Some online casino slots titles enjoy immense popularity that sustains for a long period of time. Then when the traffic they draw slows down the software providers inject new life in the brand by creating a near identical slot game with some new and innovative features. The brand value is transmitted to the new slot game and because of the additional features it picks up where the earlier slot game left off. There are several examples of such makeovers of online slot games. All leading software providers have used this technique. This article discusses some of the more familiar examples of makeover of online slots.

When Microgaming launched Thunderstruck in 2003 the slot game was way ahead of its time. With bold graphics and vibrant animations and audio it captured the heart of the online casino industry. Thunderstruck was based on Norse mythology and had as its central character Thor, the hammer wielding Norse god of thunder. These qualities of Thunderstruck continue to enthrall players even today. But the gaming features have advanced tremendously in the last few years. Thunderstruck with its 9 paylines, the simplest of free spins features and no bonus game on the second screen cannot measure up to current releases. Therefore in 2010 Microgaming came out with Thunderstruck II. The underlying theme was the same. The graphics and animations incorporated the developments that had taken place since the earlier release. But the new gaming features were mind boggling. Thunderstruck II has 243 ways to win, which in effect meant that every combination is a winning combination. The highlight of Thunderstruck II is a complex and innovative free spins round. Each of the four Norse gods offers a different feature. When the free spins are triggered players have to get through a given number of rounds of one god before being offered the free spins from the next god. It takes 20 free spin rounds to navigate through the Great Hall of Spins once.

The online slot game Da Vinci Diamonds from the software supplier WagerWorks was released in 2008. It gained instant popularity that was no less than that of Thunderstruck. The slot game featured two types of symbols. The first type contained masterpieces of Leonardo Da Vinci, including the famous Mona Lisa. The other type contained large brightly colored gem stones. The defining feature of Da Vinci Diamonds online slot was Tumbling Reels, patented by WagerWorks. In the Tumbling Reels feature all symbols in a winning combination after a spin disappear from the reels and the symbols above them to fall down to fill the empty places. If new winning combinations are created then further payouts accrue and the process repeats, all for the price of one spin. Then in 2011 WagerWorks launched a makeover of this slot game titled Da Vinci Diamonds Dual Play. Dual Play has 40 paylines spread over six rows, all of which are enabled by default. The first 20 paylines are in the top three rows and the next 20 paylines are in the bottom three rows. The Tumbling Reels feature is very much a part of the new slot game but in an enhanced format called Tumble Thru. Here the symbols from the top game tumble down to fill the empty spaces in the bottom game as well.