If you stop and take a look around right now you’ll quickly come to realize that anything retro, classic or vintage is making a huge comeback, and this applies to the world of slot games as well of course. Retro games are starting to creep back into the scenes, with old school game characters such as Super Mario starring in his very own movie this year.
There’s certainly an appeal to retro-themed slots. For many it’s because of the warm and familiar feeling of nostalgia, for others, it’s the sheer fun factor. Then, of course, there’s the incentive of casinos offering no deposit free spins to prolong the entertainment.
The psychological reason primarily hinges upon the fact that people tend to feel connected to their childhood memories. So, whenever we see graphics or listen to soundtracks that we remember from years ago, nostalgia is triggered, but some may argue it goes well beyond that. Even gamblers who aren’t old enough to remember the original classics seem to have caught on to the whole vintage trend lately, with a sealed in original packaging Super Mario Bros. video game going on sale for a record $2 million last year for example.
Retro Games and Modern Players
In the same way popular tv shows and movies made a comeback over the past couple of years, so have retro slots and other casino games. With new slots being pumped out into the market daily, each one using better graphics and higher quality gameplay than the other, sometimes its surprising to think that the modern player would opt for a more basic game developed a decade ago, over one that’s just been released.
However, it’s a well known fact amongst established players that these old games offered an incredibly simplified but super thrilling gambling experience. Apart from that, retro slots tend to be more affordable and are usually suited for a wide range of players, starting with beginners all the way up to more experienced gamblers. There’s also the fact that sometimes modern slots tend to be a little more of the same, and this boredom causes players to go back to classics they enjoyed when they had first set foot in an online casino.
Even though slot symbols may be represented by practically anything these days as we’ve seen in several popular titles, it’s the classic bells, sevens, and fruits that really gets that nostalgia going most of the time. There are also a number of retro slots that are themed after specific eras, using iconic artwork such as art deco for example to represent the roaring 20s.
How Do Vintage Slots Work?
If you’ve never played an old-style slot before, you might imagine that there are going to be so many visible differences that you’re never going to figure it out. Here’s where you’re wrong. These retro slots will generally follow the same gaming pattern as newer ones, with the major difference being that the classics will include a limited number of paylines, and few to none when it comes to special symbols. Most of the time there are also no mini side games and complex bonus features included in this sort of game.
Most retro slots keep things as simple as possible. Playing a game round generally includes selecting and confirming your bet size before hitting the spin button and allowing the reels to do their thing. It’s very much of a ‘what you see is what you get’ scenario with these older type games, with the first spin pretty much painting a picture what to expect from the game all the way to your last spin.
With this in mind, it becomes quite easy to understand why these types of games rank extremely high amongst players, especially those of an older generation keen on experiencing a similar game to the ones they used to play back in the ‘good old days’.
A Slot Evolution
It can definitely be agreed that slots aren’t the one-armed bandits they once were. When they made their first appearance in the late 19th century, there weren’t many variations available. The earliest slot machines were developed in New York and were designed in a way that couldn’t pay out any wins directly to the player. Instead, gamblers would need to ask their local bartender to pay up instead.
In most cases, these wins were exchanged for cigars and drinks, and while it might not seem like much now in those days it was enough to make them popular. Eventually, by 1980 slot machines had modified and had their paylines reduced to three in total, which meant these games were on track to becoming simpler than ever especially when the automatic cash-out system was introduced.
One of the most important developments during this time included swapping out the classic fruit symbols for playing card suits and the BAR symbol. This development proved so popular that it basically started a trend that carries on till today, with digital slots displaying similar symbols decades later.
Most modern slots rose to popularity around 2010 when the first internet casinos made their first launch and have continued to contribute to the evolution of slots, as well as to popularize the more classic designs and games.
Lower Limits and Higher Payouts
When compared to their modern counterparts, classic slots come with considerably lower limits, with players being able to bet up to 10c max at times. Because there are generally such few paylines involved, there’s also a limit on coin size which brings the chances of overspending down to the bare minimum. This makes these types of games ideal for those interested in controlling their budget while still enjoying the thrill gambling brings about.
These older style games are also known for having a higher payout ratio when compared to their modern counterparts despite their lower payouts. Because of this, players are able to enjoy the perfect balance these games present, with some having an RTP as high as 97% which makes them more attractive when players look at the bigger picture.
In Conclusion
Times might be changing but as we’ve just seen, retro slots will be forever here to stay. They’re so classic by nature that it’s literally the case of not changing a winning formula when it comes to developing new games. Even though developers are constantly updating this game genre with new titles, it’s the simplicity of these games, along with the appeal of times gone by, that consistently makes players come back for more.
By leveraging on nostalgia, these old-style games offer players the best of both worlds by keeping things as uncomplicated and thrilling as the first machines to make an appearance on the market might have, making them a well-loved classic for years to come.
