Thunderstruck II is Microgaming’s 2010 follow-up to the popular and successful original 2003 game, and this sequel has proved itself to be even more highly regarded.
The success of the game lies in the fact that it features a combination of straightforward gameplay with imaginative but simple to play bonus rounds, thereby offering the latest video pokie technology in a game that isn’t overburdened by overly complex extra features.
Thunderstruck II is a 5-reel 243 ways to win video pokie where wins pay on left to right adjacent symbol combinations. There are three coins sizes— 0.01, 0.02 and 0.05—and between 1-10 coins can be wagered per spin. There is a minimum bet of 30x coins, so the maximum bet ranges in size from $3.00-$15.00. This is a low volatility game where the payouts during base play are not enormous, but because of the wild and scatter symbols, they occur relatively often.
This is an innovative bonus round, in that as you earn more entries into the Hall, more free spins become available. There are four Halls, each with its own character and reels, and access is only granted to a higher Hall after the feature has been triggered a set number of times:
Although much of the look of the first version has been retained, the production values have gone up in this later edition. The theme, figures and images taken from Norse mythology, and the characters are created in a bold, heroic style reminiscent of gaming and fantasy fiction. The accompanying music is suitably full of awe and majesty, without being overbearing, with wins punctuated by the crash of thunder and trumpet blasts. Overall, this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing online pokies on the market today.
The maximum jackpot on Thunderstruck II is 2,430,000 coins (up to $121,500) during the Wildstorm feature, when all five reels are wild. During base play, 5x Thunderstruck II wild symbols = 10,000x coins (up to $500), while 5x Thor’s Hammer scatter symbol = 200x total bet (up to $3,000).
The progressive slots nature of the Great Hall of Spins bonus round is an innovative feature that makes playing the game for extended periods of time increasingly lucrative. The Wildstorm feature is also an imaginative feature, which is extremely lucrative, being potentially worth up to $121,500.
