Ukiyo-e Slot Machine
They say beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. You’ll be putting that statement to the test when playing Ukiyo-e by Gamatron, since opinions on the visuals are like marmite – you’re either going to love them or hate them. The game is based on the popular Japanese genre of art which saw artists produce woodblock prints and paintings. A captivating Japanese-inspired soundscape rings out as symbols from famous artworks by legendary ukiyo-e artists like Hokusai, Kunisada and Utamaro fall into place. And not all of them are the same size, as the Ukiyo-e video slot boasts colossal symbols.
While you’re unlikely to have heard about it before unless you’re an art connoisseur, this unique style is believed to have inspired European artists such as Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. The subjects of such prints vary greatly – from beautiful landscapes to kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers and even erotica. Hokusai’s view of Mount Fiji in Fine Wind, Clear Morning represents the dynamic background in Ukiyo-e, its white clouds scrolling from left to right.
Popular Among the Merchant Class
This artistic genre was extremely popular among the elite in Japanese society during the 17th century, who were keen to purchase these prints to decorate their lavish homes. While playing this online slot, you too will be needing a hefty budget to line up the artworks on the reels in exchange for real cash.
That’s because Ukiyo-e is a 5-reeled slot with 60 fixed paylines and coin values range from a low limit of 0.01 to 3.00 credits. This means that those who prefer to bet small amounts on every spin may be priced out by the lowest possible stake of 0.60 credits, while the wealthier players among you can enjoy a max bet of 180.00 credits per spin. Tread cautiously, though: this is an extremely volatile slot, despite the advertized payout percentage of 98.41%.
Admire Some of the Most Famous Prints
Those of you who consider ukiyo-e prints to be beautiful and elegant works of art are going to love the selection of 14 symbols featured on the pay table of this free Ukiyo-e slots game. These happen to represent some of the most celebrated pieces in the history of the genre. Those players who aren’t keen on the prints will also grow to love them once they experience a few payouts.
We’ll look at the two special symbols later, but let’s begin by checking out the 12 regular symbols that have been included. These often take up several positions on the reels, as prints involving people can appear as colossal symbols in varying sizes.
Four letters of the Japanese alphabet represent the least valuable symbols, and each of these has been beautifully decorated with a blossom tree to the left-hand side. Keep your fingers crossed for a gust of wind to blow all the petals off, as that means you’ve landed a win.
The next group of symbols focuses on male figures, with Utagawa Kunisada’s print of an emperor, Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Man Made of Men, Toyohara Kunichika’s Shibaraku, and actor Ōtani Oniji III as Yakko Edobei all making an appearance. Meanwhile, it’s the ladies who dominate the reels as the highest-paying standard symbols. Here, Geisha in a Hurry, Young Woman Blowing a Glass Pipe, Motozue of the Daimonjiya and Onoe Eizaburo as Akoya look as graceful as ever.
Carving out the Biggest Wins
Casino slot machines developed by Gamatron are famous for their abundance of bonus features. It’s more of the same in Ukiyo-e where wild symbols, free spins and a shooting bonus are included to help you secure big, mega and epic wins – and those win messages splashing across the screen are one form of art you’ll never grow tired of as your balance soars.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai is one of the most recognizable works of Japanese art in the world, and it’s the large rogue wave that represents the wild symbol in Ukiyo-e. These can crash onto the reels to deliver wins worth just over 26x your stake. They also possess the power to substitute for all but the bonus symbols, represented by a traditional folding fan with a floral print.
A little perseverance may be required to land three or more bonus symbols, but the wait is always worthwhile. Three, four or five of them appearing during the same spin will see you awarded 10, 20 or 40 free spins respectively. The scatter wins on offer for triggering the feature are nothing to write home about, but wild colossal symbols are added to the reel set for the duration of your free spins – and it’s always a beautiful sight when they land in full view.
Finally, there’s also an exciting shooting bonus that sees a geisha, horse or cat selected completely at random. You’ll be armed with three shots to hit target symbols and upgrade them to wild symbols, with a maximum of eight upgrades allowed as you chase a big win. Having a good aim will prove to be a plus.
A Work of Art
Whether you’re an art aficionado or not, you can’t fail to be impressed by the breathtaking beauty and elegance of Ukiyo-e by Gamatron.
It’s an art-themed slot that has been mobile-optimized to ensure all prints look incredible on desktop, tablet and smartphone. You’ll be impressed by the subtle details – such as the inclusion of a scrolling background rather than a static version. You’re also bound to learn more about the ukiyo-e tradition as you admire the symbols, representative of famous prints in the genre. Plus, it’s been packed with bonus features that wish you more than a stroke of luck.
