Rudolph's Revenge

I love it when games designers take time to think about a slot that is to be designed on a specific theme and then go out of their way to make it as completely innovative and individual as possible, by perhaps twisting that original theme beyond recognition. It's a risky option to take but the net result can be some of the most fun to play and memorable slots.

So credit Realtime Gaming for thinking out of the box with the hugely amusing and individual Rudolph's Revenge slot. Of course, the name Rudolph conjures up images of Santa's most famous reindeer and indeed, the red-nosed one is the main protagonist of the slot. Only this Rudolph will go down in history for something a bit more radical than leading Santa's sleigh.

You see things are not that great at the North Pole and Rudolph has had enough. He's taken it upon himself to lay waste to Santa's famous home and its inhabitants in the most explosive way possible and then he wants to find a new home somewhere a bit warmer and where his talents may be more appreciated.

It's a rather unusual theme for a Christmas slot, but the premise of the slot is immediately recognizable, as is the fact that this is a big progressive jackpot game. Let's take a look now at some of the key aspects of the slot.

Overview

• Game: Rudolph's Revenge
• Developer: Realtime Gaming
• Reels: 5
• Pay Lines: 50 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: $2
• Maximum Bet: $2
• Jackpot: 5,000 coins
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: No
• Progressive: Yes
• Volatility: High

Where can I play the Rudolph's Revenge slot?

If a trip to the North Pole to see Rudolph in person is beyond you then playing his slot may be a decent alternative and if you want to play the popular Christmas progressive at a top quality casino then Slots Capital is certainly the casino to consider.

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Presentation

Rudolph's Revenge is presented in a cartoon style, but it is definitely a more mature cartoon, think more Family Guy or South Park, rather than Disney's Bambi. A quick scan of the top of the screen reveals Rudolph's intentions as you can see Santa's sleigh on this moonlit night and to the left in among the trees, a missile with 'Merry Xmas' aiming at it.

That sets the tone for this slot and if you have a darker side to your humor then you are going to love how the game is presented. The sound is a bit weedy initially with just the generic slot sounds accompanying you as you play but there are some better sounds and animations that kick in when you land some of the winning combinations on the reels.

The progressive jackpot (which starts at $20,000 and increases from there) is prominently displayed and unlike other Realtime Gaming slots, it can be won in the game itself, rather than being randomly allocated to a lucky spin.

Yes, the presentation is darker than your usual Christmas slot, but I think it works very well, even if the overall effect is simplistic.

What's on the reels?

When it comes to what is on the reels there are a number of different symbols and all are decorated in a Christmas theme, of sorts. The lower value symbols are the six playing card lows which are the 9,10 and Jack which offer wins from 5 coins up to 150 coins as standard and the Queen, King and Ace which offer wins of between 5 coins and 250 coins.

The medium level wins are achieved by landing three or more of the Tied up Elf and Snow covered house symbols on the reels as these offer wins from 10 coins to 500 coins. Higher value wins come courtesy of the Ice Cube encased elf, (who offers wins from 5 coins for 2 on a pay line up to 1,000 coins) and the rather beaten up and gagged Santa himself who also offers 5 coins for 2 on a pay line up to 2,000 coins for five.

Alongside these symbols there are two other symbols on the reels which trigger the main features of the slot, the Rudolph Wild symbol and the Bomb Scatter symbol.

Wild features

The Wild Symbol is a rather mean looking Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer who is chomping down on a cigar and who sports what appears to be a face mask. This symbol can replace any of the standard symbols outlined above on the reels to help create winning or additional pay lines when it lands on a spin.

In addition to that, it will also award a 2x multiplier on any winning line that it is part of and that can lead to some big pay outs.

However, what is most interesting is that if you land two, three or four Rudolph Wilds on the reels during the base game you win 15, 150 and 1,500 coins. However, land all five on a pay line and you will trigger the progressive jackpot. However this jackpot is only available in the base game, not in the Free Spins bonus game.

During Free Spins, if you land five of the Rudolph Wild symbols on the reel you will trigger a 5,000 coin pay out rather than the progressive jackpot prize.

Free Spins features

You can trigger 7 Free Spins when you land three or more of the Bomb Scatter symbols anywhere across the reels. During your Free Spins bonus, all prizes are subject to an immediate 2x multiplier and for every Rudolph Wild you land on the reels during Free Spins, you will also earn add one to that multiplier value, so for example if you landed a win with two Rudolph Wilds, your pay out would get a 4x multiplier in total (2x multiplier for Free Spins plus 2 1x multiplier added on for the two Rudolph Wilds).

If you land the Free Spins bonus with four Scatters then you also have the Scatter Bomb symbol acting as an additional Wild for your Free Spins, while if you land all five Bomb Scatters on the reels, then the Scatter Bomb and Santa symbol both act as additional Wilds.

Other bonus features

The other main feature of the Rudolph's Revenge slot is the progressive jackpot which is won when you land five of the Rudolph Wild symbols on a pay line during the base game. You cannot win the progressive jackpot during Free Spins (a 5,000-coin prize is paid instead).

Best feature of the Rudolph's Revenge slot

It is genuinely rare that I rate the concept behind a slot more highly than any of its key features, but I do think that for people who want to play a Christmas slot that is very different to anything else that they will have experienced then the Rudolph's Revenge slot is absolutely spot on. The humor may be a little raw for some, but for others I think they will be highly amused by this rather crazed and manic take on the Christmas story. That said, I still think the progressive jackpot prize is a nice touch and also the Free Spins bonus games, allied to the fact that extra Scatters triggering will award you extra Wilds, are also very nice features.

What does the Rudolph's Revenge slot lack?

If I would criticize the Rudolph's Revenge slot for anything then I would suggest that this is down to a lack of polish. I think the concept behind the game is utterly brilliant, clever and inventive, but they have executed that vision somewhat sloppily in my view with some rather basic graphics and sound effects. This is a slot that could have sounded and looked spectacular and really caught the imagination but unfortunately it just doesn't quite grab you in the way that it promises too and that is down to how the slot looks more-so than how it plays and the ideas behind it.

Conclusion

I love the idea of the Rudolph's Revenge slot but for me the game has been executed a little too sloppily and that does detract from your enjoyment. It is a rather basic slot, even though it has some excellent features and the lack of decent sound when spinning the reels is a disappointment. Some suitably weird Christmas music to suit Rudolph's takeover at the North Pole would have been a perfect accompaniment. Overall, this is a good slot, but it could well have been so much better with just a little more care.

Ratings

• Presentation: 11 / 20 - Realtime Gaming missed an opportunity to create a real classic here with this slot in my view. The concept behind the game is a 20/20 idea, an evil Rudolph taking over the North Pole and obliterating it is a fabulous idea but the slot itself hasn't presented that idea in the best light. The game is too simplistic looking and the lack of animations and graphics and in particular the sound, really detract from what could have been something very special indeed and that is a shame.
• Game-Play: 13 / 20 - Although the slot may look a little tired and a little hastily put together, the game-play itself isn't too bad. Some nicer touches such as better and more plentiful animations on the reels or a few cut scenes to enjoy would have added to the overall experience, but the slot still rattles along at a nice pace and with just one size of wager, everyone plays at the same stake and has the same chance of triggering the progressive prize which is a nice touch.
• Bonus Features: 14 / 20 - The bonus features on the Rudolph's Revenge slot are very good. The progressive jackpot of at least $20,000 is a very nice touch and considerably more than you get on many other Realtime Gaming slots with progressives. The Free Spins bonus also has some nice touches with the additional Wilds for landing more Scatters as the trigger particularly effective, although I do think not being able to win the progressive jackpot in Free Spins is a little punitive on players.
• Entertainment Factor: 17 / 20 - In terms of fun, the way the symbols have been designed, the back drop and the idea of the slot is superb and this fun element fortunately does translate well in the game itself. There are many times when you start playing you will find yourself smiling at some of the symbols on the reels or items in the background of the screen.
• Play Value: 7 / 20 - This is a high variance slot and that means that most of the wins you will experience will be low value and often not as much as you wager per spin. However, if you can trigger bonus features, then some of the much greater value wins become possible. This is a slot though that can be expensive to play, as all top progressive games are.
• Overall 62 / 100 - This could have been a considerably higher score with some better presentation and a few more animations and amusing cut-scenes to make the general game-play more absorbing. That said, it is still a hugely fun slot to play and if you have a twisted sense of humor, then this is a slot that should definitely be at the very top of your festive play list. The progressive jackpot is a nice touch but this does make this a very volatile slot, so this does need to be played with caution, even if it is just $2 per spin to play for all players.

Good Luck!

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