Feature Category: Article

Sin City is a place of gambling sometimes a place of lust and money too. There are dreams and also illusions available by the bucket load, and because of this Las Vegas has been and continues to be a perfect setting for movies.

Las Vegas is also famous as a venue for Stag and Hen celebrations and draws a great deal of revenue from long weekends away with the ‘lads’ or ‘girls.

Of course, not all of us can afford to go to Las Vegas direct but there are other things that we can use that provide the feeling of being there, especially as technology has advanced so much in the last few years.

There are some exceptional online casinos to enjoy and some of the best UK online casino time can be spent at sites like Top Mobile Casino. Here you can experience Vegas styled slots that offer the chance of a great win, progressive games and all the other most popular table and slots games about.

As was mentioned above technology advancements have had a direct effect upon online casino sites, and now players can enjoy high-end graphics, video and audio clips to enhance their time spent online.

Not only has the software advanced at a massive rate but so have the portable devices it runs. Now we can access our casino games via our mobile devices whenever and wherever we want to, it’s no wonder a higher percentage of people access their mobile devices to make a bet over their computers.

To complete the whole Vegas feel we have compiled a list of five classic Las Vegas Movies of all time (in our opinion, of course!)

Casino (1995)

Deception, money, power, greed and ultimately murder occur between two best friends, a casino owner and a mafia underboss. What for? A trophy wife over a gambling empire.

The iconic film Casino (1995) was directed by the brilliant Martin Scorsese and was written by Nicholas Pileggi (the book and the screenplay).

Starring Robert De Niro in arguably one of his best roles, Sharon Stone and the exceptional acting of l Joe Pesci Casino has you hooked from the very beginning right through and for this reason alone deserves to be in the list of best Las Vegas Movies.

The Godfather (Part 2 – 1974)

Francis Ford Coppola continued the epic saga of the Corleone family two years after the original and it didn’t disappoint. Often this movie is regarded as the best sequel that was ever made, some even consider it superior to the original as it is so clever both in substance and style.

Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)

This excellent comedy starring Nicolas Cage takes us to the lighter side of Las Vegas. Finally biting the bullet and overcoming his fear of commitment Cage’s character, Jack Singer is to marry Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in Vegas, but unfortunately, he plays poker, loses, and is left with a massive debt.

Taking Singer’s fiancee as ‘payment’ sets the scene for a hilarious weekend of antics as Singers tries to get her back. The Elvis Presley impersonators convention is not to be missed!

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Another Nicholas Cage movie but this one won him and Oscar catapulting him to the Hollywood greats. Directed by Mike Figgis, Cage plays an alcoholic who after losing his job and family visits Las Vegas to drink himself to death.

The film includes Elisabeth Shue who plays a prostitute and is the love element in this dark and sad tale of despair and addiction.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

The Steven Soderbergh version is actually better than the 1960 Rat Pack original, which is rare for Hollywood. With a similar story, George Clooney (Danny Ocean) visits Vegas for a big score and some sweet revenge on the man who stole his girl.

With a crack team of con artists at his side, Clooney sets out to rob multiple casinos on the same night. If you take into consideration that the band of merry men contain: Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle then you get the idea how amazing this movie is.

ISSUE 437 – OUT NOW!

This month, we celebrate the cinematic solo debut of the Goddess of Truth, WONDER WOMAN. Not only do we preview the movie, we delve into the history of the character and some of the more off-beat aspects like the Invisible Plane and the classic ‘70s TV series.

We also preview the Web-swinger’s first full movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, the latest instalment of the clanking robot series TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT and look forward to the return of Gru and those Minions with DESPICABLE ME 3.

Not only that, we chat to DOMINIC BRUNT, a regular face on TV and successful director and his wife JOANNE MITCHELL about their upcoming venture ADULT BABIES.

In our regular features, we look at the classic WITCHFINDER GENERAL as it heads to HORROR CHANNEL and Independents Day profiles the director of DARKWAVE: EDGE OF THE STORM.

Plus all your favourite COLUMNS, NEWS, REVIEWS and much MORE from the worlds of SCI-FI, HORROR and FANTASY!

 

AVAILABLE IN PRINT(HERE) & DIGITAL (HERE)

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Find your local STARBURST stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

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The video games industry is probably one of the fastest moving in the world, and it’s only getting faster. The appetite of players for new experiences, greater realism and fresh angles is an unforgiving driver of technology, spurring designers and inventors on to come up with better machines and more responsive software. In turn, the rise of multiple platforms for gaming and the increasing capability of phones and tablets to handle complex, sophisticated games, means that old favourites are being constantly reimagined, while the latest games have to be adaptable and innovative from day one, just in order to survive.

At the same time, the demographic for video games is widening and the way we play and consume them is changing as a result. While on the one hand video games can increasingly be viewed as art, the industry remains commerce driven and will go where the money is. If a trend seems popular, then the big companies are able and willing to invest millions of pounds in researching and developing it.

Yet frequently, it’s the small indies that lead the way and take the initial risks. For those small companies, it’s a big gamble: they may strike it big and win real success, but they could also lose everything if they’ve backed the wrong horse or, as is too often the case, they just don’t have the resources to follow it through.

Simpler gameplay, more complex world building

 

Following the massive success of games franchises, such as Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, Fallout and Witcher, as well as the Marvel-led trend towards blockbuster films overlapping in a shared cinematic universe, the big games from the major companies look likely to focus more on creating expansive shared worlds with multiple entry points, rather than overly complex individual games. These open worlds will be their own attraction, and crucially will be experienced via different but overlapping games on different platforms – PC, console, tablet, mobile etc. Simultaneous tie-ins in the form of films, online animated series, e-sports versions and so on are also likely.

Single-player and multi-player options on the same game will also become the norm, as will open-world systems with an open-ended number of side quests being made available as the popularity holds. Expect ever-more frequent reboots as well, as ‘back to basics’ becomes the new ‘next level’.

Interactive gaming for older players

 

Sometimes, one or more trends can converge in interesting ways. For instance, the demographic for video gaming is undoubtedly widening, with the gender balance among UK gamers now more or less 50-50, and the first generation of gamers continuing to play as they bring up children of their own and indeed pass retirement age. At the same time, gaming is becoming more interactive, with multiple players around the world communicating in real time. A third factor is the continued popularity of online casino games, which are now outstripping their physical world equivalents in terms of popularity.

These casino games are equally popular among young people and female players who would not normally choose to go to a casino and older gamers who appreciate the familiarity of games such as poker and blackjack but aren’t able to get out as much as they used to. The interactive element helps interact with other players around the world, live casinos are increasingly featuring live dealers, and players can find out a bit about them and choose whom they would like to play with, giving a real sense of genuine human connection.

 

Virtual reality winners and losers

 

We’ve all heard so much about how virtual reality is the next big thing in gaming – and elsewhere – that we’ve long since adopted a “we’ll believe it when we see it” approach. However, we are now genuinely starting to see it, and the presence of systems such as Oculus and Vive gives hope that the VR revolution may genuinely be just around the corner.

The truth is, however, that progress towards a truly workable, high quality and affordable VR set-up is still likely to take a couple more years. The more sophisticated systems out there are still too expensive and too full of glitches to fully enter the mainstream and will remain for a while the preserve of rich nerds and early adopters. High street versions will inevitably disappoint, leaving the casual player wondering just what all the fuss was about, and temporarily queering the pitch for the immediate, high fidelity, cable-free VR that is genuinely on its way in a year or so.

For now, the way forward looks likely to be high-quality VR inserts in existing, otherwise conventional games, giving a teasing taster of what’s to come. Until then, there’s a very real worry that indie studios are putting all of their eggs into the VR basket, and may go broke before enough headsets are sold to justify their investment.

Making connections

 

On the tech side, future VR developments look likely to find ways to more fully integrate the physical body into digital space, using programmable gels as well as gestural controls. Interactive multiplayer VR experiences will counter complaints that the headsets are isolating and anti-social, with players sharing VR, either in the same physical space as their friends or with players separated by vast geographical distances.

No more console generations

 

One trend that seems certain is the death of the old five to seven-year cycle of new model consoles, such as the PlayStation and Xbox. This is largely due to competition from the smartphone market: in seven years’ time, your phone will undoubtedly be more powerful than your beleaguered console, unless the latter adopts a policy of incremental updates rather than seven-yearly relaunches. The PlayStation 4 pro and the Xbox One Scorpio look set to herald yearly updates, with older models becoming cheaper as they are rebranded as ‘entry-level’ models.

Video gaming is going to keep on moving forward, and this can only be good news for players, who are demanding more transparency, greater choice and more say in what they play, when, and on what platform. Indies and majors alike are responding to these calls, while the prize will always go to those that can harness the latest technology to an affordable and popular model. As the finishing line keeps shifting further over the horizon, the race inevitably continues.

When the audacious Norwegian-made film Dead Snow (Død snø) hit the screens in 2009, no one would have guessed that the splatter-filled tale of Nazi zombies would actually be one of the best horror films of the new millennium. What was even more surprising was that the sequel, coming five years later, would even top the original for fun and gore.

The first film follows a group of friends on a skiing trip in the Alps. When they come across some hidden gold, they unleash the wrath of a battalion of undead Nazi Stormtroopers, led by the sadistic and unstoppable Herzog (Ørjan Gamst). As each of the group is brutally murdered in increasingly gruesome ways, there’s just one survivor: Martin (Vegar Hoel), who – despite hacking his own arm off when he is bitten – manages to return the gold and thus put the zombies back into their icy graves. Or at least so he thought.

Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead picks up the story right as the first film has ended. Martin is on his way back to the town upset at the loss of his girlfriend and his pals but relieved to have survived the onslaught of the terrifying creatures that eviscerated and slain the group. Unfortunately, a stray coin has fallen in the footwell of the car, and Herzog and his men are not happy about it. They ambush the car and lay siege on the unfortunate Martin once more. Not prepared to give in now, he steps on the accelerator and drives away – with Herzog hanging on and attacking through the window. As luck would have it, a trucker is coming the other way, merrily rocking out to his tunes. Martin slams his hanger-on into the wagon and throws the coin from the window. He doesn’t notice that the impact ripped the Nazi chief’s arm off, too. The trucker, unfortunately, doesn’t realise Herzog is already dead and attempts to give him the kiss of life. Ouch.

Martin continues driving as best he can, trying not to pass out, but he does and the car careers off the road into a tree-filled ravine. Herzog rallies his troops and prepares to enter their icy slumber once more; his mission over and fully completed. That is, until he spots the logo on the truck and remembers a mission he didn’t complete in his lifetime. The Nazis now have another goal: to destroy the village that Hitler had ordered Herzog to do in 1944.

Waking in hospital, Martin is distressed to find that not only do the police blame him for killing all his friends, but the doctor has performed a miracle. “You lost your arm in the crash,” he tells him “you were lucky the snow kept you cold; we managed to reattach your arm”. And lo and behold, Martin is now the not-so-happy owner of Herzog’s arm. More powerful than one could imagine, he breaks through the shackles holding him to the hospital bed and – with a life of its own – slaughters the doctor and a police officer.

Herzog, in the meantime, has gotten a new arm of his own, which just so happens to be Martin’s! The commander needs to build his division up once more, but the method he tries – by using some kind of magical electric pulse that sends shockwaves through the ground to reanimate the corpses in the cemetery – doesn’t work since the bodies have been buried in warm ground. He must find another way, so tries it out on the local priest, with great success. Not only is the recently slaughtered clergyman resurrected, but he’s a fully dedicated Nazi, too! And since Martin has Herzog’s arm, he too will find out that he has the same power to bring people back to life and become their sworn leader. It’s something he’ll find out later on, and like most things Martin does, by complete accident.

While he’s once again strapped down in hospital, a young American boy comes to take a look at this wound. He tells Martin that he follows a group on the Internet called the Zombie Squad and he wants to send them a photo of his arm to prove there’s undead afoot in Norway. Martin persuades the boy to untie his restraints, but as he still has no real control over the strength of his arm, throws the lad through the metal bars of the window, killing him. Seeing his chance to escape, he stops to try to resuscitate the youngster using CPR. Another big mistake, as his hand goes right through his chest, and is elbow-deep in intestines as the police inspector spots him. Grabbing his phone, he steals a police car and makes his escape, calling the Zombie Squad on the way.

The team in question are a trio of nerds who have dedicated their lives to the study of the undead on the off-chance that they may be the saviours come the uprising. Oh, and watching and squabbling about the merits of Star Wars and Star Trek. They are clearly out of their depth, but take the trip to Norway and tool up – literally as they run up a large bill at the hardware store buying everything from shovels to secateurs. For all their lack of experience, the Squad – Daniel (Martin Starr), Monica (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Blake (Ingrid Haas) – do seem to have the handle on what’s going on. Daniel tells Martin that Herzog must be trying to complete a mission so he heads off to the war museum to see if he can find out what it is.

He does just that, scaring the life out of the Goth assistant Glenn (played by co-writer Stig Frode Henriksen, unrecognisable from the character he played in the first movie). Glenn doesn’t believe his eyes when Herzog and his men arrive then slaughter a coachload of visitors and raise them to join his ranks, but at least he begins to trust Martin, and the pair – along with the Zombie Squad – hatch a plan to have Martin create his own undead army from Russian soldiers captured and killed by Herzog back during WWII.

The first Dead Snow film was filled with more gore, disemboweling, and splatter effects than many big budget horror movies, but still managed to maintain a lighter tone – offset the shocks with a smile. The sequel not only tops the first on the crimson department but also amps up the mirth. With such a ludicrously offensive premise, there’s no way director Tommy Wirkola could have played it straight. While Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead has become the go-to film for many horror fans wanting to mix their blood and smiles, Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead will surely take its place as a standby option; if not surpassing it.

There are so many standout moments. Whether it’s the zombies using the intestines of one of their victims as a petrol syphon – stealing the juice from museum visitor’s coach to fill their tank, or the complete lack of regard when it comes to that other screen taboo: killing children. Here, they are squashed and blown up without even flinching. Well, if you’ve already taken one of the most sensitive of topics and made a zombie film about them, what’s a little infanticide?

The film’s comical Zombie Squad are actually based upon a real group who make it their business to raise awareness of being prepared for disaster, using – as so many films have done – the zombie apocalypse as a metaphor. Founded in 2003 in St. Louis, Missouri, the group are a non-profit organisation with members all over the world. While not as geekily badass as the trio seen on screen, they actually do some good in the real world. Be it fundraising with community charity events or just turning the disinterested on to the idea that we may need some form of preparation should some monumental end-of-days type disaster happens. Oh, and they throw some wicked parties and play World of Warcraft (probably). Heading the screen Zombie Squad is Martin Starr, perhaps best known for the TV series Freaks and Geeks, and his team are both likable and plucky – Jocelyn DeBoer’s Monica is always Star Wars-quoting, and Blake (Ingrid Haas) is a dead ringer for Doctor Who fan favourite Osgood (played by another Ingrid – Oliver), although that’s likely to be purely coincidental (and a case of both properties using the standard template for sexy geek chic). What’s amazing is although the loft-dwelling team has no experience, they soon become dab hands at dispatching the undead. Hey, we guess when you’re confronted by a mass of reanimated Nazi corpses, anything’s possible – particularly stretching your imagination!

While the first film was completely in Norwegian, the follow-up makes the wise move to incorporate the English language. As hard as it is to understand, some moviegoers just can’t get their heads around reading subtitles. Fortunately, a version of the film was made with the Norwegian characters speaking in their native tongue, but apparently, an all-English edition was made available to the US. But whatever the language, there’s no denying how stunning the visuals are. Matthew Weston’s cinematography makes full use of the location (Iceland stood in for Norway on this occasion, though), so when the screen isn’t red with the blood and entrails of the cast, it’s a lush and stunning green, as the action has moved down from the snow topped mountain to the quiet town. Even the way the climactic battle is shot impresses. Not only for the juxtaposition of Nazi and Russian zombies fighting on a playground, but also the clarity amongst the frantic slaughter.

The first Dead Snow movie did so well with audiences that he was signed up to write and direct the big budget Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters in 2013. Although that wasn’t the greatest of films, it wasn’t as bad as we initially feared, and did well enough for a sequel to get the green light, although it’s possible that it might instead be made into a TV series, since that’s where the clever money is these days. Whether Wirkola and stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton will return is unknown at the moment.

Having played festivals the world over to high acclaim and leaving audiences with their stomachs churned and their faces aching from smiling, Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead will be making its début on UKTV. We couldn’t think of anything better to be settling down to as the icy weather begins to bite. After all, what other gore-filled zombie film features a show-stopping scene set to Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart?

DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD screens on Horror Channel on May 4th. Tune in via Sky 319, Virgin 149, Freeview 70, and Freesat 138.

With Paul McGann’s latest Big Finish epic about to conclude, we look back at the audio adventures of the Eighth Doctor…

This month sees the release of Doom Coalition 4, the conclusion of an epic audio saga featuring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. It’s an exciting moment for Big Finish fans, as McGann’s one of the franchise’s most popular Doctors, despite his on-screen tenure having lasted not much more than 85 minutes.

And let’s be honest, the TV Movie wasn’t even that great. The plot is painfully unaware of its own silliness, the Master is turned into a pantomime villain, and – shock, horror – it makes the Doctor half-human, prompting many years of tenuous retcons.

But the one thing it got very right was the lead casting, with the Withnail and I star giving us a Byron-esque romantic visage of a Doctor, retaining the lightness of touch and optimism of the British source material that the American production otherwise struggled with.

Though the planned series spinning off from the movie never materialised, the Eighth was the ‘incumbent’ Doctor for a while and became the star of novels and comic strips. But it wasn’t until 2001 that McGann joined the line-up of Doctors appearing in Big Finish’s main Doctor Who range, which had previously alternated between Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy’s Doctors.

In his first Big Finish story, Storm Warning, the Eighth Doctor saved Charley Pollard from her destined death, gaining his first audio-only companion and setting off a new and exciting story arc. Eight and Charley would appear regularly in the main range until 2007, after which McGann’s Doctor was used more sporadically in this range.

This was because the BBC, who had been impressed with Big Finish’s work, had commissioned a new series of audio adventures, to be broadcast on Radio 7 (now known as Radio 4 Extra). Over four series of the acclaimed Eighth Doctor Adventures, from 2006 to 2011, McGann’s Doctor and Sheridan Smith’s Lucie Miller faced Zygon imposters, the resurrection of Morbius, a cult led by the Metebelis spiders, and much more.

But by the end of this series, things were beginning to turn to the darker for poor old Eight. Hostilities between races were increasing, and not all endings had been happy. In 2012, Big Finish released Dark Eyes, a four-part box set which saw the Doctor and Ruth Bradley’s Molly O’Sullivan chased across time by the Daleks, while uncovering deceptions within the ranks of the Time Lords.

This was accompanied by a ‘rebranding’ of the Eighth Doctor, with the Victorian-esque suit and long hair replaced on cover images by a much more practical leather jacket and short trim. Three more Dark Eyes sets followed, telling an epic story against the backdrop of increasing Dalek-Time Lord hostilities. As we by now knew from the TV series, the Eighth Doctor’s life was on a path towards the Time War…

Big Finish followed up Dark Eyes with Doom Coalition, another four-by-four epic that has continued the path of the Eighth Doctor’s later life by putting him in conflict with a sinister Time Lord conspiracy. The success of the three instalments so far shows how Big Finish has perfected this new format; Doom Coalition feels like a season of a TV show and will be very rewarding to listen back to in full, while each episode has its own setting and identity, and each stands up as a great Doctor Who story.

The next thing in which we’ll hear McGann will be The Eighth Doctor: The Time War, billed as a prequel box set to Big Finish’s War Doctor series. Out in November, this is set to bring the Eighth Doctor right up to the end of his life – we just hope that doesn’t mean we won’t hear any more from the old romantic!

DOCTOR WHO – DOOM COALITION 4 is available from the Big Finish now.

Mobile devices have advanced so much in the last few years with 2017 promising to be an extra special year, firstly with the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy 8 and 8 Plus as well as the upcoming release of the new iPhone which is expected to be something special seeing as it is the companies celebratory year.

It’s pretty incredible to think it was ten years this year that the first iPhone was introduced, and how important both Androids and the phones on the iOS platform have become to us.

We now rely on our mobile devices to carry out many of our daily tasks like banking and health checks, and we definitely use them for our entertainment requirements, and because of this it has been made simpler and quicker to download games, online casinos, the odd bingo site, and of course movies.

We all like something for nothing and that include our entertainment, and as there is so much competition between sites for customer you can find some pretty special deals, especially at the online casinos and bingo sites as they offer free cash for players to use to get a feel of their sites.

There is also a great range of free movie apps to try which have been optimised for our mobile devices. This takes a lot of the hassle out of being able to watch whenever or wherever you want to.

The major difference you are going to find with your entertainment options is that the online casinos are compatible with any operation platform, whereas movie apps have to be downloads which are compatible with your particular device.

This article is going to look at some great free Android Movie Apps for you to take advantage of. There will be a similar article written about free movie apps for the iOS platform at a later date.

First off if you want to watch movies on your Android and not pay for them then do try Crackle – Movies & TV. This is probably the most popular app as it lets you watch full –length movies from Hollywood and also TV shows. You can choose from hundreds of movies and there is new content added each month. With thousands of full-length TV serials to enjoy at your leisure this is not one to miss.

Show BOX is another really good app for your Android, and once more it is very user-friendly. Watching movies, reality shows and TV series this great app is simple to navigate through. As well as all that you can also stream videos from third party websites without any problems at all. You can also watch when offline which is really handy as you can store the content you have downloaded.

The next free app we are going to check out is Mega Box HD which is a fairly recent free movies app compared to some others and it is quite similar to ShowBox. A really big plus point of this app is its smaller size. Being only 1.8MB means it will not take up a lot of space or resources on your smartphone. Users can stream free movies in two different qualities, 360p and also 720p. You can also store titles you have downloaded to watch later.

Finally, if you use Newest Movie HD you will be able to download and stream in different qualities. The choice here is large with the app having a selection genres and categories just like a streaming box, so it’s ts a good idea to use filters like ‘most popular’ if you are browsing for the latest movie.

There has always been a horde of great online games that players could enjoy for free. However nowadays more and more companies and developers turning to the freemium model where players can install and play popular games on their mobile devices for free, whilst having the opportunity to enhance their app with add-ons and other special features. Fortunately, there are millions more free to play games we can sink our teeth into.

Here are just a few of the very best out there. 

SLENDER

 

Horror fans and those who love the thrill of being scared witless will get plenty of jumps from playing this terrifying little gem.

The game is based on the classic tale of the Slender Man, the distinctly tall and haunting figure who follows players around as they wander the woods in search of various pages. He often sneaks up on you when you least expect it which makes the gameplay itself particularly tense and unsettling.

YETI SPORTS

 

The web-based Flash game first appeared way back in 2004 and this gamer, in particular, has very fond memories of it with plenty of lost hours spent trying to beat my high score time after time.

The original game required players to hit a penguin as far as they possibly could. Over the years several games were developed as part of the brand, all of which involved the Yeti and penguin not without introducing us to several new animals beforehand. Other games included Orca Slap, Seal Bounce, Flamingo Drive and Jungle Swing – each just as addictive as the previous.

 

SIBERIAN STORM SLOT

 

Online slot gaming is big business these days. The rise of mobile gaming has helped slots increase in popularity over the past few years and now it seems that there is almost every type of branded slot out there to suit all interests and tastes.

With so many choices out there it can be difficult to pick out the best but the Siberian Storm slot game is one of the most popular around. There are 720 different ways to win, including left to right and even right to left. Of course, there are big payouts available but most sites offer the game to play for free, ideal for those looking to learn the ins and outs of the slot experience.

FIND THE DOODLE

 

For gaming newbies, this is probably one of the simplest and yet addictive games to enjoy. Find the Doodle involves the player having to quickly find the relevant item or symbol from a collection of crudely drawn images.

There are two different modes you can participate in, one against the clock or if you have time on your hands then there is a non-stop option also. Just don’t think that once the game is over you’ll be able to easily resit the temptation of having just one more go to beat that last score.

ISSUE 436 – OUT NOW!

This month, we head back to the world of the Xenomorphs as we look forward to Ridley Scott’s ALIEN: COVENANT, with a movie preview and a look at the history of the franchise and some of the knock-off versions that followed.

We also await the eagerly anticipated return of TWIN PEAKS with a comprehensive catch-up, as well as preview Universal’s reboot of THE MUMMY, the latest instalment of THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: SALAZAR’S REVENGE and chat to author JASON ARNOPP about his THE LAST DAYS OF JACK SPARKS.

STARBURST takes a look at the not-so-farfetched dystopian futures that were depicted in cinema and are looking even more prophetic.

In our regular features, we look at a STUNG as it heads to HORROR CHANNEL and Independents Day profiles the director of ANGEL OF RECKONING.

Plus all your favourite COLUMNS, NEWS, REVIEWS and much MORE from the worlds of SCI-FI, HORROR and FANTASY!

AVAILABLE IN PRINT(HERE) & DIGITAL (HERE)

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW OR ON TWITTER @STARBURST_MAG

Find your local STARBURST stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

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When it comes to the video games industry there are two distinctive genres of game – realism and fantasy (science fiction). While one offers gamers the opportunity to engage with plausible, sometimes everyday situations, the other tears them from their comfort zone completely. So, which is more popular, and why do gamers love these kinds of games so much?

In the red corner… realism

Realism allows players to do things they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do, or may not wish to do under ordinary circumstances. Players drawn to combat titles, for example, may not always want to head into battle. These kinds of games are popular because they engage players without stretching the imagination too far; plotlines, characters, and situations are plausible, and so players never have to suspend disbelief in order to understand, and enjoy, what they’re experiencing. This genre of gaming offers a form of escapism, but one that is tangible, and within reach for those who truly dare. Thanks to advances in technology games are more realistic than ever before, encouraging interaction and engagement with realistic graphics and artificial intelligence.

Realism games beloved by players

The most popular realism games belong to the genres of combat and sport, with titles including Call of Duty, FIFA, Need for Speed, and Grand Theft Auto leading the charge; just because gamers wouldn’t normally choose to act out the situations portrayed in these games doesn’t mean that they couldn’t, if they so chose to. The niche of realism isn’t limited only to consoles, with all of the best online casinos offering players a chance to participate in realistic versions of their favourite pastimes. Slot machines, card games, and board games are recreated in glorious colour, as if players are really seated before a dealer. The only difference here is that opponents may be many thousands of miles away.

In the blue corner… fantasy

Fantasy games offer escapism without limits; everything goes in this genre. Gamers turn to the fantasy niche when they want to venture into otherworldly realms, face mythical beasts, and journey beyond possibility. Fantasy games tend to feature rich narratives that are woven around characters and situations like a tapestry; gamers are expected to complete quests, rescue damsels, and retrieve artefacts in order to progress the story. Fantasy games rely on the supernatural, mythology, and magic, and are able to take liberties when it comes to portraying events, characters, and situations. Gamers enjoy fantasy because it offers an outlet from the everyday, and because titles in this genre tend to engage their imagination as they play.

Fantasy games beloved by players

One of the most renowned gaming franchises of this niche is Final Fantasy, a series boasting fifteen games, numerous spin-offs, and several television and film tie-ins. First seeing the light of day in 1987, the Final Fantasy franchise has spawned a legion a copycats, and inspired a whole genre of gaming. Other popular fantasy video games include The Elder Scrolls, The World of Warcraft series, The Legend of Zelda, and EverQuest. Fantasy is also popular across online casinos, enabling developers to push the boundaries of slots, roulette, poker, and other card games; with fantasy, there are no limits. Alongside traditional gaming fair players will find references to fairy stories and popular myths, as well as games born out of the imagination. Jack and the Beanstalk, or Aliens, anyone?

Predictions for the future of the video games industry

Advancements in technology, including photorealistic visuals, enhanced artificial intelligence, and virtual reality tend to suggest that the way is being paved for massive leaps in the genre of realism; many video games already offer players a heightened sense of realism, which allows them to interact with characters and situations not dissimilar from those they come across every day. However, that’s not to say that the genres of fantasy and science fiction are very far behind. The video games world is one dominated by space travel, dragons, and magical quests, and technological advancements make such occurrences tangible; seen in immense detail these worlds, characters, and quests burst from television screens and games consoles, and it becomes increasingly difficult to determine fact from fiction. Mounting sophistication in the development of artificial intelligence augmented reality, voice and gesture controls, and immersive play is further blurring the lines between realism and fantasy. Soon gamers won’t be able to distinguish fantasy from realism – well, in the moment they are playing, that is.

Although technological development is making it difficult to determine fantasy from reality, there will always be one genre that gamers prefer over another; perhaps they’re keen to experience a set of circumstances that are palpable, albeit unlikely, or throw themselves into a world that, until recently, only existed in a developer’s imagination. Whatever a gamer’s reasons for choosing a particular niche, there’s plenty of room for the two to coexist. After all, we all need a little escapism from time to time, whether that’s real or imagined.

It is important for both developers and gamblers how the machine looks, what’s used as a theme inspiration, how it is designed and what symbols and features has to offer. It might seem like it is an easy job to take a movie and simply use its characters and plot for signs and additions. But in fact, it is much harder than it looks because the developers must meet expectations from the particular movie fans and also the movie itself.

 

Top Movie-Themed Slot Machines

1. Batman

First on our list is the machine developed by NextGen Gaming software development company. They already had a great reputation before launching the Batman slot, so expectations were high, but they nailed it.

 

The wild icon in the game is represented as a Batman while the scatter is his logo. Some of the other symbols are a Batmobile, Joker card, Batcycle, reflector, and James Gordon. Since the game is made for all the Batman movie fans, placing him as a wild card was a great move because everyone loves to see the wild card.

The graphics are well done, as the Gotham City is in the background and the movie’s theme song is constantly rolling in the background. The game has many features, but the Bonus Bet feature is indeed something special. It allows gamblers to bet x60 more coins, which is a small risk compared to the awards which can be won when the Batman bonus sign appears five times on any out of 50 fixed win lines.

2. Austin Powers

The second one is a slot machine developed by Endemol Games Company. Even though Endemol is not in the top of the industry, they took the risk of developing a machine that was inspired by the “Austin Powers” trilogy which was directed by Jay Roach.

Three movies were released in 1997, 1999 and 2002. The first movie became so popular that in only two years the second one came out. When taking a risk like people from Endemol Games did, the final product can either become a hero or a zero. The Austin Powers slot machine became a hero as it is still one of their most played machines.

Famous actors from the movie series such as Mike Myers, Michael York, and Verne Troyer were placed as symbols. Obviously, the most valuable one had to be Mini-Me. The machine has a generous RTP of 95.53% and includes bonus games, wilds, AutoPlay, multipliers, and free spins. The fans reacted very well, and if you want to try out all of the features, it is better to visit your favorite online casino and test the game in a free version.

3. Terminator

Since we wanted to cover different genres of movies, the third on our list is a Terminator 2 slot machine which was developed by one of the most successful companies in online gambling industry – Microgaming.

When “The Terminator” came out in 1984, everyone was fascinated, and the director James Cameron gained a fan base as well as the reputation, which he later approved by making a lot of great movies. There are five Terminator movies, and Microgaming took the best out of all five.

The symbols include Arnold Schwarzenegger’s and Sarah Connor’s pictures, as well as some of the most memorable scenes from the movies in one icon. It is a 243 way to win slot machine which means that there are no pay lines. That number goes up to 1024 ways when the free spins feature is activated.

Even though the first movie aired over 30 years ago, Microgaming developers made a futuristic, modern and great looking theme. Both wild and scatter signs are included, as well as the multipliers and the free spins feature. Even though the game was launched a few years ago, it is still very popular because no one managed to make a Terminator inspired machine like Microgaming did.

The Tarzan slot machine is definitely an honorable mention which was developed by Microgaming as well.

Should I Play Movie-Inspired Casino Games?

The answer is – definitely yes. The reason why everyone should at least try these kinds of machines is that the graphics and bonus features are usually outstanding. If you are a fan of the film then just go for it, and you might even learn something new about it!

Since almost all the casino online slots include both free and real money version, there is nothing to lose. Some of them might have the welcome bonus feature, which gives you free cash after the registration and it is just one more reason to try it out.

On the other hand, if you do not like the machine, you can always go back to the good old fruit machines as they never disappoint. They are the old-school type of slots, and even though the concept remains the same, the developers always come up with new ideas on how to make that category even more entertaining such as the structure change, new features, and unique design.

Just like sometimes you prefer a book and not a movie and vice versa, the same can happen for a slot machine. The movie might not be that great in your opinion, but the slot machine can become one of your favorites.

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