Slot machine hybrid pin and ball game
View Patent ↗An electronic gaming console is illustrated having a console cabinet 10 including a prize display 12 , a coin entry slot 13 , a payout tray 14 and internally mounted game control processor circuits. A video game is provided for play on the console in which images of spinning reels spin and objects (balls) are dropped through a series of obstacles (pins) and eventually land in one or more of a set of containers. Prizes are paid according to either the state of the reels after spinning or the number of balls which are in each container at the end of the ball drop and/or the manner in which the pins are hit.
1. An electronic gaming console having credit means, reward means, game control means, display means, and player input controls, the game control means being responsive to the credit means and the player input controls to play a game which is displayed on the display means and if a winning event occurs, a player reward is awarded by the reward means, the gaming console being characterised in that the game provides a video display, for displaying a game image of a hybrid game comprising two different subgames played simultaneously wherein;
a first of the sub-games provides a game image displayed on the video display, the game image comprising images of one or more rotatable reels of a spinning reel game; and
the second of the sub-games provides a game image displayed on the video display, the game image comprising a labyrinth of pins or pins and holes of a pin and ball game,
wherein, the player input controls allow the player to initiate the motion of the one or more rotatable reels of the first sub-game and one or more ball images of the second subgame on the display, player rewards being awarded on the occurrence of an event where one or more of the reel and one or more of the ball images come to rest in predetermined prize winning locations, the spinning reel and pin and ball sub-games each potentially contributing to a single hybrid game outcome which depends on outcomes of each of the subgames and player rewards awarded to the player as a result of the combined game outcome are awarded as a result of events of the first and second subgames and/or combinations of these events, and at least one of the game outcomes results in a preselected player reward being awarded when the reel game outcome and the pin and ball game outcome combine to define a preselected winning event,
at least one of the game outcomes being the award of a feature outcome, the feature outcome being the awarding of either a feature event or feature game or the awarding of a jackpot prize, the feature outcome being awarded when the reel game outcome and the pin and ball game outcome, when combined, together define a winning combination,
wherein the pin and ball game has a number of prize zones each offering at least one bonus feature or prize,
wherein the number and position of the prize zones is variable from game to game,
wherein the number and position of the prize zones are selectable by a player, and
wherein the number and position of the prize zones are selected as a result of the size of a bet wagered by the player on the particular game,
wherein the prize zones comprise targets, and
wherein targets move during the game.
2. The gaming console as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target is a railway skip car running around a track and periodically appearing out of a tunnel.
3. The gaming console as claimed in claim 2 , wherein prize values associated with targets change during a game.