Review of the new MG games, November 2007

[Zoozie]

Intro:

It has come to my attention that MG does indeed monitor this forum and listen to the public opinion when new games are released. Therefore feedback could influence what path they will take in future games. Of course I am happy they read my reviews and gives me another reason for writing them.

Last month when I wrote my review of "No Worries" I had actually never hit the feature! Normally I hit the feature at least 3 times before writing my review, but the reels was just against me. I have had 3 smaller sessions since and I have yet not hit the feature. So in more than 1500 consecutive spins on this slot I have not hit the feature. This is an all-time record for me. However since the feature is about freespins, I know this feature by heart and I wrote the review anyway. However there was two unique mechanic. You could respin the complete feature if you did not like this win and then the multiplier booster. This was one of the best news mechanics MG has come up with in a long time, but why did I not give it a brilliant review you might ask. But this is because I am so tired of playing the slot and having to hit 5 scatters to get the feature. It is not because it is hard to the feature, but because the scatters are all over reels (but not on all five at the same time of course) and they just gets into way for any other line wins making this slot very boring to play in non-feature mode. It does simply not make up for the brilliant feature. "Doctor Doctor" has a similar brilliant feature, but on this slot the feature was over almost before it started. Both of these slots was so close to make it to my top 10 list, if it was not for these minor design flaws/balancing issues. The balancing of the "The Osbournes" was much better.

News/Ramblings/Discoveries:

Wagerworks:
Looks like the Elvis-slot will be further delayed. I know first hand that does happens in the software-industry, but I would appreciate if the delay would be announced as soon as it is a reality.


Net Entertainment:
Eurolinx casino never replied to my mail with the bug report and screenshot showing how I got cheated for a jackpot feature, which I explained in my review last month.


Rival:
Rival released two new slots with the titles "Fantasy Fortune" and "Future Fortunes". They are worth mentioning if you play Rival slots, because I believe these two are the best Rival slots so far. They are standard 5-reel slots with a freespin and a picking feature, though "Future Fortunes" also has fixed expanding-wild on reel 1 during the feature. To be fair there is one unique mechanic for Rival slots. If you hit the picking-feature during the freespins, then the freespin multiplier will also apply to the picking feature. The picking feature on "Fantasy Fortune" is one of the better picking-and-reveal-price feature avaliable. Each win is not trivial as they are on many MG slots (a few times bet-size) and combined with the featurespin multiplier it often give 100-200*bet size, which is a good win on any slot. Also there has been put a lot of work on the graphics/gameplay of this feature. Go have a look yourself.

Rival has shown the are now mastering the basics of 5-reel slots. Now I am just hoping for a little more innovation on the mechanics in future slots.

3Dice:
While we are talking about innovation, we better the medal to 3Dice. The new "MedivalMoolah" was a dream come true. The oldschool 3-reel slots were revolutionized by the "Double Diamond" slot, which interestingly now can be played on WagerWork casinos. On this slot one wild symbol multiplies wins. Nothing new about that, but getting two wilds give a higher multiplier. Since it become so popular I have been asking myself for 5 years why this concept was not to the 5-reel slots, it was just so painfully obvious to do this! 3Dice finally listened to my prayers. The multipliers are (*4,*8,*12 and *24) for (1,2,3 or 4 wilds) on a payline, so it also implemented fully by having such high multipliers. This mechanic makes this slot the most entertaining 5-reel slot to play in non-feature mode. You can read more about this slot in this thread here where I also gave it a review.

Reviews:

Gladiator:
50 lines
Low/Medium variance

The intro is trivial but pretty as always. Try think about what the most obvious intro for a "Gladiator" titled slot, and you will get extremely close to this. MG themes and intro are very mainstream as expected from a big company compared to Rival etc. who are brave enough to have titles like "Grandma's attic".

The symbol graphics are eye candy they are exactly as they should be and what I am used to from MG slots. It is the smooth cartoonish symbols and the fluid motion of the spinning that goes well together. The sounds does not relate much to the theme, but they did also not disturb the theme. The MG spinning sound of the reels for most slots is superior to the click-clack-click that many other software providers also use for every slot.

This slot has a few new paytable mechanics. There are wild on all 5-reel, but no wild multiplier. But the new thing is that the wilds does not have a paytable, meaning they will just substitute. So getting 3 or 4 wilds in the start of a payline will not pay as much as you are used to. This is compensated by each reel having many wild symbols, so they are not that hard to hit. Also the two top pay-symbols can be combined on a payline, but pays less than hitting identical symbols of course. This is a nice mechanic (where is it I have seen it before btw.?) that gives an extra touch.

The only feature is the standard freespin feature triggered by hitting 3 scatters (anywhere). But you are then awarded 100 freespins! And yes
this is also if you only hit 3 scatters. Needless to say, freespins can not be retriggered and has no multiplier. The scatters are not as hard to hit as you might think. The paytable is really low for the low-end symbols, but you can not get it all. I estimate the average feature win to be 40-50 bet size, so do not quit your daytime job if you hit the feature

This is an extreme slot and I think the balancing of the feature-frequency and paytable is perfect. It fills an empty spot amoung the existing MG slots.
It is fun to get 100 freespins, but the slot veterans might lose interest after some time, when they realize this is a low variance slot despite the 100 freespins.

This is the first 50-line MG slot, but do not get excited about this. Playing many lines decrease variance, and you really do not want this for slot because of the high house edge. Read some of my older reviews for more details. Still you can just play the normal 9/15/25 lines you are used to and like. But I had to try getting 100 freespins on 50 lines just once.

I really like this slot, but it will not make it into my top 10 MG slots, but it is close. I will play this slot again. This is a slow and gently slot you can relax while playing and sometimes I want to play this kind of slots. Quite unlike "Isis" where every feature is a drama. (Sometimes you want it slow and gently without surprises other times you want to be taken hard.)


Snow Honyes
20 lines
Medium variance

No intro. The theme is about about skiing and babes but mixed with some more childish symbols like a sleeping bear. Without the childish stuff I could
relate better to the theme. The graphics are good and this slot has new music and sounds.

It is not a clone since it has a new paytable, but the mechanics are identical to "Boogie Monsters" and in fact the paytables are also almost identical.
So I will not explain it all again. Last month I said I hoped "Boogie Monsters" would be the last slot to just use this slot template This month
I can say the same for "Snow Honeys". This slot template is unique and interesting, but there is no need for more clones.


Curry in a Hurry
25 lines
Low variance

The theme is about hot curry and chili. The theme is lost quickly and not just because this slot has the 9TJQKA symbols. Only the 2 symbols are about chili(scatter and top pay). The symbols could have been different kind of chili peppers (jalapenos,cayenne etc.) this would make me thirsty when playing. And then the beer symbol should have been the scatter instead. The theme
is important for a slot and MG can do a lot better than this. ("Loaded","Hitman", "Mad Hatters" etc.)

The symbol graphics for this slot is the MG style that I dislike. I like the bigger and more colorful symbols better as I wrote in the "Gladiator" review. MG slots seems to use one of these two styles for symbol graphics.

The only feature this slot has is a picking feature. You get 3 picks (maybe more if you hit more scatters). Every win I got was between *3 and *15 bet-size. The *15 bet-size was the highest possible on the chili-meter. This makes the wins for every feature very constant. You will win very close to *20 bet-size on every feature without much excitement. This is the worst release this month and I will not play it again.



My favorite MG slots
#1 Isis
#2 Mad Hatters
#3 Hitman
#4 Avalon
#5 Moonshine
#6 Mega Moolah
#7 Harvey's
#8 Loaded
#9 Thunderstruck
#10The Osbournes




Earlier reviews:
November 2007:http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...er-2007-a.html
September 2007:http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...osbournes.html
August 2007:http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...or-doctor.html
April 2007:http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...il-2007-a.html
March 2007:http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...ch-2007-a.html
February 2007: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...ry-2007-a.html
January 2007: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...ry-2007-a.html
December 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...-december.html
November 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...ga-moolah.html
October 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...s-october.html
September 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...september.html
August 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...es-august.html
Juli 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...ames-july.html
June 2006: http://www.casinomeister.com/forums/...ames-june.html[/quote]

[Mousey]

Thanks for your comprehensive review.I look forward to reading it every month.

My take on the new games after a quick run through:

I got the feature 3 times on Gladiators (in Practice Mode). The features paid out approx. 11x, 30x, and 15x bet. I dozed off (I am not joking) during the 3rd feature. I'm sorry, but for me, that game is one for Auto spins, or not at all. With no multiplier, or possible retrigger, there's not a lot to keep my interest.

Snow Honeys is 'cute'.

Curry in a Hurry is ... not for me. Crappy theme, uninspiring graphics.

And I won't touch those wierd 'fruity' bar game/slot thingys with a 10 foot pole. (What's 'AWP' mean anyway?) If I don't understand what's happening and what I need to do when, I don't play.

[silkprint]

I am going to play them tomorrow night .
I have done well on the Boogie Monsters game but that's about it . Avalon hasn't been hitting lately for me but it is still one of my favs .

[LOOKAWAY]

Hi thanks for your post zoozie i read your last one. I won a $300 bonus at royal vegas so ill give them ago for free tomorrow. Avalon used to be one off my faves till it took 1600 or more spins to hit feature jeez i run out off money on that one and knowing that my next feature would be fast and fat i couldnt up my bets like i would normaly do because i was skint lol wouldnt you know it was fast and four wilds with big multiplyer paid nearly all my dosh back lol. thanks for the input i will be reading your next post to even know it spoils it abit bye.

[Nifty29]

Thanks for your reviews once again Zoozie

If Gladiator isnt the worst MG slot Ive ever played, then I dont know what is. I hit the free spins, and its 7.2 minutes of my life I'm never getting back - and the whole 17x bet I got back was a complete load of youknowwhat.

I couldnt get the curry feature, and played 30 spins on the snow slot without ANY pay at all.

Im going to stick with 3Dice this month yet again...at least I feel I have some chance of winning.

[kimss]

Gladiator, 100 spins of $3 worth wager = $144. Crap slot!

[Slotster!]

Originally Posted by Mousey

(What's 'AWP' mean anyway?)

"Amusement With Prizes"

I.E Not entirely random
I.E Openly rigged!

It means essentially that there's a pre-determined payout, and the slot will take x amount of money before paying out y amount of money - as opposed to the RNG mechanism of most slots.

Thanks again Zoozie - great stuff

[Zoozie]

Originally Posted by Slotster!

"Amusement With Prizes"

I.E Not entirely random
I.E Openly rigged!

This is why I do not review AWP. Beating the slots is hard enough already, so
why play AWP where you can not win?

[Casinomeister]

Why leave home when you can read Zoozie's reviews. Great job guy - thanks again!

[gerilege]

Originally Posted by Zoozie

Net Entertainment:
Eurolinx casino never replied to my mail with the bug report and screenshot showing how I got cheated for a jackpot feature, which I explained in my review last month.

For your information, the Boss Media slot Kangaroo Zoo has the same design flaw. You get only one feature, no matter you get the needed 3 symbols on 5 winlines or you get more than 3 symbols on one line.