Nowadays, one genre of games that holds a special place for many online casino players is classic slots. These games, formerly known as fruit machines and one-armed bandits in some cases, have been staples for many years now, with their simplified gameplay formats proving especially popular. Although these titles first gained fan favourite status in their physical form, they have since gone on to be digitised and birthed into the online space, too.
There are now more retro and classic slots than ever before, with this forming its own specific subgenre within the online slots space. Here at BoyleSports Games, we house a vast selection of these classic slots, all of which faithfully pay homage to traditional casino titles. Even with a lot of these preferring more standardised gameplay elements and design elements, each one still manages to differentiate itself in its own creative way.
If you are experienced with the more modern variations that populate the online slots world today, you may be questioning, ‘What are classic slots?’. Essentially, these games are stripped-back slot games, typically featuring smaller playgrid layouts and payline counts, something which was the norm with the first slot games.
Classic slots will frequently feature symbols of different fruits and other classical imagery likely to be found on a physical fruit machine, with straightforward mechanics accompanying all of this. Compared to Megaways slots and other bonus-infused online jackpot slots, classic slots instead employ all of the basic foundations that comprise a title, not deviating too far from this formula.
One of the defining aspects of classic slots is their overall simplicity. By utilising straightforward mechanics, these games keep the basics all the same, something which has proven especially popular amongst players. Due to no complex bonuses, mechanics, or rules being implemented that players would have to learn about, the gameplay is kept simple, from the click of a button to the spinning of the reels. This does not mean that classic slots do not feature bonuses at all; however, they tend to be easier to understand should they be included in a title.
The vibrant imagery that often comes hand in hand with classic slots is another of the key components that have contributed to the popularity of these titles. With familiar fruits and other symbols like golden bells, stars, and sevens, the classic BAR symbols frequently make an appearance in these titles, allowing these games to be reminiscent of the physical machines by which they are inspired.
Circling back around to the gameplay, though, the fast-paced nature of classic slots is another thing that has made them such fan favourites. As the gameplay simply centres itself around the click of a button, no additional mechanics have to come into play, with the polished gameplay blueprint being allowed to take centre stage, which many have seemed to prefer.
Even though the genre is extensive, some titles could still be considered the best classic slots based on their popularity alone. Each of these stays true by employing more conventional gameplay features and design, though, with the major difference between each title being the creative themes and aesthetics each one of these boasts.
The first of the best classic slots we will mention comes from the developers over at NetEnt, with the cosmic-themed Starburst slot being a staple of online casinos for so long now. With a simple 5x3 playgrid that has 10 paylines included, the symbols here are all made up of different coloured gems, something which stands out from the dark vacuum of space that paints the backdrop behind. The bonuses in this title remain simplistic, with just a standard free spins round and a star wild, which could substitute for other symbols and expand if it manages to be landed.
Another of the best classic slots is Reel King Mega, which comes from UK developer Red Tiger Gaming. Although this team is known especially for its visual innovation and high-quality graphics, the studio takes a more classical approach with this title, which is actually a sequel to the original Reel King slot. With some classic fruit machine symbols, a joker wild, and a playtable 5x3 in size, all of these elements abide by the formula that defines classic slots. As well as this, the titular Reel King feature could potentially introduce mini 1x3 sets of reels, a layout that was used in the first slot machines!
The last of the best classic slots is the 7s Deluxe slot from Blueprint Gaming, with this being the first in a franchise that birthed a whole plethora of follow-ups, spin-offs and sequels. This game takes a more fiery approach to its visuals; however, the gameplay is still more retro, featuring an x3 playgrid with just the 5 paylines. Fruit symbols could make an appearance on the playgrid here, with no additional bonuses being included, and the whole title is focused on the polished gameplay blueprint at hand. Although this differs in sequels like 7s Deluxe Repeater, the overall classic aesthetic remains a constant across all other franchise entrants.
These are just a handful of the classic slots we have available at BoyleSports; however, the collection as a whole is one of the more expansive ones we have on site. Despite these taking more simplistic approaches to their gameplay design and mechanics, all of these still manage to be distinct in their own unique ways purely based on the visuals they present.