No one can stop the march of time, and with that comes evolution and progress. Businesses and entire industries thrive on modernisation and innovations, to keep relevant, attract new customers and stand out from the crowd. Progress has been extremely evident throughout the history of slot machines, which started off as revolutionary mechanical devices, and have now been transformed into online video games.
But even though modern platforms like PayPal casinos that use advanced e-wallets and other convenient methods for online transactions are awash with high-end video slots, there is still a lot of charm when it comes to retro. There are even modern slots designed explicitly with a retro theme, tapping into the heritage of those incredible old mechanical slots. But how do retro gaming machines contrast with modern ones?
Where Slots Came From
In the late 19th century, something new and shiny hit the public consciousness, as Charles Fey, a mechanic from San Francisco, California came up with the idea of the “Liberty Bell” slot. That’s where the history of slot machines is credited as starting, and it was exactly what you would imagine an old-school retro slot to be.
It had just three spinning reels and the Liberty Bell was the highest-value symbol (which is where the slot got its name from) and it sat alongside horseshoes, spades, hearts and diamonds.
To operate the Liberty Bell slot, players would pull the lever (the arm) and the reels would spin. A payout would happen if three matching symbols landed on the one pay line that was in use, and the payouts were determined by the value of the symbols that were matched.
Why Retro Still Has Appeal
Load an online casino site and you’ll find the heavy hand of modernity in game design. From animations to interactive bonus games, soundbites, music and a glut of features like cascading reels, game boards, wilds and scatters. It’s far removed from the much simpler, humbler beginnings of slots.
Part of the charm of retro slots is their simplicity. The mechanical slots offered both a visceral and tactile experience that came from the physical act of pulling the lever, hearing the whirring of the wheels and the satisfying clunk when they would come to a stop. It was all part of a great experience.
There was no complicated gameplay or pay lines either. Designs were much simpler as well, lacking the kind of theming that is found on modern slots. Symbols would vary very little between machines, with staples like fruits, bars, and Lucky 7’s, basically a blend of familiar playing card symbols as well as one that represented good fortune.
Modern Gaming
In stark contrast, modern gaming has been about cramming as many features into a slot as possible. Now machines come with multiple pay lines that number into the hundreds, can go diagonally and both right and left, even zigzagging on some slots.
Thanks to the broad scope of theming on modern slots, game symbols can be absolutely anything. Many still lean on the playing card influence, but slot symbols now tie into a particular branding or theme, which could be anything from cars to food, to aliens and movies.
The levels of complexity also rise in orders of magnitude when all the bonus rounds and special symbols are tallied up on modern slots. All of that is by design, as developers want to make the games as engaging for players as possible. The more features that are included, the more it drives up appeal as players have more potential ways to win.
The Big Difference
Perhaps the biggest difference between the retro style and modern slots is in the bonuses. This has only been made possible because of the digital format and the sophisticated software that runs them, which is far removed from the mechanical limitations of old slots.
The incorporation of bonus rounds, which themselves are triggered by combinations of special symbols like scatters, has taken slot play to a whole new level. It’s produced a more dynamic, more expansive landscape of creative slot play.
Bonus rounds of play can range from pick-and-win games to interactive mini-games, driving up the excitement levels. There is also the greater potential of larger payouts throughout the bonus games, now a key element of modern slots.
Take Mega Joker, for instance. The original physical version was a simple 3-reel fruit machine with basic payouts and no bonus rounds. Novomatic’s online adaptation transforms it completely – with 5 reels and 40 adjustable paylines, wilds, scatters, a gamble feature, and even autoplay. It’s a great example of how vintage charm meets modern mechanics to create something engaging.
Still Going Strong
Most land-based casinos still have a small section of things like penny slots and a range of classic-style machines which have the old-school spin-triggering lever. That’s proof that retro slots remain relevant and are appreciated by players who enjoy a simpler gambling experience and want to reconnect with a bit of nostalgia.
Video slots dominate the scene, however, but the fact that they exist now is all down to the pioneering slots like the “Liberty Bell”. Those groundbreaking physical machines were the foundation of modern places like Monaco and Las Vegas, and now, online casinos.
