IGT slot games haven’t always impressed us visually so Wheel of Fortune Hawaiian Gateway proved to be a pleasant surprise. The reels are flanked by swaying palm trees and beautiful blue seas. There’s a 1950s flavour to the symbols. The lower value royal values are garlanded by flowers. The more lucrative symbols have the look of posters. It all looks rather lovely. There’s a decent array of extras on offer here too.
Big Kahuna Respin feature - a respin is awarded if you land 3 full stacks of higher value symbols next to each other. Only 1 higher value symbol is present on that respin which also comes with a multiplier that can send the payout rocketing by between 2x and 5x.
Land 6 bonus symbols on the same spin you’ll trigger the Wheel Bonus feature – you get a spin of the bonus wheel where you’ll win a cash prize or 1 of the following features depending on where the pointer lands:
- Pointer Frenzy feature - you’ll get a spin of the Bonus Wheel which is made up of segments of coin values plus the other 2 potential bonus features. Boosting your chances here extra pointers. Between 2 to 6 are in play. All the coin values won are added together. You could also trigger the jackpot or free spins round.
- Jackpot Bonus feature - spin the wheel to win 1 of 5 jackpots. Prizes here start at 20 times your stake for the Blue Jackpot but can reach up to 1,000 times your total stake if you’re lucky enough to bag the Gold Jackpot.
- Free Spins Bonus feature - 10 free spins are awarded if you land this round. Retriggers are possible here too. Up to 120 free spins are possible in this round. The Big Kahuna Respin feature can also apply meaning lots of respins and multipliers up to 5x.
We’ve been a bit underwhelmed by some previous slot games in the Wheel of Fortune franchise. Wheel of Fortune Hawaiian Gateway is a big improvement. The retro visuals are terrific, and the steel guitar soundtrack conjures up a real feel of old school Hawaii. The gameplay in this medium volatility game impresses too, offering a nice range of extras.
Put all that together and Wheel of Fortune Hawaiian Gateway becomes very playable slot game. If you like the sound of this game, Wai-Kiki by Iron Dog Studio and Sam on the Beach by ELK Studios are worth looking into.