Safari Spirit Slot Machine
This slot combines symbols of the African savannah with solid Ainsworth game-play – and then adds a far to frequent trumpeting elephant sound effect for good measure. Those elephants come stacked and are wild symbols; which means they will complete a lot of wins. Whenever they do, the trumpet sounds! You’ll find the familiar clicks and computer tunes for wins that are shared between all Ainsworth titles. You’ll also find a free spins bonus round on this 50 line slot.
Graphics are nicely put together, with the elephant in particular standing out. Its ear overlaps the next symbol, giving the game a deeper feel than many similar games. Other symbols include a giraffe, lion, cheetah and buffalo – all are detailed and nicely shaded. The Elephant stands out again when involved in win, with a trunk-lifting animation. Other animations are simple, for example flashing symbols. Audio (other than the elephant trumpet) is from the standard Ainsworth library. You get the distinctive ‘click-click’ when the reels stop, tunes for different sized wins and a sound-track for the bonus round which is like a cross between world music and a dance track.
The free spins game is relatively short, lasting for only 8 spins with 3 scatters. You do get the advantage of stacked Safari Spirit logos during this game.
Setup and Play for Safari Spirit
This game has 50 win lines max, though it is possible to play 1, 10, 25 or 40 if you prefer. With stacked wilds in play I prefer the full amount as a default - as this gives the opportunity to complete a lot of winning paylines when you get 2 or 3 reels of these. Coins start at 1c or 50c per spin for maximum lines. You can bet up to $625 per spin, which will vary between casinos. Auto-play and the ability to gamble your wins of the turn of a card are also available.
Of the regular symbols, it is the cheetah that you will be happiest to see. This has the biggest prize, which is 1000 coins for 5 on a line. Next comes the lion (300), buffalo (200), giraffe (200), logo (100) and then the playing cards which are all worth 100 coins for 5 on a line. Pay-outs start with 3 of a symbol starting on the left hand reel.
Elephants are wild in this game – and are also stacked, often covering entire reels. They substitute for all symbols except for the sunset, which is the scatter. If you get 5 scatters anywhere on the reels, then you win 100x your total bet amount – and also trigger the maximum 20 free spins. 4 are worth 10x your bet and 12 spins, with 3 doubling your bet amount and triggering 8 free spins.
Safari Spirit Free Spins Bonus Round
The reels do change during this bonus game, with the beige background turning to dark blue. There is also a big difference with the symbols. The Safari Spirit logo becomes stacked; you will win 20x your bet with 3 on a line. I did notice more stacked elephants during the bonus game, though this could have been good fortune of course.
You will notice a distinctive backing track during the free spins – and you can retrigger for 5 more spins with 3 more of the landscape scatter symbols. Once the round ends you will get a pop up showing you how much you won, clicking ok will take you back to the main game.
Safari Spirit – Conclusion
Polished and professional, this really feels like a live slot which has been transferred online. It is solid rather than varied and visually appealing rather than interesting. Sure, the stacked wilds make a difference (sometimes you’ll get a few reels of them adding significant wins), though there is nothing too varied going on in the main game Even the extra logo symbols during the bonus round only add limited variation to the main game.
If you are the type of player who enjoys the solid and unfussy games – perhaps on auto-play while you relax – then this game may well appeal. For me it needs a little something extra before I would return.
Our Top Tip: Enjoy the African savannah a while longer and discover Spielo’s The Wild Life slot or Betsoft’s Stampede.
