Pompeii Slot Machine - Independent Review
The Pompeii slot machine is remarkably popular, especially in the UK. It packs a great combination of big wins in the base play, as well as during the bonus rounds.
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii is the motif on which the game is based. The city was destroyed in AD 79 when an active volcano on the Mount Vesuvius erupted. Pompeii was entirely wiped out by lava from the volcano and in the game, you have to hunt for the treasures that remain buried under the lava.
The game features symbols from the Roman empire and includes an Armor, a Helmet, a Chariot, a Gold Coin, a Sword, an Amulet, Ace, Jack, King and Queen and the fatal Volcano itself.
Julius Caesar's famous “I came, I saw, I conquered” is etched on the coin symbols and each time you make a big hit, the machine powerfully shakes the screen as if the Mount-Vesuvius volcano was erupting.
Extended Features
The game features 5x5 reel layout. A part of Pompeii's popularity lies in the game's payline structure. It runs on Aristocrat's trademarked Reel Power technology that provides more winning payline opportunities. Like other Aristocrat slot games Pompeii or the Buffalo that use the Reel Power technology, the Pompeii slot machine provides 243 winning lines for players.
The game provides credits ranging from 25 to 125.
Your minimum bet for maximum line spin will therefore put ₤0.50, and 25 credits at stake. Since the maximum bet per spin is a rather high ₤125, you can play big on the Pompeii machine.
The jackpot is worth 12,500 coins and gets triggered during the maximum bet spins when you hit five Amulets on any of the 243 paylines that have been active. The machine has a high payout percentage similar to other slots by Aristocrat. Since each spin leaves you with 243 ways to hit the jackpot, the chance of winning the top prize on this slot machine is often higher than in other games.
Theme and Symbols
As the title suggests, the theme of the Pompeii slot machine revolves around the ancient city of the old Roman Empire. Players who have good knowledge of history and those whose interests lie in legendary cities and people will find Pompeii slots thoroughly entertaining. Pompeii was a populous region located very close to Mount Vesuvius. Following the eruption of the volcano in 79 AD, the city was destroyed as molten lava and ash clouds burned Pompeii to the ground, leaving only fragments of a once thriving region.
The developers at Aristocrat Technologies have given good attention to detail when designing the Pompeii slot machine. Players can view the city in its full glory before it was destroyed as Gold Coins, Emperor Caesar, and Mount Vesuvius appear on the reels. The most fascinating symbol in the game has got to be Mount Vesuvius, which bursts into life before erupting each time it forms part of a win.
Prizes can be won when a minimum of three matching icons appear on the reels regardless of their position. The gameplay in Pompeii slots is innovative, so players will have to wager five coins on each reel instead of choosing paylines. There are five reels in total, so players will have to activate at least three if they wish to win attractive prizes. Most players tend to activate all five as it considerably increases their chances of claiming impressive wins. Since there are 25 paylines, the minimum amount of money you can wager per spin on the Pompeii slot machine is 50 cents, while the maximum is $125.
Bonus Rounds
The infamous Volcano that doomed the city is the wild symbol. It triggers a 3x multiplier by appearing on the second reel or a 5x multiplier by appearing on fourth reel. If you hit two Volcano symbols simultaneously on reels two and four, in a winning combination, the multiplier becomes 15x. The wild Volcano replaces all other symbols except the scatter symbol to form a winning combination.
The scatter symbol for the Pompeii slot is the Gold Coin which awards up to 20 free spins when the bonus rounds are triggered. Three, four and five Gold Coin scatter symbols award 10, 15 and 20 free spins respectively. The free spins and bonus rounds can be re-triggered a couple of times. Additionally, the game allows the wild Volcano to substitute for scatter symbols during the free spins bonus rounds – significantly increasing your potential wins.
The game has no progressive rounds or additional bonus games, but the 20 total free spins that get triggered by the Volcano symbol will reward you heavily. There are no set paylines. As long as you hit the winning combination from left to right, you will be rewarded.
