Rocky (Redemption/The Man, The Myth)

We’re going to jump-rope right over all the stale Rocky clichés – the egg-slurping Yo, Adrians and iconic stair sprints – and cut straight to the punch.

Like a blistering uppercut, Rocky (Redemption or The Man, The Myth) delivers a wallop for slot lovers and Balboa fans alike.

This WMS gem comes in two flavors:

• The Man, The Myth is a 1970’s-themed reel with flashes of Balboa mixing it up with Apollo Creed and Adrian coaxing her man to “win .... win.”

• Redemption is a 1980’s version with the more chiseled Italian Stallion pounding the bejezus out of a snarly Mr. T and a Soviet behemoth.

With 4 x 5 reels and a total 40 paylines, both Rocky machines allot $.50, $1, $1.50, $2.50, and $5 spins, featuring a full potpourri of symbols from the film’s backstories: boxing mitts, bells, Butkus (the dog), Adrian, Mickey, Creed, Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago, Paulie, and of course, the champ himself. Banners also drape across the reels to reveal the big scores, particularly ones secluding Wilds or Rocky icons.

Three “Rocky: Italian Stallion” symbols will catapult you into the bonus round, where this slot really lands its licks. A touchscreen directs you to spin the bonus wheel, where you fall upon one of many bonus types: free games, the punching bag bonus, or one of the three jackpots: minor, major, and mega.

The heavy bag bonus is easily the ‘dog of the group, as you pound away on the leather with virtualized gloves for a skimpy payout. Spinners delight when landing upon the free games bonus, which features Rocky swapping blows with Creed, Clubber, or Drago through the upwards of 15 rounds (although 12 is the norm).

Frequent visitor of this machine savor the frequency in which the bonus rounds hit. We’ve seen low 50-cent spinners strike for $50 bonuses and more, while the Mega Jackpot can result in a five-figure payday. As an added incentive, few slots on the gaming floor offer such levels of enjoyment; adrenaline will flow as Rocky pounds the stuffing out of Lang and Creed during the big bonus.

On the downside, it may take hours, even a couple days, to exorcise a monotonous “Gonna Fly Now” jingo from that mental stereo between your ears.