Penguin Vacation Slots
Who doesn’t love penguins? They’re cute, clumsy, unthreatening and undemanding. That’s not forgetting the appeal of Happy Feet, Pingu, Penguins of Madagascar, Wheezy from Toy Story and the like. But does this game have the substance to go with the cuteness?
Ice to See You
Yes, the layout does emphasise how cute the penguins are, and how they live in cold temperatures. The background has white skies, glaciers and deep water. The game’s name has icy lettering, with two of the penguin symbols at the top. The music is a cheerful whistling tone which, though pleasant, only has a few notes. You’ll tire of it quickly. Helpfully, it’s easy to change volume or mute on screen.
The number of lines is in icy blocks at both ends of the reels. On either side of these are the three jackpots and a link to the Lobby. The 5 reels have a light blue background with each reel making it clear just how icy cold it is. All the buttons for playing are at the bottom, with Spin being the only one in purple.
Playful Penguins
As suggested by the game’s name and the theme tune, this really is about penguins having fun and being carefree. After all, you can’t imagine a lion painting, speed skating, singing or getting ready for a fun expedition. And changing the settings is in the same vein as nothing is complicated. The Bet Lines go up in 10s from 10 to 100, with the Bet Per Line is either 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.08, 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 or 1.
If you’re feeling as carefree as the setting, there’s a Bet Max button worth 100 credits, and an Auto Spin button which offers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or infinite spins. There’s no speed setting which is a shame as the game could do with being sped up a little.
The game does find ways of generating excitement. When there is a big win it shows it in big yellow letters and when there is the possibility of a significant win the later reels start to burn up. As you won’t always win when this happens it does make it exciting.
The Paytable isn’t as stylish as you would hope. Spread over several pages and with each box reaching both ends horizontally, it gives off a stretched and uncomfortable feel, especially as the boxes aren’t that high. It’s a pity as with transparent boxes and plenty of space available, it feels a waste. The hierarchy of each symbol is also confusing as the regular picture symbols go from lowest to highest, with the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace going the same way.
Fishing for Bonuses
The bonus cards are among the best aspects of the game. They keep the playful vibe and are fun to look at. The Wildcard is a penguin as an aspiring artist, and replaces everything except Scatter, Bonus, Free Spins and Jackpots. It also gives 150 credits if you win, significant as the most you can obtain with 5 of a regular icon is 200 credits.
The Scatter, which gives payouts multiplied by the total bet and added to win line, is a snowman. The Free symbol, an adorable explorer penguin, gives either 5, 10 or 15 free spins depending on whether you get 3, 4 or 5.
Fittingly, the Bonus Game is a suitcase with Antarctic Tours. If you want to go on the vacation with them you have to get 3 suitcase signs, on reels 3, 4 and 5. While they also occur on reels 1 and 2, these won’t count. The special game is amusing as you are taken to an oversized penguin on a boat in an ice pond. You click on the boat and are rewarded with credits of fish coming on the boat. Get a boot though and it’s all over.
There are also three jackpots on offer. The Mega Jackpot, a glacier, offers 6 figure credit winnings. The Mini Jackpot, a glacier cave, and Minor Jackpot, a specially made building, give a 5-figure prize. To win any of them you’d need 5 of a kind.
Nice Vacation
It may not have enough depth for long-time gameplay but it’s easy to play, nice to look at and has plenty of bonus options. Not to mention the 3 jackpot possibilities. For a game that doesn’t appear to take itself too seriously, it seems a cool place to have that vacation.
