A Christmas Story Slots
When it was first released to theaters in 1983, A Christmas Story wasn’t a major hit. Critics didn’t love it, audiences didn’t turn out in droves, and it seemed destined to go largely forgotten. But things can change in a hurry: by the early 1990s, it was regularly shown on television multiple times as a part of the holiday season, and these days, American audiences can enjoy the film on loop for 24 hours on TNT and TBS.
This classic tale of childhood, family, and the Christmas season – all set in a typical American town somewhere around 1940 – is now an enduring part of the holidays for many people. It’s also the basis for the A Christmas Story slot machine by Aristocrat, which was released into live casinos in 2015. Featuring a bevy of bonuses and special features that are related to the most memorable parts of the film, this is sure to be a trip down memory lane for any fan.
You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid
This machine is a five-reel, 40 payline game that is housed in Aristocrat’s Arc Wheel cabinet, which has a cool curved display and a spinning wheel at the top, which can take part in bonus features. The game has a 50 coin minimum when you play, but if you’re a high roller, you can bet more: depending on the machine, there’s a maximum bet of 250 or 500 credits.
When it comes to a typical spin, the A Christmas Story video slot is similar to most games. You’ll be doing your best to match symbols from left to right across your paylines, hoping to put together long strings of identical icons. You’ll see all sorts of iconic elements from the movie appear on screen, including Ralphie (who can appear as an extended, two-spot symbol) and the rest of his family, along with soap (to watch your mouth out with), fragile boxes, cowboy hats, broken glasses, decoder rings, and so much more. And, of course, there’s the infamous leg lamp, which serves as an expanded wild that can cover as much as an entire reel if you hit it in just the right spot on the reels.
Open Your Presents
One of the most exciting things about the A Christmas Story video slot is that there are a number of special features that can be triggered at random during ordinary spins, even before you get into the real bonuses. These nice little triggered events are a great way to spice up the action, and feature plenty of memorable incidents from the film.
For instance, the Bumpus Hounds might just break loose, leaving a number of wild symbols in their wake. Ralphie might dress up as a bunny, expanding the reels to a fifth position and throwing in some fully wild columns as well. The furnace could go on the fritz, throwing smoke on the screen and once again giving you a random number of wild symbols. Or you could reach Christmas morning itself, giving you a spin on the mechanical reel above your screen, where you’ll receive one of several instant prizes that can be worth thousands of coins.
Break Out Your Decoder Ring
Still, nothing is as exciting as the actual bonus rounds in this (or any machine). Players can trigger these in A Christmas Story by hitting three logo symbols anywhere on the reels. When this happens, you’ll be sent to Santa Claus, where you’ll then pick presents until you get a match that sends you to one of the four potential special features.
In the Sinister Triple Dog Dare bonus, you’ll once again be spinning the wheel, with the chance to earn additional spins along the way. In The Queen Mother of Dirty Words, you’ll get to enjoy free spins on an expanded set of reels…until you spell out some bad words (censored, of course) across the reels too many times, at which point you’ll see your mouth washed out with soap.
Next up is a chance to spin a special Decoder Wheel. This is the way into the game’s three progressive jackpots, along with a number of other instant prizes. Finally, in Black Bart Bounty, you’ll get to imagine shooting evil bandits, collecting prizes along the way as you empty your six-shooter.
A Holiday Classic
There’s no doubt that A Christmas Story is a nostalgic slot that players will absolutely cherish if they are fans of the film. There are so many clips, images, sounds, and other references to the movie hidden throughout the game that you’ll want to play more and more just to unlock them all. But the best news of all is that the machine is fun to play even if you’re not a huge fan of Ralphie’s antics.
