Thunderstruck II

Norse mythology is a very popular theme among slot players, and with games like Vikings Unleashed Megaways by Blueprint, or Odin Infinity Reels by ReelPlay, it’s not hard to see why.

It's also easy to forget that it was Microsoft's original Thunderstruck slot that sparked the trend and set the standard for years to come. Thunderstruck II is the sequel to this pioneer, and over the years, it has proved even more popular than its predecessor. 

Thunderstruck II was one of the first slots to feature the now classic Microgaming format of 5 reels, 3 rows, and 243 ways to win. Also, the graphics were considered cutting-edge when it was released and have stood the test of time admirably. I also still enjoy the energetic, pounding soundtrack that accompanies the action.  

To meet the inhabitants of Valhalla will cost players between 0.30 and 15 per spin. Wins are formed by landing three or more matching symbols anywhere on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost, except for Thor’s Hammer, but more about that later. The regular symbols are stone-carved 9 to Ace card ranks, followed by a Viking ship, Valhalla, a Valkyrie, Loki, Odin, and Thor. 

The game’s logo is the Wild, and it doesn’t just stand in for other paying symbols to form wins. Any win it is involved in is doubled, and the Wild gives its own payouts for combinations, starting at 2.5 x the bet for three up to 33.33 x for five. 

Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, is the game’s Scatter. Three or more will trigger the bonus rounds, but just two anywhere in view will give a payout of 1 x the bet, and this increases with every additional scatter in view up to 200 x the bet for five. This makes it the most valuable of all the symbols as well as the key to the bonus rounds.

The first of the many bonuses in this game is the Wildstorm feature. This can strike randomly at any moment in the base game, and when it does, up to 5 reels can be turned completely Wild.  

The Norse gods were a very competitive bunch, and that's good news for the player in Thunderstruck II. The Valkyrie kicks things off, and then Loki, Odin, and Thor all jump in to outdo each other in gifting the player bonuses in four great progressive rounds in the Great Hall of Spins. 

To enter the Great Hall, the player has to land at least three Scatters anywhere in view on the reels. The first time this happens, it will trigger the Valkyrie Free Spins, and every time the bonus round is triggered after that, players move up a level as follows:

Valkyrie:10 free spins during all wins are multiplied by x5. The Valkyrie free spins can be retriggered. 

Loki: This mischievous trickster appears after the fifth trigger and awards 15 Free Spins and the Wild Magic Feature. If the Wild Magic symbol lands on the centre reel 3, it transforms random other symbols into more Wild Magic symbols. During this round 2, 3, 4, or 5 Scatters award 1, 2, 3 or 4 more free spins, respectively. 

Odin: On the tenth trigger of the bonus round, Odin awards 20 Free Spins and the Wild Raven feature. Two ravens hover above the reels and occasionally swoop down to turn random symbols into 2x or 3x multipliers. Both ravens landing at once can award a 6 x multiplier.  

Thor: Lucky players who trigger the bonus round fifteen times will be awarded 25 free spins and the Rolling Reels feature by Thor. During these, the Rolling Reels feature will blow all symbols involved in a win off the grid, allowing new ones to tumble down and fill the empty spaces, giving chances at another win. If one does happen, the process repeats. Every win from the Rolling Reels increases the multiplier by + 1, up to a max of 5. This resets on the next spin.

Thunderstruck has stood the test of time better than most, so if you haven’t come across it yet, give it a spin today at Gala Casino. Just remember to gamble responsibly, and never bet more than you can afford to lose. Good Luck.