Full Moon Romance

A night out at the drive-in movie theater, a gorgeous sunset, a cute date… what could go wrong? Quite a bit, as it turns out. In Thunderkick’s five-line, 1950’s themed slot, a charming-seeming pair of teenagers on a date are greeted by a full moon, transforming them into a ferocious, muscle-bound pair of werewolves for this game’s bonus feature.

Theme

Part of what makes this game so endearing is its almost annoyingly wholesome base play. The reels are situated on the screen of drive-in movie theater, with the main characters seated in a gorgeous vintage convertible, with plenty of room respectfully left between them. It’s a vision of 1950’s white Americana at its most self-adulatory… but then, the moon rises, and the ingenues transform into werewolves.

Gaming symbols include a bouquet of red roses, a puppy love charm necklace, and the playing card values ace through jack. The Sweetheart symbols– the lady Rosie, the lad Jack, and, in bonus play, their werewolf counterparts – appear stacked as a 3x1 symbol. A simple wild symbol is available, and a shining full moon acts as scatter.

Betting Options, Functions and Features

To set the bet value, Thunderkick’s design team provides a simple pop-up for players to choose between 0.10–100.00 times the betting currency. There are 15 fixed paylines. Two icons on the left side of the game screen launch pop-up menus explaining game rules and pay structure in detail. The overall return-to-player ratio, 96.1%, is about average for modern slots.

When a Sweetheart symbol appears fully stacked on the first reel, the Clone feature is triggered: up to four of the same Sweetheart symbol appear on the reels. As this is the top-paying game symbol, a five-of-a-kind here is always especially welcome.

Free spins are set in motion with the appearance of three or more of the full moon scatter symbol. Either ten, 15, or 20 free spins will be granted, depending on the number of scatter symbols on the reels. During bonus play, the Sweetheart symbols appear as grisly werewolves, though their payout value remains unchanged. The sad fact is that, besides this lovely design touch, free spins are essentially the same as in base play. While it’s always nice to be spared the cost of the initial bet, it’s unrealistic to expect a big payday in this feature. When free spins come to an end, the charming ingenues re-emerge looking sheepish, safe and sound, with only their torn clothing as proof of their ordeal.

Our Take

Thunderkick has a brilliant concept for Full Moon Romance, and from a visual or gameplay perspective, the execution is excellent. From a gambling perspective, however, there are some disappointing elements. With only 15 paylines and a bonus feature lacking consistently large payouts, playing this game feels a lot like watching one’s bankroll decrease in slow, semi-enjoyable fashion. Thunderkick built a beautiful car, but didn’t bother to put in much of an engine.