Slots tend to be a pretty lucrative business, overall. After all, online slots are EXTREMELY cheap and easy to produce (as long as you already have the rudimentary knowledge of how to code a slot machine, 2-3 people can technically make one within days), and a successful slot can often make up its entire budget hundreds or even thousands of times over. That’s exactly the reason why you see so many companies build their own corner in the slot ring, each trying to pour as many slots out there in the hopes that at least one of them will be successful. If you’ve ever wondered why you see hundreds of lame slots that nobody plays at your online casino of choice, well, this is exactly why. But fear not, for while there’s plenty of developers who are just churning out cheap slot after cheap slot, there are a couple who actually put – gaaaasp – effort into their games! I know, right! Probably the most famous one among them is none other than NetEnt, a company with numerous award-winning games. I’m personally a big fan of theirs, if for no other reason than because they put so much time and effort into their slots in order to make them as entertaining as humanly possible. With that said, let’s not waste any more time and celebrate my most beloved slots by the company!
3. Gonzo’s Quest
I’m personally a big fan of puzzle games. Back when I was a kid, I used to adore the games by a company called PopCap, which specialized in THE best puzzle games at the time (and possibly ever, if my nostalgia-clouded mind is to be believed). You might have heard of some of their games, like “Bejeweled”, but they all followed pretty much the same principles of providing simple, yet very addictive puzzle games that would later be copied by much bigger titles like “Candy Crush Saga”. The reason I’m telling you all of that is because “Gonzo’s Quest” is, essentially, a puzzle game in the skin of a slot. Whenever you score some combos on one or more of your paylines, the winning symbols drop down and make way for more symbols, giving you the opportunity to win even more. While here the puzzle skills are replaced by pure luck, the mechanics are virtually identical, and they bring a very fresh experience to a genre that’s plagued by clones of the exact same slot.
2. South Park: Reel Chaos
“South Park” may be second only to “The Simpsons” when it comes to most culturally influential cartoon ever made. The four foul-mouthed kids from South Park, Colorado have surpassed the likes of Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and Tom & Jerry in the public consciousness, and a big part of the reason why is because they tend to mix their shock humor (which many previous cartoons had done before, even if not quite to that extent) with political messages. “South Park” isn’t afraid to make fun of anything, and gambling is no exception! After a BRILLIANT slot which took its cues from the earlier seasons and the equally brilliant “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut”, NetEnt have once again delivered an awesome “South Park” casino experience, this time inspired by the more recent superhero arcs and “South Park: The Shattered But Whole”. Packed full of awesome bonus games and sporting some great and colorful graphics practically identical to that all too familiar “South Park” feel we all know and love, “Reel Chaos” is anything you’d want in a licensed slot and more!
1. Aliens
And yet, despite how utterly great “South Park: Reel Chaos” is, there is just one “NetEnt” slot that surpasses it! I’ll give you a hint – it’s based on a sequel directed by James Cameron which focused more on action and special effects while the original focused more on horror and atmosphere. No, I’m not talking about “Terminator 2” – that slot is great too, but it’s made by Microgaming (who are bound to get their own list of this sort in the near future, I assure you), and as such doesn’t count. No, we’re talking about “Aliens”, which wins for exactly one reason, and one reason only – it’s got the single greatest bonus game I’ve ever seen in my life! The bonus game places you in the shoes of a space marine that makes his way through a hallway infested with facehuggers and xenomorphs on his way to fighting the alien queen. On your way, you’ll keep spinning the reels in order to obtain extra magazines which you need to dispatch of the baddies, alongside, naturally, some monetary bonuses. If at any point you’re faced with an alien, but your gun is dry, it’s game over for you! This quick and completely automated segment manages to be SO tense and SO effective, it’s insane! While most companies often just put a few still images as their bonuses (“Here, pick one of these five clamshells or whatever”), this one is fully animated, and it’s very obvious that a whole lot of effort went into making it. That’s why I chose “Aliens” as my No. 1 NetEnt slot – more than anything, it shows exactly why I love this company so much. They always go the extra mile to ensure their games are of the highest quality, which is, sadly, way too rare in the slots market.