Hot Slot™: Mystery Jackpot Joker Review
This is the third instalment in the Hot Slot™ series, so if you’ve previously enjoyed playing Hot Slot™: Magic Pearls, or Hot Slot™: Magic Bombs, you’ll want to give this a go too. But at first glance, it feels as though Wazdan has taken a backward step with this latest addition, thanks to its three reels and five payline mechanic.
This is an unusual move from the developer, which has built a solid reputation for adding extra value to its games. So it comes as no surprise to find that Hot Slot™: Mystery Jackpot Joker is nothing like as simple as a first glance would suggest.
Design
All the usual fruit favourites feature on the reels of Hot Slot™: Mystery Jackpot Joker, including cherries, grapes and lemons, and a shiny red and gold 7.
But there’s also a gold Scatter and a joker’s hat Wild, plus that grinning Joker! He comes to life in a fun way when he fills two reels, adding a little extra sparkle to gameplay. And there’s a pleasant enough soundtrack to accompany the more usual game sounds, making it exceptionally entertaining for a three-reel slot.
Gameplay
Your aim is to spin up three matching symbols across one of the game’s five paylines – and you can adjust the volatility to make that easier or harder to do. There’s also a Wild symbol, to help you form winning combos, and a Scatter symbol, which takes the form of a gold star. There’s no free spins bonus, but the Scatter Pays mechanic ensures that you’ll be happy to see them!
Land three reels filled with Joker symbols to activate the bonus Jackpot game. But don’t despair if you only manage to spin up two reels – you can choose to hold them in position and pay 20x your bet to try again with the third reel. As long as you’re prepared to keep paying the price, you can keep trying your luck to enter the Jackpot bonus.
Win Potential
At the lower end of the paytable, three cherries in Hot Slot™: Mystery Jackpot Joker returns your stake. The 7 offers the best returns of the main game symbols, paying 8x your bet. Scatters reward you with 10x your bet for three of a kind, but it’s the joker’s hat Wilds that offer the biggest payouts, paying 40x your stake.
Spin up the Mystery Joker Jackpot bonus and you’re guaranteed to win one of the four jackpot prizes. Based on multiples of your bet, these are the returns to expect:
- Minor: 15x – 100x
- Major: 100x – 300x
- Joker: 300x – 600x
- Grand: 1,000x
If you enjoy the extra thrills that a Gamble feature provides, Hot Slot™: Mystery Jackpot Joker gives you two options that you can adjust from within the Settings menu. Pick the colour of a playing card, or spin a virtual coin to double a win – or risk losing it altogether.
Some jurisdictions permit players to buy the bonus feature, but this isn’t something that’s accessible within the UK. It costs from 50x – 300x your current wager, depending on the volatility level you choose to play at.
Our Verdict
The Mystery Joker Jackpot bonus round is an exciting feature that’s certain to attract its own fanbase. And we like the opportunity to have another go at triggering the bonus with Magic Respins – although it’s important to keep one eye on the total cost of the spin! The 1.000x top payout is definitely on the low side though, which is bound to deter any high rollers.
If you can’t get enough of classic fruit machine games, you’re definitely going to want to explore everything that Hot Slot™: Mystery Jackpot Joker has to offer. If it’s not your favourite genre, then this is unlikely to be the game that will change your mind.
Marianne's interest in slots was sparked by a win on a one-arm bandit at an old-fashioned seaside arcade. These days she's turned her back on classic games, and has made it her mission to track down the most exciting slots offering innovative bonus features - and a great soundtrack!
Learn more about Marianne here
