Game Review: Vegas Jackpot (BBC/Electron, Mastertronic)

Vegas Jackpot, BBC / Electron, Mastertronic - IB0002
  • 6/10
    Score - 6/10
6/10

Summary

The BBC/Electron version of Vegas Jackpot managed to retain all of the essential gameplay elements from the Commodore 64 original, while adding its own spin on the gameplay. There might not be any real prizes in store for you playing this, but it’s well written and has that one-more-go factor so you’re in for a winner with this port.

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In the early days of the company, there were few Mastertronic games more iconic that Vegas Jackpot. Released on no fewer than seven platforms, it had a presence on retail shelves for well over two years. It took pride of place in Mastertronic displays from the release of the original on the Commodore 64 and Vic 20 in April 1984, right until the release of this version for the BBC/Electron in September 1986.

Vegas Jackpot – Holidays Come Home

I think the popularity of computerised slot machines – even back in the 80s – all comes from childhood memories. Back then we had real arcades, filled with some of the all-time classic machines and truthfully it was an amazing time to be a gamer. Being there at the dawn of the industry was something remarkable, being able to experience games like Pac Man, Galaga, Space Invaders as they were being released was nothing short of mind blowing. Gamers today may see technical marvels but seeing an entire industry being born is something that can never be repeated.

But when it came to slot machines, this was a time when anyone could enter an arcade and spend time on a plethora of video games one minute, then move onto coin pushers and slot machines the next without worrying about age restrictions. With low costs to play and low payouts, they were open to all of us. So having these at home meant that we could have everything that we usually only got to play on our annual family holidays.

Something Old, Something New…

While the Commodore 64, Commodore 16, and Atari versions are identical apart from some cosmetic changes, the other four versions of Vegas Jackpot – including this one for the BBC – have had changes made to different elements of the game. This doesn’t make them better or worse in any particular way, just different interpretations of the same virtual slots concept.

As with the Vic 20 version, you start off with just £2 start and each play costs 10p. However, unlike that version, it’s played over three instead of four reels. So straight away the BBC version seems to have taken a mix of elements from the other versions of the game… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Other Changes

Beyond the cash and reels, a few other elements have changed including one notable one that impacts on the gameplay itself… As with most versions, there’s no goal to the game so you can just play until you either run out of cash or just get bored of playing – pretty much like any real slot machine and to be honest I do prefer that approach rather than the target system used by the C64, C16 and Atari. For a game that’s so dependent on random reel spins, whether you win is luck more than anything so a goal alway seemed pointless.

With a lower stake per play, the top prize is understandably lower – in this case £3. Where the real change is noticeable is the nudge system. Nudges are made available to the player sporadically during the game, but the amount you get is awarded randomly. However, you can choose to collect the amount offered or gamble to get more using the Gamble/Collect system used to collect your winnings and this is the only version of the game I’ve seen this in. It works extremely well and adds an extra challenge to the game.

As with the Spectrum version, it does have the annoying automatic win function so when nudging you need to focus on the first and third reels before locking in the middle one, but apart from that it’s a great improvement.

Graphics And Sound

When it comes to any game like this, you’re not going to get lavish, animated visuals but what is important is a clear screen layout, reasonably fast movement for the reels so you’re not sitting around waiting for the game to play and critically clarity of all the symbols on the reel so each has to be clearly defined and easy to make out. And its in this respect where Vegas Jackpot doesn’t disappoint.

The screen is set out so everything is easy to read and understand, all the symbols on the reels are bold, colourful and are nicely detailed and while they’re not as fast as some of their rivals they spin smoothly enough to keep the game playable. One touch I did like in particular was that as your winnings are deposited in your cash pot, coins move across the bottom of the screen.

Special mention has to be given to the sound though. While it’s mainly limited to a few simple sounds as the reels drop into place, there has been some thought put into it. When you gamble to increase your winnings or nudges, two sounds play of different pitches and you can use these to judge the timing for when to press G to gamble. It’s only a small thing, but it does add a welcome element of skill to the game and does lift it above some of the other ports.

Overall

While this was obviously created independently from the other versions of the game, this is a really great fun slots machine and does justice to the Vegas Jackpot name. It’s kept everything that’s essential for a good slots game without making it overcomplicated, and even had one of my all time favourite features found in real machines – the random hold after a win! It might not give our real money, but this one is a winner in my book.

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