The X Files Slot Machine
The X-Files was truly one of the biggest television hits of the 1990s. Not only did the breakout science fiction series last for nine seasons on television airwaves, it was the subject of two films that were released in theaters and even spawned a six-episode revival season in 2016. The adventures of FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully fascinated generations of fans who wanted to believe that the truth was out there.
While the series had produced video games and board games over the years, it hadn’t made its mark on the gambling world – at least, not until recently. At The 2016 Global Gaming Expo, Australian provider Aristocrat debuted their X-Files slot machine. Featuring images and music from the series, this game is sure to delight fans who are looking to spend just a bit more time with their favorite characters.
Hunting Little Green Men
The X-Files is a five-reel slot machine that has so far been released only for brick-and-mortar casinos. While the 50 lines of action seen during the G2E demo may seem a bit conventional, the sleek, modern look of the cabinet is anything but. The large, curved screens allow both the top and bottom of the display to be angled to face the player, making it easier than ever to follow the action. The cool blue outline is a perfect mix with the mysterious images that you’d expect from a game all about this franchise: you’ll see a large photo of Mulder and Scully against a green background, where a mysterious blinding light is beaconing over a dark forest.
The reels lie in the middle of the machine, and that’s where you’ll want to look to win your prizes. The game is displayed on an expanded set of reels that utilize a 4x5 format. For such a mysterious series, the gameplay here is rather straightforward: all you’re looking to do is make matches from left to right across the reels, as you might do in any other slot you’d play.
The symbols you’re looking for are definitely right up the alley for any fan of the show. There are portraits of our two stars, along with the mysterious silhouette of the Cigarette Smoking Man and aliens and monsters galore. You’ll also see some more mundane items that have become strongly associated with the FBI’s most famous fictional agents: badges, flashlights, cell phones and confidential files.
Special Features for Special Agents
Of course, no game would be complete without a few twists. Mulder and Scully can provide some mysterious wilds for players, as there are especially elongated (in reality, stacked) versions of their symbols that can appear on any reel. These are wild symbols, and can potentially cover an entire reel, participating in multiple wins at once. Since they can appear on any reel, it is even possible to match several of these to trigger some truly massive prizes.
There’s also a free spins game that is triggered whenever you hit three X symbols on the same spin. This will earn you six or more additional plays at the same value as the triggering spin bet. One of the interesting things we really liked about this feature is that the reels contain one additional symbol: a sign for the mysterious Area 51 government base, long rumored to be the location of secret experiments on alien creatures.
Finally, this machine shares a feature with many Aristocrat games: the presence of multiple progressive jackpots. The version we saw didn’t have any huge prizes available, but a mini, minor, and major jackpot ensure that players consistently have something to shoot for, adding a little extra drama to every spin.
The Truth is Out There
Overall, The X-Files is not the most ambitious slot that we’ve seen Aristocrat develop in recent years. That was a bit surprising: this is a property that has a nearly endless amount of content to draw on, and considering the conspiratorial bent of the stories told on the series, you’d think some sort of complex or secretive bonus round would be right up the alley for such a game. Perhaps such features are planned, but weren’t ready for the G2E rollout.
In any case, the machine as it stands now is still a rather entertaining game for fans of the show. The musical cues are so familiar and never get old, and the imagery from the series does a great job of bringing out the flavor of this franchise, which is now nearly 25 years old. While the gameplay may be relatively bland, there are enough features to keep things interesting enough for us to recommend it to fans of the show.
