You have likely already played Thunderstruck II, or if you haven’t – then you’ve probably heard of it. This is arguably one of the most popular slot games in slot game history, even years after its initial release. And it’s for sure among Microgaming’s top offerings.
But what is it that makes this title such a great hit with players? The answer to that is about as complex and manifold as the game’s setup and structure.
For one, the theme is an epic one, and that may also be part of the success. It features Norse gods and mythological characters, and they all look pretty swell, too. The visuals and graphics quality are another strong point of this slot game. They are of great quality, and the overall design here is simply stunning. Everything from the stone and metal textures to the Viking woven ornaments screams of attention to detail, and we love it. Not to mention the awesome, almost cinematic soundtrack that’s there to accompany gameplay. Oh, and the features, the features… They’re something you should definitely experience for yourself, and you even have the opportunity to do that right on this page – for free!
At the Mercy of the Gods…
Now that we have (hopefully) managed to excite you with all the praise from above, let’s get back down to earth briefly for a quick assessment of the basics in Thunderstruck II. First of all, notice that the layout here is just your conventional grid of 5 reels and 3 rows. These come with a total of 243 ways to win – not that uncommon with Microgaming slots.
However, as is normally the case, the paylines do not allow for any adjustments to be made to them. In other words, there’s a little less flexibility when it comes to the available betting range. And while stakes aren’t too cheap, they aren’t too expensive, either. Your minimum wager amount on these reels will set you back a whole of 30c per single spin. The maximum bet, on the other hand, isn’t exactly sky-high, either, at $75 per spin. The controls are all very simple to use, though, offering to adjust the number of coins per bet as well as their value. And you also have easy access to the paytable, as well as to the game options.
Now we can head over to the game’s symbols. And these actually start off with the playing card icons, which have the lower pay-outs. But before you roll your eyes, note that these all boast an exquisite design. They all bear relevance to the theme and come in uniform style and color. Plus, they also resonate nicely with the surrounding backdrop and frame. The symbols in question are 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A. Next up, there are the higher-paying icons, beginning with the Viking ship. After that, there’s Valhalla, home of the gods, following which is the first of the character symbols, Valkyrie. Next is Loki, the trickster god, and after him we’ve got Odin. And the final character on these reels is Thor. The game’s logo acts as the Wild symbol and also offers the highest payouts of any other symbol. And since it’s the Wild, it will be able to replace most of the slot’s other icons to help create winning combos. The only one it won’t do this for, though, would be the Bonus symbol. In addition, the Wild also doubles the prize for any winning sequence it contributes to.
Enter the Great Hall of Spins and Reap Your Prizes
There are two main special features here in Thunderstruck II. One of them is the Wildstorm feature, which strikes completely at random and can catch you at any point during gameplay. As a result of this feature, up to all five reels can become fully Wild! This brings us over to the second, more important feature – the Great Hall of Spins. Things are a little less simple here.
First of all, in order to activate the bonus, you have to bring a minimum of 3 Bonus symbols into view at the same time during any spin. You only will not be able to trigger the feature if the Wildstorm round is active at the time. Now, once you trigger the Great Hall of Spins, your first free spins round will begin. It is the Valkyrie round, which offers 10 free spins and a 5x multiplier on all wins.
Now, the more times you trigger the free spins round, the closer that will bring you to unlocking other levels. Thus, from the fifth trigger, for example, you will be unlocking the Loki free spins. There are 15 of these, and they come with a Wild Magic symbol on reel 3. It will randomly turn symbols into Wilds, and landing bonus symbols will add you more free spins. Next, there’s the Odin round, which is available from the 10th trigger. It will, in turn, provide you with 20 free spins and a raven feature, which randomly hands out 2x and 3x multipliers.
Then the fourth and final level is that of Thor – available from the 15th trigger. It will grant you 25 free spins and rolling reels. Furthermore, it also comes with an initial 1x multiplier that increases with every consecutive win. The multiplier can reach up to x5. More good news is that you’re also able to retrigger the Great Hall of Spins feature.
Thunderstruck II – Conclusion
If you have ever played the original title, you will find that Thunderstruck II makes for a great sequel and probably even surpasses the first one. There’s great music, a fun and exciting theme, and fantastic visuals to support that otherworldly, magical vibe. On top of that, it certainly doesn’t hurt that you have a rich free spins bonus round to look forward to. If ever there were a slot game worth playing, this one would be it. And the fact that it’s been around for so long and still keeps players coming back already speaks for itself.