Ever since arcade slot games hit the market in 1985, the industry hasn’t been the same. They offered a completely different experience than poker, blackjack, or even roulette. With zero strategies involved but with vibrant pictures of cherries and lemons, arcade machines paved the way for fast fun and a brand-new gambling format. As years passed, slot machines evolved, becoming more complex with every new release. The visuals became more appealing and advanced. The game mechanics included new takes on how to trigger prizes. Slots became bolder and louder, especially those you can play online.
Still, the UK’s casino brands operating online note an interesting trend — the comeback of retro slots, also known as cherry or penny machines.
What’s Up With the Retro Craze?
It seems highly unusual that players choose basic retro slots instead of elaborate casino tales with multilevelled bonus features. However, if we dive only slightly deeper, we’ll notice this shift reflects current trends in pop culture. The public is going crazy over all things retro.
The uncertainties of the present often need something familiar and usual to rely on. TV series set in the past, such as the record-breaking Netflix show Stranger Things, rule the streaming services. Vinyl records are back in fashion. Barbie, a doll that once ruled the market, enjoyed a period of widespread cultural popularity.
The list goes on and on, and naturally, it also includes cherry slot games that attract new generations of gamblers with their simple mechanics and colourful, albeit basic, visuals.
Retro Slots — Simple Yet Fun
The main quality of cherry games is their simplicity. Instead of three or more bonus features most online slot machines have, retro slots focus on one or two basic ones. Players get a Wild symbol and perhaps a Scatter and free spins bonus with none of the complex mechanics introduced by new releases.
The layout of the retro slot is also as elementary as it gets. They rarely have more than five reels and over 10 paylines. There are no cascades and similar mechanics and you can forget all about fancy bonus rounds with fancy effects. Cherry slots are vintage to their core.
That being said, this genre has also progressed over the years.
New Face of the Old Gaming Genre
In the current online slots library powered by a respectable supplier, British gamblers will find retro games for the new era. They keep the most recognisable elements of the genre but elevate it with the addition of new mechanics, high-resolution visuals and mesmerising visual effects.
The new generation of online arcade games is created with a new generation of players in mind. They still rely on recognisable visual elements, including BARs, lemons, and bells, but they also utilise the latest gaming mechanics that make the experience more dynamic. Some of the most popular features are in-game jackpot prizes triggered via hold-and-win bonus games, expanding grids, and multipliers.
Retro games are here to stay, and despite what many might think, they still have a lot to offer.
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