Classic slots are 3-reel slot machines that use gears, reels, cogs and a handle. You pull the handle and the reels spin—then they stop, and if the three reels have matching symbols, the machine drops a prize. While they are still available today, the antique ones that were made in the 1800s are only found in museums.
In the digital age, it is not unusual for people to miss the old days, and this nostalgia is what makes game developers motivated to publish what we call new classic slots. These are computer games that continue the tradition of physical slot machines. Most of the time, they run on three reels, and they only use classic symbols like the following:
● Bar and its variants
● Cherry
● Lemon
● Bell
because of such a symbol set, they are usually called fruit machines. Most of them, like the Blazing 777 online slot, do not offer special features. They are simple, and there is only one payline. This, however, proved to be not so financially dependable, so developers made adjustments to these games.
Today, new slot machines mostly run on five reels, and they also offer special symbols like wilds. Fruit machines that have scatter symbols are rare. Developers have figured out that if they add scatter symbols and bonus rounds, the slot machine is no longer a real classic. Rather, it becomes a modern game.
The Components of a Classic Slot Machine
To be able to distinguish a class slot machine from a new one, you must take a look at its features:
● Symbols – classic slots use fruits, the bar, the lucky number 7, and the bell.
● Reel count – a true classic slot operates on three reels only. However, many players today also desire more reels because additional reels mathematically allow more paylines.
● Paylines – classic slots only have one payline; it is a straight three-symbol combo. For 5-reels slots, this is not the case. Despite having five paylines, some manufacturers limit the payline count to five lines.
● Bet level – “one-armed bandits” only had one bet level—you drop a penny, and that’s it. As hardware and technology improved, new slot machines allow players to bet two coins at one go. In the digital age, classic slots try to mimic this by limiting your bets to a maximum of two coins per spin.
● Simplicity – classic slots are made of drums that rotate. On those drums are stickers of the symbols. The reels stop, and if the stickers of the same symbol line up, you win a prize. Digital fruit machines like 777 slots try to preserve this simplicity. What this means is that most of them do not have animations and features that only computers can do.
Now that you know what makes up a classic slot, you can decide for yourself if the slot machine you are paying is a true homage to the slot machines in the 1800s.
Popular New Classic Slots
Here are some of the most popular titles that you can play today:
● Ultimate Hot – a 5-reel slot that uses fruit symbols. The payout here is straightforward, and there are no wild and scatters symbols. To add fun to the game experience, the developer put a gamble feature that you can activate or deactivate for every winning round.
● Mystery Joker – this game also uses fruits and it sits on a 3x3 grid. The thing is that it offers a scatter symbol, and the Joker symbol offers a mystery win.
● Lucky Hot – a 3x3 slot by EGT, this one has bells and oranges and other fruits. There are only five fixed paylines, and there are no wilds and scatter symbols.
Conclusion
It may be difficult to distinguish new classics from the real ones. Nevertheless, the classic concept is here to stay. Why?
Because they offer simplicity that modern video slots don’t. With classic slots, you typically only have five to seven symbols, with one being the most special, which also pays the highest prize. You also do not have to worry about having to understand rules about bonus rounds, free spins, wild symbols, expanding symbols, or progressive jackpots.
Play new classic slots if you miss the old times. These games are easy to understand, and it is easier to win in them.