Samurai Sensei Slot
Japanese warriors, geisha girls and Oriental-style playing card icons are the sparse symbols that will land across the 5 reels of the Samurai Sensei video slot from GamingSoft. There might not be much variety of symbols in the base game, but this shouldn’t put anyone off, as it simply leaves more room for a whole bunch of bonus icons such as a wild, scatter and even jackpot symbol.
This online casino slot is a great-looking machine as well, setting the game against a traditional structure with arches, bamboo plants, bridges and tranquil waters, all overlaid by falling leaves and accompanied by the noises of tumbling reels, plus a soundtrack that doesn’t seem very Japanese to us, but still sounds nice. A delicate lattice framework surrounds the reels, highlighted in rich reds and golds.
Just 9 paylines run from left to right, and regular winning combinations are made by landing matching symbols across a line on 3 or more adjacent reels. While free Samurai Sensei video slot versions are available, clearly no real cash wins can come from them and the low limit stake is only 0.09 anyway.
Playing Samurai Sensei
With just 2 character symbols in play, it’s comparatively easy to line up winning lines of these high-value icons. The geisha girl returns 10x, 40x, or 300x the amount staked per line, with the top wins coming from the Samurai himself who pays 10x, 100x, or 500x.
Smaller prizes are awarded by the 10, J, Q, K and A symbols, each of which is colourful and styled to complement the overall theme. Helping complete winning combinations is a ferocious-looking Samurai mask with crossed swords that serves as a wild symbol.
This also pays out the top wins in the standard game, with just 2 on a line needed for a 10x prize, 3 are worth 40x and some massive prizes payouts of 1,000x and 4,000x the line bet are claimed when it’s on 4 or 5 reels at once. It’s also able to stand in for other symbols, completing extra winning lines, although it can’t substitute for the 2 scatter symbols or the temple that starts the progressive jackpot round.
Scatter Symbol Features
Unusually, the Samurai Sensei video slot has 2 scatter symbols, each of which has a different purpose in life. A cherry blossom tree is simply there to award multiples of the total bet when it stops in any positions, without needing to be across a defined payline. If 3 cherry scatters appear, a reward of 5x the triggering bet is paid, while 4 are worth 25x, and the best outcome is for 5 scatters to land at once, as punters get a prize equal to 100x their total bet.
The other scatter is a traditional Japanese paper door, which pays a lowly 5x the stake when it’s in 2 places at once, but will then take players to a second screen where they will see several Samurai training stations, suits of armour, ceremonial swords and gongs. Each object hides a number of free spins within it, along with a multiplier value and players keep clicking in them, accumulating more free games with each selection.
Once 3 of the same multiplier amount has been found, the accumulated free spins will play out at the matching multiplier value. Any 2 door symbols turning up in the bonus games will retrigger the round, although a fixed number of 8 spins will be awarded.
Sky-High Wins with a Progressive Jackpot
The towering pagoda-like temple is a powerful symbol and one that unlocks the progressive jackpot feature, where winning a prize is guaranteed. The Mini, Minor, Major and Grand progressives are on show above the reels and players will see the values rising steadily as a percentage of all wagers placed across the GamingSoft range at all online casinos where they are featured, is put aside.
Most slots from GamingSoft have the feature triggered by landing the jackpot symbol on certain reels and in the case of this game, it will need to stop on the left and right-side reels at once. This then opens up a second screen where players will see a series of warriors in blue or red training outfits. The aim is to defeat as many as possible, revealing a jackpot level with each successful fight, until 3 of the same jackpot are found.
It’s then paid out, but only high rollers on the maximum bets will get 100% of any prize, with those on the minimum stakes winning 10%, and those in between claiming 20-90% depending on how much they wagered on the triggering spin.
Does it make Sensei to play this game?
Slot games with an Asian theme are pretty much certain hits, and Samurai Sensei is a video slot that has some dramatic images of warriors and masks, alongside more peaceful pictures, such as the cherry blossoms and girl.
While some people appreciate the inclusion of playing card symbols, as they know what each is worth in relation to others, there will be many punters who prefer to see all symbols related to the theme, but it’s just a matter of opinion.
If the design appeals, then the bonuses will surely be enough to make it worth playing the Samurai Sensei video slot.
