The term “gaming” has been around for a lot longer than any video game or console. It used to exclusively refer to gambling games of both skill and luck. Now, gambling and video games have some common roots that might be worth exploring. Compare, say, slots and arcade game machines. You put a coin in, you get to have some fun. It’s a similar concept, but both slots and video games have come a long way since then, right?
Yes and no. The advent of online slot games saw the one-armed bandit become much more than it ever was before. From gamified mechanics to the themes, plots, and digital art usually reserved for the best the gaming industry has to offer. It’s no surprise, then, that some successful new slot games have been directly inspired and licensed by video games. Today, we’ll take a look at some excellent examples.
Space Invaders
If we’re talking about gaming classics, it doesn’t get any more venerable than Space Invaders. Credited for ushering in the age of the arcade machine, the 1978 shoot ‘em up is a pop culture icon. It even spawned a competitive scene lasting decades after its release. And in 2021, it was brought to online casinos, licensed to Inspired Gaming.
The famous pixelated alien ships are all there, as are visuals inspired by the original arcade machines. More importantly, though, the Space Invaders slot incorporates game mechanics from the original release. Winning the right reels at the right times “shoots down” alien vessels, which translates to cash rewards.
The faithful 8-bit design is sure to bring up some long-forgotten feelings of nostalgia. Especially if you have memories of gaming dating back before the age of consoles and PC gaming.
Resident Evil 6
Speaking of classics, Resident Evil is a franchise spanning multiple media formats lasting since 1996. The enormous attention the 7th installment attracted in 2017 is proof that the series’ clout is still going strong. And while game 6 in the main series garnered mixed opinions, it spawned some great slots based on video games.
Skywind Group’s Resident Evil 6 slot comes with a lot of callbacks to the original IP. You get to play as some of the characters fans have come to know and love such as Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong. Then, of course, there are the zombies and monsters.
However, Resident Evil 6 truly stood out with the unique tone and style it came with. Plot points rarely translate into online slot games, but there are certainly elements of the original. For starters, some of the cinematics and graphics have been lifted directly from the original game. It all leads to the tension and suspense you’d expect from a horror theme. This time, though, the excitement is from the thrill of playing slots.
Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs
For some reason, the theme of the dashing archeologist in search of ancient secrets is quite prevalent among slots. Perhaps it has something to do with hoping to strike gold and dig up a treasure or two. In fact, the theme is rife for video game-inspired slot games. Usually, though, this results in some sort of knockoff, off-brand Indiana Jones. In 2019, though, Triple Edge Studios took the harder route of licensing the famous Tomb Raider.
Doing a character as loved as Lara justice is no small feat. Especially in a relatively constrictive format such as casino games. This game’s creators went out of their way to deliver a solid presentation, though, and it shows. With beautiful, hand-drawn graphics and multiple callbacks to the Lara Croft IP, Temples and Tombs is well worth checking out.
Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior
Street Fighter 6 has just been announced, and what better way to celebrate than a stroll down memory lane to the title that kicked off the fighting game mania. We don’t know about you, but we have many cherished memories of breaking our SNES controllers while playing Street Fighter 2.
2020’s the World Warrior capitalizes on the original’s striking visuals and memorable characters. The science of picking your favorite Street Fighter 2 fighter is a sort of metagame of its own. And it’s no different in this great video game slot. Picking the right character determines how the overall game looks and plays, and it works amazingly. Your options include revered icons such as Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, and Zangief, to name just a few.
Honorable Mention: Monopoly Live
Now you must be thinking – but Monopoly isn’t a video game! Well, it is, but the board game is certainly what made the franchise popular. And a few years back it was adopted into a very interesting live casino game featuring Wheel of Fortune-type mechanics.
That’s all fine and dandy, but the reason why it’s on our list of top video games that became casino games is that it perfectly showcases how the two industries intersect. Monopoly Live by Evolution comes with augmented reality graphics that bring the famed Monopoly Man to life, right next to actual game presenters. Moreover, they show 3D rendered images of the world’s most famous board game.
Monopoly Live revolutionized the way people play casino games, and it’s obvious that it looked at video games for directions.
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