PartyGaming will have players jumping through hoops in no time to progress through 16 challenge bonus rounds in Circus slot.

Inspired by the circus time between the 1850’s and the 1950’s, circus slot is a role-playing game by PartyGaming and is now available for play at any PartyCasino. It’s a 5 reeler slot and it may look to be rather plain upon first glance, with the usual poker symbols populating the reels and a few rather simple pictures: scatter big top tent, a wild ring leader, an elephant, a seal balancing a ball, a canon, a contortionist in a turban, and a pyromaniac of some sort dazed over a flaming baton.

However, once one begins to explore this slot, be prepared for playing the most involved slot on the market.The energy and time put into this game wins the award as ‘the greatest show on earth’ in circus terms, or rather, ‘the greatest slot on earth’, in slot terms.

The animation is creative from the spinning alone; forget what happens once players start hitting one of the sixteen parts to the bonus rounds. A clown is electrified by another clown’s handshake; a monkey drops a banana peel and a clown slips and falls; clowns drop down from the sky parachuting with umbrellas; the seal barks, claps and rolls the ball down his back and onto his nose.

Starting off with just the basic aesthetics of the game: the superior, hilarious sound effects, from merry-go-round music to bells and whistles set the scene perfectly. The art, design and storylines plus bonus rounds, marks this slot at the top of the pyramid of slots acts. A nervous, balancing unicyclist wheels across the 20 paylines and once players have spun three circus tents, a truck sets up for the show and all three tents pop open.

The game is also complex from an animation stand point and is set against a stunning, realistic background of a blue-black night sky with clouds lit up by the moon and circus tent. The cartoonish-animation along with four main characters makes up this elaborate show.

Each character has a particular ability; Fenchurch, the bear, has strength while Iggy the daredevil has courage; Nadia the acrobat has balance while Mr. Blinky the clown has showmanship as his greatest skill. The longer participants play, the farther their chosen characters move along in their levels of ability.

As their abilities improve, the multipliers will increase.  Sixteen Big Top challenges ensue once triple tents arrive and the curtains are pulled back in this adventure-themed slot.The original game starts off with a 2.5x multiplier and can increase to a 5x multiplier. Any character can have an ability increase up to a maximum value of 20 points.

The top right corner of the slot has a drop down box so players can see the progress of each character over time. Check on the left side of the slot at the top corner for a drop down box to tell you more about each character and to change characters from one spin to the next.

Of the 16 circus features that are triggered in random order, they are: Pyramid of Peril, Punishing Pull of Pain, Arm Wrestling challenge, Muscle Machine, Human Cannonball, Death Drop of Doom, Escapologist, Lion Tamer, Travers the Tightrope of Terror, Towering Trapeze, Jollying Juggler, The Horse Ride, The Clown Car, Propel the Perfect Pies, The Knife Thrower and the Miraculous Magician. Complete all 16 features and get a bonus reward.

The Human Cannonball feature, for example, in which players choose from one of three barrels of gun powder, for instance, to shoot out, let’s say, Fenchurch the bear from a cannon, watch as he either lands in the net rather than is shot out the tent.

Receive a consolation prize if it should happen, however, the ring leader does have a heart and loves all his circus friends, and he’s not about to let them so easily walk out the door.Nadine, in the Muscle Machine bonus gets to chose from three different sledge hammers, for another example, to hit the bell in a test of her strength.

Strength may not be her forte but it still doesn’t mean she can’t hit bonus points. As for Iggy, no trick has been too hard for him except for stopping his own heart from palpitating heart when he sees the object of his love, Olga, the bearded lady. Okay, so maybe playing a slot game is not as exciting as going to the Barnum and Bailey Circus, but passing through hoops for money can get rather exciting!

Still, the show must go on and in the Horse Ride, players will get to choose from three numbers, that will put Iggy in a different position on his horse. As long as Iggy, otherwise known as, Ignatius, can’t do it, maybe another character like Nadia whose main skill is balance will do much better the next time around. Still everyone gets points for playing; just how much depends on the spin and on the character.

Over time, players learn more and more about their characters, like how Mr. Blinky bears a secret of shame, later it is revealed the same comes from how at the age of 15 he was kicked out of clown school for not being able to make anyone laugh.

In the ‘Punishing Pull of Pain’ bonus feature, however, after pulling a trailer across the circus ring, Mr. Blinky even though he may not have been popular in clown school, he will quickly become popular in the player’s eyes as he wins additional coins.In such a round, players choose from one of three objects for Mr. Blinky to pull: a trailer, an anvil, and a bathtub of clowns or a whale spewing water out its blow hole.

Roll your mouse on each object and watch it come to life. Pick and push either ‘x’ or ‘z’ on your keyboard to help Mr. Blinky pull his object of pain.The four story lines continue on as players move through the hoops of the bonus rounds and include: Will Fenchurch the Bear do what he really wants to do and run away from the Circus and be a free bear once again; will Iggy tell the bearded lady he loves her?; will Nadia find her long lost sister to form her ultimate double act? And finally, will Mr. Blinky ever resolve his shame from getting kicked out of Clown School and earn his gold star in the end?