Gaming Slots and electronic gaming

Dancing to a different drum

Written by The Tiger

This article first appeared in the Nov/Dec 2014 issue of World Gaming magazine.

Having seen the first three games in their Duō Fú Duō Cái series of slot machines take Macau by storm, SHFL entertaınment – now under the banner of gaming giant Bally Technologies – are hoping to build on that success with the release of “Dancing Drums”.

As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That certainly appears to be the motto adopted by leading electronic gaming manufacturer Bally Technologies with the release of their latest slot machine “Dancing Drums”.

The fourth release of Bally’s Duō Fú Duō Cái series, “Dancing Drums” follows on from “88 Fortunes” and “5 Treasures”, which were first released in 2012, and “Diamond Eternity”, which joined them last year. Like its predecessors, “Dancing Drums” boasts distinctly Asian-themed imagery. Of course the “Fu Babies” Gold Coin jackpot is back, along with some interesting new features aimed at further boosting player interaction.

But before we go any further, let’s take a quick look at the Duō Fú Duō Cái concept as a whole and its emergence as one of the most popular machines in Asia over the past two years.

The key to Duō Fú Duō Cái is that it was specifically developed with Asian players in mind. From the authentic Chinese artwork of the base games to the gold coins that reveal the Fu Babies in the jackpot feature to betting options based around the lucky number eight, there is nothing subtle about who these guys are targeting. Even the name was carefully thought out, with Duō Fú Duō Cái roughly translating to “much luck, much fortune.”

The earlier Duō Fú Duō Cái machines award 10 free games for triggering the feature, but the real point of difference is of course the linked progressive “Fu Babies” jackpot which not only provides the potential for a huge payday should players hit the big one but also offers a perception of control. When the jackpot feature is randomly triggered, players are presented with a screen of 12 lucky gold coins from which to choose. As each coin is touched, one of the four “Fu Babies” appears, each corresponding to one of the four jackpot levels – Mini (green), Minor (blue), Major (purple) and Grand (red). Players then win the jackpot prize corresponding to whichever “Fu Baby” is first to be revealed three times, so there is a sense of real excitement created any time a player has revealed two red “Fu Babies” with more selections still to come!

So what can players expect from the newest addition to the Duō Fú Duō Cái series? From a base game perspective, “Dancing Drums” is a throwback to “88 Fortunes” with the gold dragon, sailing ship and golden amulet symbols all revived – albeit with a fresher look thanks to new artwork. Bally’s innovative All Up gameplay also remains whereby their Reelways design – which sees symbols pay in all reel positions from left to right rather than on designated lines only – comes into play even at the lowest bet amount. Players who bet bigger are rewarded with more high paying gold symbols which increase both the frequency and size of prizes. And needless to say the “Fu Babies” jackpot feature remains as the key attraction.

The big difference with “Dancing Drums” comes in its free games feature – triggered by three dancing drums left to right – and in this it seems Bally is onto a winner. Rather than offering the standard 10 free games of its predecessors, “Dancing Drums” provides players with three options. Stick with the standard screen and players will now win 15 free games with 243 ways (or lines) to win. Cut that down to 10 free games and an extra horizontal row will be added providing 1,024 ways to win. And if players want to chase that really big spin, they can choose to play just five free games but with a fifth row added and 3,125 ways to win – greater risk for greater reward.

Players can still trigger the “Fu Babies” jackpot feature during their free games and will be awarded an extra three free games any time two more dancing drum symbols appear.

Duō Fú Duō Cái has enjoyed phenomenal success since it first hit Macau’s gaming floors in mid-2012, with 1,800 units installed in Asia alone and the honor of being named “Best Progressive Slot” by Inside Asian Gaming in both 2013 and 2014.

Nevertheless, the decision to provide players greater control over their own destiny with the new free games options is a good one and it wouldn’t surprise at all to see “Dancing Drums” eventually out-perform its stable mates.