Stars and Stripes Slot Machine Review
Recreating the mechanical slots from the heyday of live casino gaming is always a tough ask. Slots software house Saucify, formerly known as BetOnSoft, has this off to a fine art. Not only are their games visually authentic, there is even the ‘babble’ of a live casino in the background. Stars and Stripes is a classic, an all-American slot which could have some straight from the 1950’s. The symbols include flags and eagles, and you win up to 4 times the amount on the pay-table with special wild symbols.
Everything is on one screen for this slot – so you will not need to access a separate pay table. On the left are the reels. A lot of care has been taken to give these a curved effect, with small touches like the slight bounce-back when each reel stops adding to the authentic feel. On the right is the pay table, which includes details of the extra pay-outs for the wild (eagle) symbol.
In addition to the Eagle and flag already mentioned, there are bars and sevens (which are decorated with stars and stripes) on the reels. When you do hit a winning combination, the line on the pay table will light up to show you your prize – in addition to this appearing in the electronic display below the slot itself.
Sounds include that background babble. This is designed to give you the feel of playing in a crowded slots hall. There is indistinct chatter, laughter and the sound of nearby slots paying out. I like this effect, though it does start to sound crazy after a little while. The mechanical sound of the reels spinning and stopping has been nicely reproduced, and when you hit a win you will hear a little electronic jingle. Saucify specialize in creating slots for mobile platforms, and their games look great on Android devices, Blackberry phones, Windows phones, and of course, iPads and iPhones.
Setup and Play for Stars and Stripes
There is only a single win-line for this game – the middle of the reels. As usual with this type of slot, often the symbols will not even land on the win-line. Fortunately, when they do the pay-outs can be large.
You can choose your coin size, and play either 1 or 2 coins per spin. There is no advantage to playing the second coin, the prizes are simply doubled. The casino I played at only went up to $1 per coin, this seems on the low side and I am sure other casinos will let you spin for much more.
The best regular symbol is the Stars and Stripes flag; this pays 1600 coins for 3, based on spinning for 2 coins. After this comes the 7’s for 200 coins, the 3-bar for 100, 2-bar for 50, Eagles for 40, single bar for 20, any 2 symbols with an Eagle for 10, 3 mixed bars for 6 and any 1 symbol with an Eagle for 4 coins.
Many wins can be improved when you get a flag involved in the combination. This symbol is wild and just one of them as part of a win doubles the pay-out. For example 1 flag + 2 of the 3-bars doubles the payment to 200 coins. If you get 2 flags + 1 symbol, then your prize is quadrupled. For example 2 flags + 1 of the 7’s is worth a generous 800 coins.
Stars and Stripes Slot – Conclusion
As 3-reel slots go, this is a really solid reproduction. While the babble in the background did get a bit much after a while, everything else about the slot is extremely authentic. Attention to detail in things like the light reflection off of the reels and sounds when those reels stop makes a big difference to the overall quality. There is no jackpot for this game, though the potential for bigger pay-outs is still there. The wild symbol does add some interest to the game, with quadruple wins possible in any spin.
If you enjoy 3 reel slots, this all-American game is certainly one for your shortlist – check it out for yourself soon.
