321 Online Slot Machine Review
In the 1980’s 321 was one of the biggest gameshows on UK TV. Hosted by Ted Rogers, I still recall the twisting hand with 3, 2 and 1 fingers that was his signature move – and very easily adapted by schoolkids to make offensive hand gestures. The slot maintains that gameshow feel, and the star of the slot as well as the original show is one Dusty Bin. While the look of the game is very retro, it does have several features of note. There are 3 sub-games to play, based on free spins or pick-em games.
This slot starts with Dusty Bin himself walking across the bottom of the screen before standing on the right hand side. The reels have a plain white background and depict very 1980’s looking TV’s, cars (an original mini) and crystal decanter sets. Sounds are dominated by a quasi-mechanical hum and beep noises as the reels stop. During the features, lounge-music will start, led by a guitar. This is the type of tune you’ll find yourself humming for days. There are some visual effects, for example when you hit one of the features, Dusty Bin flies across the reels to reveal your game.
While the bonus rounds do acknowledge parts of the original show, they are essentially pick-em games without too much real interaction. One thing I should note is that you can trigger one bonus from within another – for example the ‘Elimination Bonus’ while playing the free spins game.
Setup and Play for 321
This is a 20 win line video slot, in the standard 5x3 configuration. You can select the number of lines to play, and choose coin values from 1p up to ￡10. The max spin for the full lines is a huge ￡200, though you can play for 20p a spin if you wish. As with all Endemol slots, auto play is available for up to 25 spins each time.
As far as prizes go, you’ll want to see the bright 321 logo as often as possible. 5 of these on a win line pays out 5000 coins, with 600 coins for just 4. Since this symbol is also the wild, you will often find that other winning combinations are created on other lines when it hits. The logo substitutes for all of the regular symbols – though not the Dusty Bin scatters.
Those scatters take 3 forms. There is a prize for 3+ (50x your total spin amount for 5), and each one will trigger a different bonus. The ‘free spins’ takes you to a pick-em to determine how many spins you get. The Dusty with an envelope takes you to the elimination round, and the top-hatted Dusty takes you to the Entertainer bonus round.
Regular symbols are headed up by 3 fingers, worth 500 coins for 5. The holiday, card and boat are next on the pay-table. With a scooter, decanter set, TV and cards making up the smaller prizes.
321 Slot Bonus Features
I found the bonuses triggered frequently in this game. There are 3 different ones, depending on which Dusty Bin you get 3+ of on the reels.
Free spins first takes you to a screen covered in a lot of Dusty Bin pictures. You choose 4 of these, and will be awarded a number of free spins for the first 3 and then a multiplier for your wins for the 4th. You then go back to the reels and the slot quickly spins through your free spins. If you retrigger (with 3 bins) you get the same amount of spins again added to your total. You can also trigger the other bonuses while playing this game.
The ‘Elimination Bonus’ is a pick-em which acknowledges a round of the game where contestants considered clues to find out what the main prize was. You get a circle of mixed items (a farmhouse loaf, barbed wire and miner’s hat – among others) and choose 5. Each pick will reveal either a cash prize or a Dusty Bin (for zero). I had a lot of luck with the Farmhouse loaf, though really the prizes are at random. The last bonus is the cheesiest of them all; you have to line up variety acts for the show. This is essentially a pick-em game, with prizes or Dusty Bin behind each pick.
321 Slot Conclusion
While I remember watching the game show as a kid, I’m really not so sure that I need to be reminded of it in any way. That said this is an entertaining and deliberately retro slot, which manages not to take itself too seriously. 3 bonus games, which trigger frequently, keep you interested in the game – and the 80's feeling of the whole thing does add to the atmosphere.
If you are prepared to take the risk of that lounge music getting ‘stuck in your head’; then why not take this entertaining slot for a spin.
