Captain Jackpots Cash Ahoy Slot Machine

My first impressions of this game were that it was 15 years old (at least). Having played a couple of sessions, I have to say that this is a ‘grower’. The quirks, bonus games and occasional bigger wins keep you involved. If you can look past the rather boring graphics, then you’ll find Captain Jackpots Cash Ahoy is one of the better pirate-themed slots around. There are 3 different features, one on the reels and 2 break–out screens.

The frame of this slot is perhaps the best part visually. The reels are set over a calm sea, with a pirate captain at the top left and parrot perched at the top right. Disappointingly, the symbols are very plain, and set over a plain beige background. Many of the symbols are playing cards (with cutlass style designs), with a skull and crossbones, treasure chest, ship, and Captain Jackpot himself also on the reels. One thing which confused me at first was the way this game constantly said ‘Yol’ – or at least that is what it sounded like. Turned out this was ‘Yo’ when a treasure chest hit. When a second one hits you get ‘Ho’ and the 3rd adds ‘Ho – and a bottle of rum!’ Other sounds include sea shanties which vary when you hit a winning combination.

While the bonuses are colourful, your involvement in them is limited. The treasure chest bonus is just watching a 3D captain kick a chest full of gold, Captains treasure is just watching a spinning wheel (albeit and elaborate one) and the ship bonus is just clicking one of three squares.

Setup and Play for Captain Jackpots Cash Ahoy

This slot uses the standard 20 line setup found on a lot of Barcrest games. You can choose your lines from this number. For full lines, the spin cost goes from 20c (1c per line) through to $400 ($20 per line). The standard auto-play for up to 25 spins is available.

The top prize is for the skull and crossbones flag, which pays 500 coins for 5 on a line and 200 coins for 4. This symbol, along with the Captain Jackpot logo, pay down to 2 of a kind (just 2 coins). I should note that the flag is wild, substituting for all of the regular symbols – though not the bonus ones. The other winning symbols (which are the decorated playing cards) require a minimum of 3.

In addition to the standard symbols, there are 3 different types to trigger the bonus games. First the ship in a circle kicks of the on-reel ship bonus with 3+. The treasure chest (this one gets the ‘Yo, Ho, Ho’ sound effect) kicks of the Mystery Bonus and the Captain Jackpot symbols get you the captains pick-em round.

Captain Jackpots Cash Ahoy Bonus Features

Of the 3 features, the ship game is the quickest and simplest. When you land 3 on the screen, they all say ‘pick me’. You choose one of them with your mouse, and this reveals a multiplier of your total bet amount. That prize is instantly awarded, and the prizes on the symbols that you did not pick are revealed.

The mystery bonus looks like it was at the cutting edge of graphics 15 years ago. This is a triggered by 3 chests anywhere on the screen. You are taken to a break out screen where a 3D captain opens a chest and then repeatedly kicks it. This adds gold to your total, along with a quote (think ‘ahh, that’s a good one’ or ‘more gold’) from the captain and squawk from a parrot. Eventually a kick will close the chest, ending the round.

Likewise the Captain’s bonus does not involve any interaction from you. This is a ship’s deck setting, with gold, silver and bronze barrels in a circle. The wheel spins, and the barrel it points to will reveal your prize. Again, the graphics are good – though they are on the retro side.

Captain Jackpots Cash Ahoy – Conclusion

I enjoyed this slot despite having a bad first impression from the dated look of the reels. The music gives it an upbeat feel, and there are plenty of smaller wins to stop your bankroll diminishing while you wait for the bonuses to kick in. These are not the most interactive of bonus games, though they can add some welcome wins to your total at times. There are plenty of slots in the pirate themed niche, what this one lacks visually it makes up for by being a solid game. If you enjoy a good sea shanty and pirate themed games, you'll love this Barcrest slot machine. Fingers crossed you recover those elusive pieces of eight.