Thunderkick has made a notable impact in the online slots UK community with its creative and visually captivating slot games. Among their standout titles are Luchadora, Pink Elephants 2, and Babushkas – each offering a unique and engaging experience that reflects Thunderkick’s innovative approach. These slots are designed to appeal to players with their distinct themes, graphics, and mechanics. This article will explore the three most popular Thunderkick slots, as mentioned above, and underline how they function with their differentiating features.
Thunderkick Background
Thunderkick is a prominent game developer based in Stockholm, Sweden, founded in 2012. The company is renowned for its distinctive approach to online slot games, characterised by unique themes and innovative designs. Thunderkick has established a solid reputation in the gaming industry by focusing on creativity and visual appeal. Their portfolio features popular titles such as Esqueleto Explosivo, which celebrates the Day of the Dead with vibrant graphics and lively animations, and Toki Time, known for its playful design and engaging gameplay. Another notable game, Fruit Warp, exemplifies Thunderkick’s innovative mechanics and colourful aesthetics.
The developer employs HTML5 technology, ensuring their games seamlessly transition across desktop and mobile devices. This technology supports smooth gameplay and high-quality graphics, allowing players to enjoy Thunderkick’s games on various platforms without compromising performance. Thunderkick’s slots are distinguished by their whimsical art styles and unconventional game mechanics, contributing to a fresh and entertaining gaming experience. The company’s commitment to originality and player engagement has helped it stand out in a competitive market, garnering a dedicated following and contributing to its ongoing success in the online gaming industry.
Luchadora
Luchadora is a vibrant slot game developed by Thunderkick, inspired by the energetic world of Mexican wrestling and lucha libre. Released in 2017, the game stands out for its lively theme and distinctive design, capturing the excitement and flamboyance of this popular sport. The 5×4 grid and 30 fixed paylines are set in a wrestling ring with wooden-like flooring surrounding it, where cards can be seen facing up with the different wrestling icons showing.
The symbols perfectly match the theme as players will come across mystery icons such as the Luchadora herself, a Lucha Bonus, which is a championship belt, a Lucha Smackdown symbol of a ring bell which initiates and a special feature and four Wild symbols styled after wrestlers in vibrant pink, orange, green, and blue with the names El Rayo, El Toro, El Serpiente and El Pantera. Additionally, the game features standard versions of these wrestlers, along with red, orange, yellow, and green peppers.
The top-paying symbols in the Luchadora slot are the Wild icons and the Luchadora symbol, each returning up to 2500x a player’s stake for landing five on a payline. The Luchadora symbol also awards 250x for three or 500x for four symbols landing in combination. The game is rich with special features. For instance, the four wrestler symbols can transform into Wilds when they land in any of the four corner positions on the grid. Wilds can then substitute for other symbols, increasing a player’s chance to return various values. The mystery symbol transforms into the La Luchadora symbol if all four wrestlers have been converted into Wilds. Additionally, landing the Lucha Smackdown icon can trigger 7, 11, or 15 free spins or provide a 2x, 3x, 5x, or 15x bet multiplier. If this icon appears during the bonus round, it can grant extra spins or multipliers or even trigger a wrestler transformation. Finally, landing three or more Lucha Bonus icons activates the Lucha Bonus game, enabling either 7, 11, or 15 free spins.
Pink Elephants 2
Pink Elephants 2 was released in 2020 by Thunderkick as a sequel to its original release in 2017. Set on a 6×4 grid with 4,096 ways to win, Pink Elephants 2 shifts the action from the scorching desert of the original game to the Himalayan Mountain ranges. The symbols in Pink Elephants 2 include a “W” wild icon, golden peanut scatters, different coloured human-like goats, a pink elephant, and stone tablets etched with playing card numbers and letters. Due to the format of the game, symbols don’t match on specific paylines; instead, if matching symbols appear on neighbouring reels, they’ll form a combination. The pink elephant is the highest-value symbol, returning 10x a player’s stake for six matching symbols.
The free spins round is activated when three or more golden peanut symbols appear on the reels. The number of scatters determines how many free spins you’ll get:
- 3 scatters: 7 free spins
- 4 scatters: 11 free spins
- 5 scatters: 15 free spins
- 6 scatters: 19 free spins
In the free spins bonus, four metres appear on the left side of the screen, each corresponding to a high-paying goat symbol. As players collect pink elephants on the reels, these metres gradually fill up. Once a metre is full, the corresponding goat symbol upgrades to the next higher value symbol, and players earn an extra free spin. If a player manages to fill all the metres, all high-paying symbols will transform into pink elephants.
Babushkas
Babushkas slot game is covered by a knitted colourful background where a 5×3 grid layout sits with the central character being a “babushka,” commonly known in English as a ‘grandmother’. The reels are filled with playful symbols, including various babushka dolls, traditional Russian motifs, and other thematic icons, which can combine to make 17 paylines. The game’s art style is cartoonish and detailed, capturing a light-hearted and humorous atmosphere. The game features seven distinct dolls, numbered from 0 to 6, on the paytable; each doll is identifiable by the number of dots on its clothing. Winning combinations are formed by aligning 3, 4, or 5 identical dolls on a payline across the reels.
When the screen is filled with the same doll, all dolls on the screen will upgrade simultaneously. During the upgrade, the doll numbered 0 transforms into a special ghost doll with a notable value of 100x the initial stake.
Babushkas includes a single special symbol that can transform and activate various bonuses. This wild egg stands out with its larger size and vibrant colours compared to the other symbols. Its primary role is to substitute for any doll on the reels when it appears on reel 3, potentially initiating a new sequence of symbol combinations. Additionally, the egg can display a star, signalling the onset of a surprise bonus. When this occurs, the egg opens to reveal a prize. The potential outcomes include the scare bear, which upgrades the lowest-value symbols 1, 2, or 3 levels; the charm bear, which upgrades all visible symbols by one level; or the accordion-playing dance bear, which awards 7 free spins. The mystery egg will appear on reel 3 on each turn during these free spins.
Summary and Responsible Gambling
Thunderkick’s top 3 slots, including Luchadora, Pink Elephants 2, and Babushkas, showcase the developer’s unique creativity and aesthetically pleasing gameplay elements. Luchadora offers a vibrant wrestling theme with dynamic features, Pink Elephants 2 transports players to a Himalayan setting with innovative free spin mechanics, and Babushkas delivers a whimsical Russian village experience with symbol upgrades and special bonuses.
Remember to always gamble responsibly when playing Thunderkick’s slot games. Players could test each gameplay feature of the top 3 slots by Thunderkick with a free demo version.
