What Happened to Movie Tie-Ins? The Best Movie Slots
Go to any casino in the world and one of the most prominent things you’ll see are slot machines and one-arm bandits. It’s been the case for decades that these kinds of games are some of the most popular on the casino floor. It’s the thrill of uncertainty coupled with the flashing lights, whirring sounds, and dropping symbols that make them so timeless. That has also helped them make the lucrative jump to online play. However, despite these games retaining and even growing their reputation as a global favorite, there are some things that long-time players might notice are missing. In particular, the golden age of movie-themed slot machines appears to have passed. But are there any new ones to look out for and what are some of the greatest titles to grace the casino floor or online gaming collections?
Big Blockbusters, Big Symbols, Big Wins
Merchandising has long been a key part of any huge Hollywood movie’s marketing strategy. That often takes the form of novelizations and, in a now seemingly long-gone time, video games and slot machines. When E.T. welcomed into the world one of history’s worst games for the Atari, it ushered in a new era of movie tie-in games. Slots were a huge part of this multimedia extravaganza, too. While it was harder to replicate the storylines and key scenes from some of these blockbusters, the use of images on the machines, music, and symbols related to the movies and their characters helped establish a larger world outside of the cinematic experience. Some of the biggest movies to make their way on to the silver screen also found themselves being adapted into slot machines that were right at home in Vegas and further afield. Here are some of the biggest and best.
Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg and his films were at the forefront of licensed merchandising throughout the 80s and 90s. As well as the previously discussed E.T. video game, the legend of the American blockbuster was behind a whole host of other titles that got the gaming and gambling treatment. Jurassic Park, 1993’s classic adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel of the same name may not have been anyone’s first choice for a slot but it remains one of the most popular themed games. Even in 2023, Microgaming’s online Jurassic Park slot can be found at a long list of operators. With its T-Rex Alert Mode wilds feature, it fully embraces its source material to add to the excitement of a classic slot machine.
Gladiator
In the late 90s and early 2000s, it was impossible to escape the draw of epic historical blockbusters. James Cameron’s Titanic set 97 alight and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator gave the new millennium exactly what it craved. In fact, the latter went on to inspire a whole range of other media, including a wildly successful movie slot game. Featuring the likenesses of the movie’s stars, including Russel Crowe and the late Oliver Reed, the symbols used the iconography of Ancient Roman culture to really bed in the themes of the movie.
The Dark Knight
In recent years, the superhero subgenre of action movies has reached something of a pinnacle. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has set record after record at the box office. However, some of the earliest and most popular superhero movies belonged to the DC universe. In particular, Batman’s adaptations were popular throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. The Dark Knight, the second of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, was used as the basis for both online and physical slots. Much like the others discussed, this game made the most of imagery from the movie and its stars to tie the slot in. It featured the Dark Knight himself, Heath Ledger’s Joker, and Two Face.
An Industry That’s Not Dead
While it seems like game adaptations for movies are a little bit a thing of the past, that couldn’t be further from the truth in reality. In the casino world, while we may not be seeing as many big blockbuster-inspired machines being created, there is still a market for these tie-ins. In recent years, we’ve seen Anchorman slots, as well as games based around franchises like The Hunger Games and even the later installments in the Jurassic World universe. With TV-themed titles like Game of Thrones also finding their home both online and offline, it’s clear to see that there’s a place in people’s hearts for these games and the intellectual properties they represent. Play our free demo slots to try out movie themed slots yourself!