Plumbo Slots
Have you heard of the Norwegian rock/folk band Plumbo? Yeah, we hadn’t either. In any case, the three-piece band – which currently consists of Lars Erik Blokkhus, Tommy Elstad and Hasse Rønningen – is the inspiration behind this music-themed video slot from Betsoft. The game has five reels and up to 25 configurable paylines, and it’s soundtracked by – what else? – Plumbo’s greatest hits.
There are plenty of music-themed slots on the market, the latest being NetEnt’s Guns N’ Roses, released just as the original line-up of the immortal band reformed. Plumbo mightn’t be as well-known as Axl and co, but we’re here to review the eponymous slot game, not the band itself. As it turns out, Plumbo is a very good slot, with both wild and scatter symbols helping you trigger cash and free spins prizes.
Betting particulars
As stated, you can play Plumbo on between one and 25 lines. Just note that the number of lines is always an odd number: so, one, three, five, seven, nine etc, all the way up to 25. All wins pay left to right, and all wins are multiplied by the line bet.
The coin bet range, meanwhile, stretches from 0.02 to 1, and you can bet up to five coins per line. With all nine paylines in play, therefore, you can wager 125 credits per spin. You don’t need to be a fan of Plumbo to play the slot game of the same title, and nor do you need to be a high-roller: the game appeals to a wide swathe of players.
Hitting the stage
Plumbo’s 5x3 reel grid appears on the stage, and each icon is somehow related to the band itself. Below the stage, we can see a guitar, an accordion, a wooden crate and a drum, and superimposed on these photorealistic graphics are controls for Lines, Bet Per Spin, Spin and Max Bet Spin. All fairly self-explanatory, we hope: just use the and - icons to regulate your bet-per-line and number of paylines.
Above the instruments, there are further tabs showing your credit and bet tally, as well as your running balance.
Should you wish to mute the dulcet tones of Lars Erik Blokkhus, you can switch the music off by clicking the button to the left of the Plumbo logo at the top. You can also mute all sound here. On the other side of ‘Plumbo’, there is a View Pays button.
Meet the band
There are ten symbols in Plumbo, including both a wild and a scatter. Four of the symbols are head shots of band members, though we’ll be goddamned if we can tell who’s who. We’re also mildly confused as to who the fourth member is, but anyway… The head shots show a flute player, a drummer and two guitarists. A further four symbols show action shots – close-ups of the flute, the drums and the guitars.
The best-paying symbol appears to be the enigmatic Lars Erik Blokkhus: he pays 100 for two, 1,000 for three, 2,500 for four and 5,000 for five. Next best is the guitarist – almost certainly Tommy Elstad. It pays 50 for two, 500 for three, 1,250 for four and 2,500 for five. The drummer head shot is next, paying 25/250/500/1,000, and then the flutist, which grants 10/125/250/500.
The lowest-value icon in the game is the close-up of the flutist’s hands on the instrument: it pays 25 for three, 50 for four and 100 for five.
Wild and scatter
The wild is able to substitute for all symbols except the Plumbo logo scatter. Use the wild to form pay-wins, and be aware that the wild doubles all wins in which it is involved.
The scatter, represented by a red neon Plumbo sign, grants free spins. Just land three or more on an active payline and you’ll earn eight, 12 or 20 free spins. What’s more, all wins during free spins are doubled.
If you only manage to find two scatters, don’t worry: you won’t win any free spins, but you will earn 250 credits.
Playing Plumbo
Plumbo might be a band that haven’t quite penetrated the international market, but the slot game of the same title is fine entertainment. There are plenty of paylines on which to find matching combinations, as well as a wild and scatter to boost your chances. Hey, if your luck’s not in, at least you can rock out to the music.
