I don't like playing slot machines in Vegas but I love looking at them, and I'm more interested than I probably should be in the new generation of slots themed around cartoons, comic strips, celebrities, game shows and old sitcoms. Two companies are leading the way in this field — Bally's and I.G.T., which stands for International Game Technology. Both of them, you might like to know, are releasing their software so you can play their slots on your home computer. Over at Masque Software, you can purchase the Bally's pack (which includes Popeye and Blondie) and Slots II (which is a batch of I.G.T. games, including most of the slots featuring Betty Boop) And there are others there which are a lot cheaper to play on your own PC or Mac than they are in Nevada.
Cheaper than either, if you just want to see what these things do, is to watch on-line sales videos that tout the features of these machines. Over at this page, assuming you have RealPlayer installed, you can view sales presentations for a number of I.G.T. slots. Paul Dini, if you're reading this, don't miss the Sinatra Slots! demo, which features five different slot machines with Frank's face and music. All of you, check out that one, the Austin Powers machines, the Munsters demo, the Addams Family, etc. You can also find demos for Popeye, Blondie, the amazing Ray Charles slot machine, a Frankie and Annette Beach Party slot and others if you prowl around the site for Bally Gaming. (One of the great things about those demos is that in them, the slots somehow pay off every time…)