Slingo

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Slingo is an online multiplayer game created in 1995 by Slingo, Inc. It features a mix of slots and bingo, as well as elements from the classic game show The Joker's Wild (the slot machine, jokers and devils).

Contents

[edit] Play

A player has 20 turns to "spin" the numbers below his or her bingo card. Five numbers appear, and if they are found on the card, they can be marked off.

During the game, other special items may show up in the number spots below the card. Jokers are wild, and can be used to mark off any number in the column in which it appears. A joker in the center (N) column may sometimes become a Super Joker, which can be placed anywhere on the board. (When it appears, the Super Joker must be played first, before any other numbers.)

Devils also occasionally appear during the course of the game. If a devil appears in place of a number, the player's score is cut in half. Frequently though, a cherub appears and cancels the devil's effects by shooting it with an arrow.

Other special items include coins, which grant automatic points to the player, and Free Spins. The last four spins of the game (17, 18, 19, and 20) must be bought using points. A player may use accumulated free spins in place of the fee for any of the spins.

Time limits are imposed on spins as well. If a player does not begin his spin within a time limit, he loses that spin. If a player does not mark off all possible numbers or jokers within the time limit, those are considered lost.

At the end of the game, the winner is the player who has the most points.

[edit] Spinoffs and ports

Outside of internet gaming, there have been other Slingo products, including versions of the game for PC and cell phones, and as a handheld electronic game (which features no Super Jokers, multiple Joker bonuses or cherubs due to technical limitations).

Slingo has also been spun-off into Slingo-themed slot machines, and scratch-off lottery tickets.[1]

[edit] Scoring

Points are earned for:

  • marking a number on the board (200 points)
  • clearing a line of numbers either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, as in normal bingo fashion (1,000 points)
  • getting a coin on a spin (1,000 points)
  • spinning three, four, or five jokers in one spin (super joker counts) (3 = 1,000 points, 4 = 2,500 points, 5 = 10,000 points) This bonus didn't exist until the millennium version.
  • clearing the entire card, which earns a bonus proportional to the number of spins used:
    • Spins 5-12 - 11,000 Points (it is impossible to fill a Slingo card in less than 5 spins)
    • Spin 13 - 10,000 Points
    • Spin 14 - 9,000 Points
    • Spin 15 - 8,500 Points
    • Spin 16 - 8,000 Points
    • Spin 17 - 7,500 Points
    • Spin 18 - 7,000 Points
    • Spin 19 - 6,500 Points
    • Spin 20 - 6,000 Points

Points are deducted for:

  • hitting a devil (cuts the score in half)
  • paying for the last four spins
    • spin 17 - 500 points
    • spin 18 - 1,000 points
    • spin 19 - 1,500 points
    • spin 20 - 2,000 points

[edit] Millennium version

For a good deal of time, the multiplayer version of slingo was only available through AOL. A single-player version aimed at children on slingo.com was the closest members could get to the real thing. However, for the new millennium, Slingo launched a new version with newer graphics than the old game, and it had a resemblance to the graphics of the kid's version of the game. Also, the bonuses for three or more jokers were added into the game, and the Devil and Cherub cartoons were revamped.

[edit] Computer versions

There have been some stand alone computer versions of the Slingo game.

  • Slingo CD-ROM (Atari) 1998
  • Slingo Deluxe (Funkitron) 2002
  • Slingo Quest (Funkitron) 2006 - Winner of the 2006 People's Choice Zeeby Award for Best Card, Board, or Mah Jong Game [2]
  • Slingo Quest - Hawaii (Funkitron) 2008

[edit] Mobile versions

There have been two iterations of Slingo for play on [mobile phones].

  • Slingo-To-Go from SuperHappyFunFun/Kayak Interactive (now part of Oberon Media) 2005 - The game featured direct play between the users of the mobile game and players on Slingo.com. [3]
  • Slingo Quest Mobile (Slingo Bingo in EU) from SuperHappyFunFun/Iplay 2007 - This is the mobile version of the Zeeby Award Winning Slingo Quest [4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ IGT Launches New PowerVR Based Gaming Machines at Vegas Show
  2. ^ Slingo wins 2006 People's Choice Zeeby Award for Best Card, Board or Mahjong Game
  3. ^ Slingo-2-Go Hands-On - Mobile News at GameSpot
  4. ^ Mobile review, Slingo Bingo, Pocket Gamer

[edit] External links