Ever wish you could find some old slot machines that you loved playing in previous decades? Or maybe you’ve seen older themes and enjoyed them as well?
I’ve been playing slot machines since the late 70s, and there are still some from previous eras I will immediately play if I see them on the casino floor.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite slot machines – some can still be found, but others are rare. The best places to find older machines are in older casinos or casinos with large gaming floors.
Betting Zoo by Aristocrat Gaming
Betting Zoo, by Aristocrat, was part of one of Aristocrat’s most popular and oldest game themes, Mr. Cashman. The Cashman franchise had many different themes, and I familiarized myself with all of them. It was such a great relationship; to me, he was just Cashman – no “Mr.” needed.
Betting Zoo had, as you can guess, a zoo theme. The blue peacock acted as a scatter symbol with the Betting Zoo symbol, as well as a wild symbol and multiplier. The music, sound effects, and usual Cashman music were great for the time. The LCD touchscreen was fun, especially when everyone’s favorite of five bonuses appeared – the pick-a-match stars bonus, offering free games or credits up to 1000. Four other bonuses included the Mr. Cashman character jumping onto the reels to award wheel spins or credits, wild symbols (peacock), a multiplier cash register, and pick-a-bag bonus credits. Volatility = Medium.
Hoot Loot By High 5 Games
Hoot Loot was my wife’s favorite, and it eventually grew on me. It is made by High 5 Games, now one of the more prolific developers in the iGaming industry. It’s a cartoon-style slot theme with a forest theme and playful, fun characters.
Released in 2004, this video slot game has 5 reels and 20 paylines.
It has two bonuses. First, the Hoot’s Safe Bonus, on reels 1, 3, & 5, which awards players 25 times their stake.
There is also the Hoot Line feature that comes with matching Hoot icons. This feature goes hand in hand with the Hoot Line Multiplier that multiplies your stake up to 22 times. Volatility = Medium.
While it doesn’t include a traditional free spins feature, the anticipation for the Hoot Line Bonus adds excitement and can pay very well. The music and cute “hoot” sounds add a lot to the game. But without the bonuses, interest can wane. As with any slot machine, it’s time to move on.
Magic Butterfly by IGT
The Magic Butterfly Game made by IGT. It has 5 reels with a visual overlay for the extremely important butterflies. I first started playing this game at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Alas, it’s not there anymore, and I haven’t found it for years. Rumor has it some Caesars properties still have it. It is also found as a multi-game format like the one below that I played at Planet Hollywood.
Players have three choices for betting on 30-paylines in play – 30, 90, and 150-credit max bets. Max bet enables Extra Wild and 8 Free Games features, with retriggering spins that can award up to 40X the initial bet.
The visual overlay is called REELdepth™. 3-D graphics pop out over the reels during the Free Games Bonus. Max Bet provides additional 3-D Wild butterflies appearing to turn symbols wild on every free spin.
It’s one of the few slots I have played where the music is calm during the bonus as the butterflies fly around the screen before landing. Getting five wilds on a payline happens more frequently than you might think.
Money Frog by Everi
Money Frog™ from Everi is a 5-reel, 30-line video slot machine. The graphics and music seem older than most from its era, but the game is fun to play.
Three or more bonus symbols land scattered on the reels to trigger the Free Spin Bonus, awarding free spins with a multiplier. During the free spins, the Money Frog Wild symbol remains wild and locked in position (sticky wilds). Additional Money Frog Wild symbols landing on the locked wild position can add more multipliers, increasing players’ winnings even more.
But wait, there’s more! It includes Must-hit Jackpots at any bet level. I hit the Mega Jackpot way before it reached $400.
Takeaway
How do you feel about finding favorite older slots – comfy, nostalgic, happy it’s still available? Well, it’s good to know that they are out there for another great gambling reason. Many provide low to medium volatility, increasing your chances for longer play from smaller bankrolls. Keep your eyes peeled – and oldy but goodie might be just around the corner.
