Lord of the Rings Slot Machine WMS Review

I found a new fun slot machine that I thought I would share. I haven't played another slot machine like it. It's the Lord of the Rings by WMS games. It's a penny slot machine and the minimum bet is .40 cents. You can bet up to $4.00 a spin on most machines or 10 times.

You sit in a chair that is equipped with speakers right near your head. You not only see and hear what is happening during spins, but also feel the bass hit when certain things happen. I'm trying to be vague on purpose because I don't want to ruin the first time experience I had for others who might try the game. Let's just say that the speakers add a lot to the experience!

When you first start playing you are presented with the option to sign in. Basically you create a username that can be used to save stats from your time played. The main reason you want to do this is to unlock new bonus games. There are two bonus games that you start with and if you never create a username those are the only two you will ever play. There are a total of eight bonus games that can be unlocked by accumulating miles. Miles are awarded randomly during game play. The game tells you "you have this many miles until you unlock the so-and-so bonus." The game also keeps track of other awards won by completing certain objectives or your highest payouts from bonus games, etc...

Aside from the bonus games there are also 5 different power spins that are randomly awarded to you after a spin is completed. These spins are accumulated and are free to use whenever you like. You want these. They give you a better chance of making more money.

Bonus Booster -- Normally you need to hit 3 rings on the game board to initiate the bonus game. When you activate this power spin you only need to hit one ring! Almost a guaranteed bonus game!

Frodo Wilds -- During this power spin all of the Frodo symbols become wild and pay out 2 times if they hit any winning combination.

Random Wilds -- Randomly 1 to 5 of the columns become completely wild!

Scatter Spin -- You don't need the symbols to be lined up on a pay line to get paid. You just need three or more and the game will pay you as if those three or more were on a pay line. So if you get five Frodos spread out in a pattern that wouldn't otherwise be a win it would be if you had this power spin initiated.

Win Multiplier -- Activate, spin, and if you win a multiplier will appear that will multiply your wins by a certain amount (up to 25 times).

My family is a bunch of nerds and we are Lord of the Rings, gambling and slot fans. This game was easy for us to try. But even if you aren't a fan of all three it's worth checking for the pure entertainment value, and who knows, maybe you'll get lucky.

Here's a video review I posted on youtube. The video's pretty bad. Technically cameras were not allowed on the casino floor. I had it sitting on my lap and couldn't even see the screen. I guess blind it didn't come out too bad.

Golden Nugget Casino Las Vegas Review

About six months ago my extended family made their way out to Las Vegas for my Uncle's 80th surprise birthday. During that trip my Aunt said that we had to come and check out their hotel room downtown. I've been downtown. Although I like going down there occasionally for the Fremont Experience (overhead show that covers a large block of Fremont St.)or cheap deals I don't remember seeing a new construction that would warrant checking out a new hotel. I was wrong.

The Golden Nugget has added a new tower and while doing so renovated a large part of their casino. When we first entered the casino I was immediately surprised. I don't think I've ever been in the Golden Nugget. All the other Casinos in the surrounding area are older and I was expecting the same. I was wrong. The atmosphere was more like a strip casino and it's easy to forget that you are downtown. We walked to about the center of the complex and entered the pool area. The pool area is surrounded by glass, so you can see it from inside the casino. I was impressed before we went outside. The pool area looked like so much fun! There's a waterfall, a more private grotto type area and an amazing three story slide that goes through a two story shark tank. The shark tank is worth checking out on its own.

The new Rush tower (where my Aunts stayed) was incredible. You would probably need to stay in a suite or villa to find a nicer room. New everything--t.v., linen, couch, bathroom area, etc... and had an amazing view of the Strip.

Needless to say I was impressed and when more relatives came into town to visit I didn't hesitate to recommend what I had seen. It didn't disappoint. It's a great combination of higher priced quality and cheap deals. You can stay inside the Golden Nugget and get an amazing steak/seafood dinner at the Chart House or walk outside to the Fremont experience and in almost all of the other casinos find a very inexpensive meal. Usually when I'm in Vegas I want both and on the strip it's harder to find.

The only negative of the trip was the location. There is a population of homeless that surround the downtown area. Inside the casino and on the Fremont experience you really don't feel it that much, but as you walk away from Fremont street it's definitely present. I never felt unsafe, but it is there.

Here's a quick video at an attempt at a review... Sorry for the poor quality of the videos, but writing a review was an afterthought. We just had such a great time that I wanted to share.