The biggest slots playing nations in the world all have their preferences when it comes to investing money in a spin of the reels; in the United States it’s all about the one-armed bandits, those simplified three reel machines which line the halls of casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Australians have their pokies – similar to the US-style slots but usually with a few added extras such bonus features and the ability to choose the number of lines. Over here in the UK of course we like to be completely different and the corners of our pubs and cafes echo with the sounds of fruit machines, those feature laden three reel games with elements of strategy and skill built in.
Online of course we generally have to play the same games; we largely use the same casinos and are limited to what’s on offer there. What’s on offer though is a very good choice of online slots from basic three reel versions to complex five reel games with loads of extra features.
But, you ask, are there any online slots which are similar to this fruit machines I play at the pub? Fortunately the answer is “yes”! Microgaming are the only company we’re aware of who design and implement this style of game but there are plenty of them and we play them at Jackpot City Casino.
In general they take the form of a three reel game with a single payline but with added extras. For example there might be a number trail which is filled up by collecting numbers which land on the payline – completing it will trigger a feature which will hopefully result in a healthy payout.
Without exception these games also feature ‘nudges’ (which let the player jog the reels down to try and make a winning combo) and ‘holds’ (which allow the player to freeze the reels in the hope of making a match on the next spin).
Our final message is that these games are available if you know where to find them – and we do. You can read more information about Microgaming’s fruit machine-style slots here along with a list of every one we’ve reviewed.