The disco period was one of many that appeared to be short-lived at the time, but which has persisted in various forms ever since. It makes frequent (although not always welcome) appearances in various forms of popular culture, such as slot machines. Big Time Gaming’s Danger! High Voltage was a smashing success because to its electrifying visuals and daring spirit. It’s not like it’s a particularly novel concept, but as in every successful field, imitations soon followed. Reel Desire, a slot machine from Yggdrasil Gaming with a disco theme, is a clear example of this.
Reel Desire is remarkably similar to Electric Avenue, a film by All41 Studios that was itself a ripoff of Danger! High potential. Both have opted for a neon 1980s aesthetic, with Yggdrasil’s taking place within a club called Reel Desire. Neon-lit cupids, kisses, and love signs decorate the background of a slot machine with five reels and 1,024 ways to win. Disco was all about the music, the crazy outfits, and the wild dance techniques, such as platform shoes, medallions, and open-chested shirts. As a result, the music in Reel Desire is catchy enough to make you want to tap your toes. While not as visually stunning as other Yggdrasil slots, Reel Desire is still rather good-looking.
Underneath the surface, Reel Desire offers some appealing statistics, making it a possible choice for risk-takers and high-rollers. One reason for this is the combination of a low hit percentage (25.7%) with enormous potential and extreme volatility. However, as our video shows, even though both halves of the game have elements that appear intentionally positioned to minimize returns, single spin victories may be outrageous. Most players will like the 96% RTP, which is in line with the unofficial slot average, and the wide range of betting options (from 25 p/c up to $/€75 per spin). It doesn’t matter what you use to relive your glory days, because disco is a democratic hobby where everyone is treated as an equal on the dance floor.
Diamonds, clubs, spades, and hearts in neon light, textured like an LP record, are the most prominent symbols, followed by eyewear, jewelry, footwear, and a Casio wristwatch that have all made a resurgence in recent years. Five of a kind of the high-paying symbols—a youthful Don Johnson lookalike and a fly girl—are worth 16–20 times the wager. Wilds are useful in this pursuit, but they are dependent on a few other elements, so let’s take a look at those now.
Spin to Win: Slot Options
Electric Avenue is evoked by the setting, and the game’s characteristics harken even further back to the inspiration for this slot, the machine created by All41. There are two types of free spins games and a double wilds game.
The cassette tape acts as a substitute for other symbols to complete winning combinations and can appear on any reel. The base game can be interrupted at any time by the appearance of a Double Wild on reels 2, 3, or 4. This wild card has a multiplier of two. When these symbols drop, they linger around for another spin.
Reel Desire is another exclusive addition to the original release. The Wild Desire feature, inspired by Microgaming’s iconic Immortal Romance game, makes anywhere from one to five reels wild at random.
The ghetto blaster scatter sign is the last symbol on the paytable. If there are three or more in sight, you will receive 10 bonus spins. A bonus of 50x or 500x the wager is added if four or five come in, respectively. There are two types of free spins that players may select from. Sticky Wilds is one such feature, and it causes all wild symbols to remain stuck in place for the length of the free spins round. Or, Multipliers, where the multiplier for a win is increased by one after each successful spin. Just as in the main game, free spins can be retriggered in the bonus round.
Cast Your Vote: The Slots’ Reel Desire
Put it this way: if Danger! If High Voltage and Electric Avenue had an illicit love child, it would look a lot like Reel Desire. All three are going for the same retro dance sound of the 1970s and 1980s. The features are also frighteningly similar, with full reel wilds and free spins with sticky wilds or multipliers. Although the three video games are similar, they are not identical, and Reel Desire is not an obvious rip-off as Electric Avenue was. For instance, instead of High Voltage Wilds, you receive a progressive win multiplier, but otherwise, they’re very similar.
The Yggdrasil game lacks the brash verve of Danger! High Voltage, but if the greatest payouts are what you’re wanting, Reel Desire is the way to go. If you get a complete screen of wilds or premium symbols while playing Reel Desire, you can earn as much as 20,480 times your initial wager. In addition to the stress already there in the fundamental game, remembering that this is all based on a single spin makes it feel like anything may happen at any moment. The Reel Desire feature and the sporadic appearance of Double Wilds can lead to respectable payouts even when the reels are not completely filled.
The hit frequency for free spins was not provided, which was disappointing given how slowly they triggered. After entering, the bonus games weren’t as thrilling as Danger! Oftentimes, high voltages are. The progressive multiplier works as well as can be expected from a bonus of this sort, however it lacks the excitement of the High Voltage free spins.
So, granted, Reel Desire looks like a rip-off of other games, but it ends up being very fun for players. The pool of disco slots to choose from has broadened, and Reel Desire stands out for several positive reasons. The numbers seem good, there’s a lot of room for growth, and the gameplay has some fun grooves. Like the disco or any other fad, when one person sets the pace, others will follow.