Review of the Cheers Slot Machine by WMS
Cheers is the latest in a long line of slots which are themed on older movies and TV shows. This is a video slot, with clips from the TV series which was hugely popular during the 1980s and early 1990s. The theme tune plays while you are spinning the reels and the bonus features use different characters from the series as their basis. This slot is found in casinos in Vegas and around the country.
This review of the Cheers slot gives you a complete overview of this entertaining game. First of all the basic setup and game-play of this slot is covered, including some of the big wins. After that you can find out about the key bonus rounds, which are themed on the characters from the show. Next I look at whether this machine is a good pick from the 100’s of other titles you could choose from. Finally, some of the other TV tie-in slots are summarized that you might like to play in addition to the Cheers slot.
Cheers Slot Game Play and Setup
This is a narrow cabinet 5 reel video slot with 25 win lines. There is a wheel above the main screen which comes into play during the many bonus sequences. The main symbols are almost all characters from the film, with card symbols, wilds and bonus symbols making up the remainder. There are plenty enough small payouts to keep you playing, with 3-4-5 of all of the symbols on any win line returning some coins.
One way of netting a big win is to fill the screen with symbols of the same character. This will pay out 10,000 times your line bet, which is a nice windfall for even the smaller bet amounts. There are plenty of nostalgic clips from the series to keep you entertained while you are playing. It is the bonus rounds where this machine really comes to life. What you are after to trigger this is 3 bonus symbols on any winning line.
Cheers Slot Bonus Rounds
There are a lot of different bonuses, each of these coming with a clip from the series and all are based on different characters. The bonus round starts off with the wheel above the main screen spinning. This stops either on a win amount, or on one of the character bonuses.
Here is an overview of the kind of character bonuses you can expect.
The Cliff feature is a pick-em type round where you’ll have 8 books to choose from. Each one contains a number of bonus credits. The Norm feature has a similar setup, only this time you are picking from coasters. The best bonus round is the Sam re-spin bonus, this comes with a free spins round of 15 spins. What happens is that you get another spin of the bonus reel first, which determines your multiplier for the free spins round. This can be anything from 2x up to 100x on each win – obviously this has the potential to lead to some very big windfall payments.
Who Should Play the Cheers Slot?
I am certain that fans of the show will find this slot entertaining. The nostalgia and familiarity of all the characters, plus clips from the series, makes this slot an immersive game. The big question is whether younger players or those only faintly familiar with the TV show would be attracted to this particular game. My thought is probably not, the bonus rounds will seem a little flat without the tie-in with the characters behind them. There are games with bigger win potential and more accessible themes available if you are not particularly a ‘Cheers’ fan.
For those who loved the TV show this should be on the ‘must-play’ list next time you visit your local casino. There are enough small bonuses and wins to keep your bankroll turning over while you wait for the big wins – and this slot will keep you fully entertained along the way.
Other Live Slots with TV Tie-Ins
TV show and movie tie-ins are a popular way of branding the new generation of slots games. Technology which has enabled interactive bonus rounds and multi-screen play has made it possible to theme bonuses and show clips from the shows while you play. Here are some other TV and movie tie-ins you might want to try out:
American Idol has now been running for 9 seasons, the slot themed on this game is one of a new generation of interactive games. Up to 5 players can play together, and there are both individual and shared bonus features which appear on a giant screen above all the seats.
Ghostbusters Slot: This will appeal to the same generation which grew up with Cheers. The Ghostbusters slot includes clips, entertaining bonus rounds and also has 4 progressive jackpots.