Bingo Bango Boom

Online fruit machine games and online Bingo have proven wildly popular with UK gamblers, so it seems a perfectly logical move to create a fusion of them for double the fun. This is what Microgaming have tried to achieve with its Bingo Bango Boom machine, so have they got it right with these reels or made a right balls up of it to create a rotten fruit?

First, lets consider the basic fruit machine bit of Bingo Bango Boom. Microgaming have gone for a classic AWP machine format with three reels and a single payline, plus a simple, clear paytable shown on the console's fascia. Fruits and Bars occupy the reels, with Bingo balls forming the eight steps of this fruit machines bonus trail. Plus and minus buttons to the left of the Spin button allow you to adjust the stake you want to play for each spin. Hold and Nudge features are all present and correct, but there's also the handy Nudge Peek facility which lets players preview the next symbol stop on a reel when Nudges have been awarded to give you more chances of getting a winning combination onto the payline - just click the small triangle above the reel you want to 'peek' at and it will roll on one stop momentarily so you can know what the next two symbols on that reel will be.

Some symbols also feature numbers and the tally of these across the Win Line advance you that number of steps up the Bonus Trail displayed under the reels. The aim here is to reach the eighth ball to activate the Bingo Bango Boom bonus board (try saying that quickly!). You'll also find some symbols with a 'Bonus' logo, and these activate a two-stage chance to get further up the bonus trail. Players click to stop the machine as it cycles round three options - Boost, Skill Stop and Stoppa - which then determines how they're awarded further moves up the bonus trail.

As and when you make it to the eighth ball on the bonus trail this online fruit machine's Bingo-esque side kicks in replacing the three reels with a 90-ball Bingo ticket. Above the ticket are eight features assigned three of the fifteen possible numbers on the Bingo ticket. The Bingo game then commences, with the card autodaubed with any matching numbers. The moment three numbers are called that match with the card and one of the feature games you progress to play that game and pick up the bonus possible from it. These extra bonus games are:

Bingo Bango Boom! - The daddy. Staying with the Bingo game a fixed number of balls are called and your onscreen Bingo ticket is daubed with any matches. The aim is to get as many lines complete before the game finishes. Completing one line wins a 50x multiplier of your original stake, two lines 100 x and a Full House gets you a payout of 3000x your wager. Bingo indeed!

Cash Bingo - Balls are drawn until one marked BOOM appears ending the game. The accumulated value of the balls drawn before this event becomes the bonus multiplier of your stake.

Full House - The player gets to click stop the action up to three times as numbers on the Bingo ticket are rapidly lit, selecting numbers that will tally to become the bonus multiplier.

Balls Up - New Bingo numbers are called and the player must gamble to stop on one before the Bingo machine stops drawing new numbers. The number they stop on becomes the bonus multiplier.

Nudge Mania, Spin a Win, Eyes Down and House of Cards. These games return players to the reels where a further bonus round is played out, awarding spins, nudges or a click stop game to win a bonus payout.

Returning to our opening question, we have to say that Bingo Bango Boom's done an excellent job of bolting some Bingo style fun onto some classic fruit machine gaming. Our only whinge would be the rather irritating voice of the Bingo caller, but you can always flick the sound off if it grates with you too. Beyond this you'll find a great game, with an authentic fruit machine feel and bonus games that seem to trigger with very pleasing frequency which should put a smile on the face of any keen fruit fan / Bingo botherer.

Type	Three Reel Single Payline Online Fruit Machine
Reel Features	Nudge Nudge Peek Hold
Coin Sizes	Min: 10p - Max: £10
Jackpot	3000x Stake
Bonus Features	Bonus Trail + Bingo Style Bonus Game.
Free Play Mode?	YES
Software	Microgaming - No Download Required