Mayan Moons Slot Machine
A knowledge of the ancient Mayan civilisation is not essential to play Mayan Moons, a thoroughly enjoyable Novomatic slot gracing the gaming suites of many real-world and virtual casinos. This 5-reel title boasts 20 pay-lines as well as colourful graphics and atmospheric sound effects, conveying the kind of spine-tingling exoticism that’s synonymous with the Mayan culture.
Just like with many other Novomatic slots, Mayan Moons places pay-line power directly into the hands of gamers. Whether you elect to put one, three, five, seven or all twenty pay-lines in play, you’re sure to enjoy yourself along the way. Unless you’re losing, that is. You could be playing the best online slot in the world but if your luck’s not in, you’ll be cursing everything from the sound effects to the speed of the reels to the smirks on the symbols. You have been warned.
Admire The Mayan View
It’s not often that you get to say this about a Novomatic game, but it’s the visual style that really stands out above all else. The deep blue sky background darkens above the reels, with stars twinkling in the night sky. The customary Mayan symbols, meanwhile, serve to impart an epic, folkloric atmosphere. As well as the usual playing card symbols (9, 10, J, Q, K), there is an exotic Mayan princess, a grass-fringed stone temple, a blue-and-gold sacrificial mask, a set of pipes, a smirking puffin and a bejewelled ring. Winning combinations are formed by landing three or more identical symbols on active paylines, moving from left to right.
Incidentally, the puffin symbol is the highest-paying in the game. If you get five symbols on an active pay-line, you’ll scoop the 1,250 coin jackpot. The coin size, meanwhile, ranges from 2 to 50.
Follow The Stars
If you’re dead set on winning big in this game (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), it’s important that you keep an eye on the moon symbol. Why? Because the moon is the game’s scatter, and therefore your key to Mayan immortality. If you’re able to land three or more scatter symbols, you’ll be given a round of 15 free spins. During the subsequent bonus round, you’ll even be granted a multiplier; free spins can also be re-triggered.
The wild symbol in the game, meanwhile, is the smirking princess. Use this emblem to form winning combinations; the benign princess can substitute for all symbols except the scatter.
During free spins, watch out for the sun symbol. If things are going well and you’re earning a nice crust, the sun could drop down from the top of the game and deliver an exclusive prize. Sometimes the purse is as high as 25x your original bet, sometimes it’s just double. Either way, it’s an attractive proposition when you consider that all of this is – technically at least – for free.
Fly Me To The Moon
Feeling lucky? Want to see how far those good vibes will get you? Well, you can always take advantage of the gamble bonus feature. This is only available when you have made a winning bet, though, and can be accessed through the gamble button on the control panel.
When you opt to gamble, you’ll kick-start the mini game. After being presented with a deck of cards, all you have to do is guess the colour of the next card to be randomly drawn from the bottom. If you guess correctly, you’ll be given a 2x multiplier on your winning bet. If you’re still feeling fortuitous, you can always gamble again. Maybe the Mayans are impressed by your daring and you’ll strike it lucky. If that’s the case, you’ll be handed an impressive 5x multiplier on your bet. It’s not all plain sailing, though. If you guess the wrong colour, you’ll squander your multipliers and also the money you’ve won on your last bet. Essentially this is a double-or-nothing play. Don’t gamble what you can’t afford to lose!
Mayday
Ancient Mayan and Aztec themed slots are not a new idea but Mayan Moons represents another modest success for the Novomatic developer. With its impressive visual style, cool theme and nifty bonus feature, not to mention a double-or-nothing gamble function, the game should appeal to all but the most critical or ambitious gamers. The 1,250 coin jackpot will not impress everyone, but it’s not to be sniffed at either. If you’re in any doubt as to Mayan Moons’ merits (try quickly saying that after a double shot of Jameson’s), why not try it for free?
