this button, the player gains access to information about bonus rounds and the pay table.
• Lines – The number of active paylines. There appears to be no way to adjust this number, so each spin is going to have all 25 lines activated.
• Line Bet – The amount of money wagered for each payline. Since all 25 lines are constantly activated, multiply the line bet by 25 to get the total wager per spin.
• Line Bet Plus – This option allows the player to increase the wager per line. The highest option is $25.00, which would result in a total bet of $625.00.
• Line Bet Minus – This option allows the player to decrease the wager per line. The lowest option is $0.01, which would result in a total bet of $0.25.
• Win – If the player gets a winning spin, their overall cash prize is displayed in this field.
• Total Bet – This section displays the player’s current wager for the upcoming spin.
• Auto Play – If you’ve grown weary of repeatedly pressing the spin button, you can choose this function and allow the computer to take over. Options include 10, 25, 50, and 99 spins. Once the number of automatic spins has been selected, a display appears to count them down. If the player wishes to halt the process, they can press the Stop button (which appears after the spins have been initiated).
• Turbo Mode – Some players like to get in as many spins per hour as possible, and this button can be a major help. Under normal circumstances, it takes five seconds for a single spin to be concluded. By initiating the turbo mode, the length of time is reduced to three seconds. Over the course of 100 spins, using this option would grant the player enough time to work in an extra 67 spins.
• Spin – Clicking this button sets the reels into motion. Once the reels have started spinning, the button changes to read “Stop.” By clicking this option, you can prematurely halt the progress of the reels (without altering the outcome).

Wolverine was created by the combined efforts of Roy Thomas, John Romita, Sr., and Len Wein. The character made his debut in the last panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974), and he was featured in the following issue. Since then, he’s become one of the most recognizable figures in the Marvel Universe, starring in a number of titles and belonging to superhero teams ranging from the X-Men to the Avengers.

Born in Canada in the 1880s, Wolverine (aka James Howlett or “Logan”) suffers through a series of personal tragedies in his early years and eventually winds up in the Canadian military during World War I. He also fights in the Second World War and later becomes a member of the CIA, eventually being recruited into a black ops unit known as Team X.

After being forced into the Weapon X program, he has the indestructible substance known as adamantium fused to his bones. Coupled with his existing healing factor, this allows him to withstand and/or recover from massive amounts of damage within a short period of time (often to the horror of his opponents). Armed with this new ability, he joins Department H and become one the first superheroes in the employ of the Canadian government.

Business really picks up after Wolverine joins the new X-Men roster, and his status as a superhero is cemented. He continues his longstanding rivalry with metahumans such as Sabretooth and the Hulk, while also contending with world-class foes such as Magneto.

Over the years, Logan has also shown himself to be quite the player when it comes to the opposite sex. The hairy Canadian has been involved with Storm, Viper, and Squirrel Girl, although he’s never been able to seal the deal with the lovely (and faithful to Cyclops) Jean Grey.

In addition to his famed adamantium skeleton, Wolverine possesses the following powers and abilities:

• Master of various forms of armed and unarmed combat
• Massive healing factor
• Retractable claws (also fused with adamantium)
• Extended lifespan (due to healing factor)
• Enhanced reflexes
• Superhuman senses
• Enhanced resistance to mental attacks
• Fluent in eight languages, with a working knowledge of 10 more
• Skilled pilot
• Well-versed in espionage and covert operations

If you’d like to learn more about the character, I suggest picking up a few issues of the X-Men from the 1980s or 1990s, or one of the titles bearing the character’s name. For those who don’t like to read, you can also catch him in the following movies:

X-Men (2000)

Wolverine helps Rogue find the X-Men, joins the team, and battles the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

X2 (2003)

Wolverine tries to unlock the mysteries of his past and comes into conflict with the mutant-hating William Stryker.

Wolverine (2009)

The character’s backstory is fleshed out in great detail, including an explanation of his lifelong feud with Sabretooth.

The Wolverine slot machines from Playtech are a solid addition to the company’s line of Marvel online games. While the sound and graphics don’t live up to the high standards set by many modern slots, the payout options, bonus features, and multiple progressives more than make up for any deficiencies. If you’re looking to sink your claws into a new game at your favorite online casino, this title is worth consideration.