Slot machine pin and ball game

Abstract

An electronic gaming console is illustrated having a console cabinet 10 including a prize display 12, a coin entry slot 13, a payout tray 14 and internally mounted game control processor circuits. A video game is provided for play on the console in which mages of objects (balls) are dropped through a series of obstacles (pins) and eventually fill a number of containers. Prizes are paid according to either the number of balls which are in each container at the end of the ball drop and/or the manner in which the pins are hit.

1 . An electronic gaming console having credit means, reward means, game control means, display means, and player input controls, the control means being responsive to the credit means and the player input controls to play a game which is displayed on the display means and if a winning event occurs, a player reward is awarded by the reward means, the gaming console being characterised in that the game provides a video display of a labyrinth of pins and the player input controls allow a player to initiate the motion of ball images on the display, player rewards being awarded when the ball images come to rest in predetermined prize winning locations, wherein the player input controls allow the player to initiate firing of ball images on the display and to control firing parameters for the ball images. 
     
     
         2 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1  wherein, the player controls include a control to control firing speed. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1  wherein, the player controls include a control to control firing direction. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1  wherein, the player controls include a control to affect or control the trajectory of a ball after it is fired. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1  wherein, a number of balls provided to the player for a game is dependant upon a number of credits bet on the game. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each credit bet in any one game by the player buys one ball. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein, a number of balls provided for the first credit is different to the number of balls provided for subsequent credits wagered on a single game. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each credit bet by the player buys more balls than the previous credit bet in any one game. 
     
     
         9 . The gaining console as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein balls of different colours are provided and the value of prizes awarded are determined according to the colour of balls dropped. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one ball changes colour as it drops through the labyrinth. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one ball changes the colour of any pins that it hits, as it drops through the labyrinth, to its own colour. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one ball, if it drops into a container, changes the colour of all other balls in that same container at the end of the game. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the number of balls dropped is variable from game to game. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the number of balls dropped is selectable by the player. 
     
     
         15 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, the game permits a varying of the number of active balls to be purchased and dropped, while maintaining a constant total number of balls being dropped from game to game, the total number of balls being independent of the number of active balls dropped. 
     
     
         16 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the unpurchased balls are distinguished from the purchased balls by appearance. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the unpurchased balls are distinguished from the purchased balls by being transparent. 
     
     
         18 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the unpurchased balls are distinguished from the purchased balls by colour. 
     
     
         19 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the unpurchased balls are distinguished from the purchased balls by size. 
     
     
         20 . The gaming console as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the unpurchased balls are available to trigger the awarding of a feature game or bonus.