Ghost Rider Slot Machine

Gameplay

Game environment controls are set in a ribbon across the top of the screen. You can open up 2 or 4 gaming windows, although that is a trick most slot riders are not yet ready to master. Clicking on the speaker icon toggles the sound on or off, and clicking on the wrench icon brings up a mini-menu with three options: History (only available to real money players), Options, and Help. The Options sub-system manages game speed, audio settings, and related incidental features.

Beneath the ribbon are four progressive jackpot windows. These windows only activate when the progressive game is in play. The progressive game is only available to real money players.

There are ten numbered buttons running down either side of the playing area. These buttons activate all the pay lines up to the one corresponding to the number on the button and they deactivate all higher numbered pay lines.

The game's main controls are positioned below the playing area. Starting on the left you will find a large Info button that brings up the pay table screen system. Next to that is a Lines widget that controls the number of active pay lines. Then you have a Line Bet widget.

In the middle of the controls you'll find the Win display window positioned atop the Total Bet display window. The Win window reports the total prizes you won on your last spin (including from any bonus game). The Total Bet window is the product of the Lines times Line Bet values.

The Bet Max button is self-explanatory.

The Auto Play button brings up four options for you to choose from: 10 spins, 25 spins, 50 spins, and 99 spins.

And the Spin button also doubles as a Stop button.

You'll see your total balance in a thin ribbon at the bottom of the screen along with options for going to the Cashier and, if you are in practice mode, to play for real money.

Game Rules

All winning combinations are scored from left to right and only the highest prize per line is paid. As usual, all malfunctions void the game so be careful you don't click too hard and fast. This is actually important to remember because of the Ghost Hunt Bonus explained below.

The Scatter prize is multiplied by your Total Bet and it does not matter where the Scatter symbols are positioned.

Ghost Rider Slots Pay Table

There are thirteen symbols in the game, of which three have special functions.

The Ghost Rider emblem is the game's Scatter symbol. When 3 or more of these symbols appear anywhere on the screen they trigger the Free Spins game described below. The prize for 2 Scatter symbols is 1 times your Total Bet, it is 5 times your Total Bet for 3 symbols, 25 times your Total Bet for 4 symbols, and 100 times Total Bet for 5 of a kind.

There are two Ghost Rider symbols. The Ghost Rider Portrait is the game's Wild symbol and it substitutes for all other symbols except the Scatter and the other Ghost Rider. The Ghost Rider Portrait only appears on reels 2, 3, and 4.

• The Ghost Rider and Motorcycle symbol

  This symbol ignites an entire reel. That's all it does, except for the animation sequence where it drives off into the distance as it lights up the reel with fire. When all five reels are on fire the Ghost Hunt bonus is triggered.

• The game's high value symbol

  This symbol is handsome Johnny Blaze, who looks nothing like Nicolas Cage. Well, maybe in a they-both-have-dark-hair way he resembles Cage. Get five Johnnys and you win 10,000 times your Line Bet and then you won't care who he looks like. You'll agree he looks like your grandmother's cat. 4 Johnnys pay 1000 times your Line Bet, 3 Johnnys pay 100 times your Line Bet, and 2 Johnnys pay 10 times your Line Bet.

• Mephisto Symbol

  Pays 1000 times your Line Bet for 5 of a kind, 250 times your Line Bet for 4 symbols, 50 times Line Bet for 3 symbols, and 5 times Line Bet for 2 symbols.

• The Book and Contract symbols

  Pays 20 times Line Bet for 3 symbols, 75 times Line Bet for 4 symbols, and 250 times Line Bet for 5 symbols.

• Remaining low value symbols

  These are the standard "A", "K", "Q", "J", "10", and "9" symbols that many slot games use to fill out their screens.

Ghost Rider Slots Bonus Rounds and Games

The Ghost Hunt Bonus game is an interactive "shooter" game. You are taken to a lonely highway where the Ghost Rider sits in front of you on his motorcycle. As he drives down the road 10 ghosts come toward him, passing by either on his right or his left.

Your task is to target the ghosts (click on them 2-3 times with the mouse pointer) so that he can shoot them with his hellfire. You win a prize for each ghost you kill. At least some of the ghosts will try to dodge the hellfire.

You can only win the Ghost Hunt bonus game when you are playing the main game.

When 3 or more Scatter symbols appear on the screen the Free Spins bonus game is triggered. You win 10 free games, during which the Wild symbol becomes an Expanding Wild. All prizes are multiplied by 3.

The game can be triggered infinitely.

Marvel Multi-Level Mystery Progressive Jackpot

Every Marvel slots game is linked to four progressive jackpots. This bonus game is only available to real money players and it can be triggered after any spin regardless of whether you win a prize or not.

Although you can win the bonus game at any bet level, your chances of being awarded a progressive bonus game increase as you increase your bets.

You play the game on a different screen with 4 columns and 5 rows. All you do is click on the squares until you reveal 3 symbols for one jackpot bonus. You then win that jackpot.

You are guaranteed to win a jackpot in this bonus game. Even if you do not click on the squares you win the jackpot.

Conclusion

This game has a definite "cool" factor due solely to the Ghost Hunt bonus game. Sure, the Free Spins bonus is nice to have and who would not want to win a big Marvel Mystery Jackpot, but the shooter games are the best on slots. Whoever thought of combining shooter game features with slot game bonus rounds was a genius.

Just watching the reels light up one after the other is a pretty nice effect. The in-tile animations are also another very nice touch. The entire game just smokes, and that is saying a lot considering it's a slot game where you click Spin and watch the reels scroll by.

The animations are fun. When Johnny Blaze pays a prize he turns into the Ghost Rider. When the Wild symbol forms part of a winning combination the Ghost Rider whips his flaming chain. Mephisto bursts into flames and looks really evil. These are just cool touches.

Even the low value symbols take on a brief flash of ghostly fire.

When the Ghost Hunt is triggered the Ghost Rider drives across the screen.

Although the soundtrack is hardly spectacular it has a nice rhythm and helps maintain a bit of tension.

And though fans of the comic book will appreciate the references to the comic books you really don't need to be a fan to enjoy this game. It's cool simply on its own merits. There is enough going on to keep people interested and playing.