Konami is using ICE to introduce two new cabinets to the attendees in London. The products both share 4K Ultra HD displays; but otherwise are at opposite ends of the size spectrum.
The all-new KX 43 is a standard-width cabinet (71.12 cm) designed as a trim-fit champion to maximize floor layout potential. However, it still has big stopping power with a 43-inch vertical screen (109.22cm) boasting four-times the pixel depth of even a standard high definition screen.
“It gives us a strong vertical monitor in a smaller slant footprint,” Steve Walter, Konami’s senior director of marketing and product management, said, and “it eliminates the need to purchase a stand.”
Edge lighting effects are standard today on most cabinets, but the KX 43 continues the band of color changing light right down to floor-level.
Sounds simple, but it’s very distinctive and makes spotting a KX 43 impossible to miss. While this is one of the few new cabinets from Konami without the Concerto side triangle lights, the new line of lights on the lower cabinet show very well, even when cabinets are straight-line banked. Another unique feature of this cabinet is the flat horizontal “Touch Dash.” Flat and horizontal aren’t special, but Konami has made this one stands out from the crowd by adding strips of environmental lighting above and below the button deck. It’s a simple touch, but really enhances the look and feel of the play buttons, which include the Konami- standard dual “bash” buttons.
Konami is also strong content launching with the cabinet. A “Reels Up” mechanic may be the most interesting with a unique twist on expanding reels. Depending on your selected bet level and denomination, you’ll activate more opportunities at bigger prizes, such as credit awards, multipliers and progressive jackpots. The expanding reels can also trigger 3,125 ways to win.
“Solstice Celebrations Triple Sparkle” and “Riches with Daikoku Triple Sparkle” are two new themes with a modified “Sparkle” feature that can be configured as standalone or linked progressives. Another new concept is their “Ba Fang Jin Bao” theme where Walther says, “players can increase their extra bet in order to change increasing symbol sets to gold, with premium line pays over eight-times.” There are four levels of progressive jackpot awards, which can randomly be delivered through a pick ‘em bonus anytime a gold ingot lands on the reels.
If a compact 28”-footprint is not what you desire, maybe the huge Concerto Opus is more your cup of tea. This spectacular cabinet was released in the US in September and has been approaching a 3.0 index in many American performance reports. In an earlier press release, Konami says this game, “brings top gaming entertainment to the big screen.” It’s hard to argue with that as the Opus boasts an extra-large 65-inch monitor (165.1 cm) with 4K Ultra High Definition.
With a format like the much smaller KX 43, the screen is a flat vertical rising above a base game console. However, the unique triangular side-light symbol is present here, as it is on the entire Concerto line (standard Upright dual screen, Slant, Stack and Crescent). The cabinet also shares the common dual spin (‘bash”) buttons, an optional USB charger outlet and dual cup holders.
In addition to a “Solstice” theme on the Concerto Opus, Konami will also show “Ba Fang Jin Bao Fortune Totems” which is a compatible complement to “Abundant Fortunes” in the Ba Fang Jin Bao linked-progressive line. Players can choose which symbol they wish to become gold for the duration of the bonus during their free games. There’s also a “nudging stacks” element with these gold symbols that can lead to higher payouts. “Treasure Ball” is another theme on display at ICE that features a “one-of-a-kind” linked progressive.
The theme features a flashback to the coin-operated toy capsule machines from arcades and carnival midways. Konami says, “Each ball can be recognized by its large globe of round mystery prize balls, which players can redeem and reveal during the bonus.” What you’ll notice immediately is the new display when the hero dragon character will roar as it flies randomly around the large screen. It’s hard to miss in 65” Ultra HD.
There’s a lot more to see from Konami at ICE, including the hot “Star Watch Magma” series themes on the curved-screen Crescent and the full line of multi-games on their “SeleXion.” The Konami booth is just inside and to the right of the S7 ExCel entrance adjacent the large Novomatic display (Booth S7-110).
