Martian Mania Slot Machine
If there’s one thing slots developers love, it’s alliteration. If there are two things slots developers love, it’s alliteration and aliens from outer space. Martian Mania is the quintessential video slot then, a game whose catchy title is married with a theme that’s ripe for exploitation.
NuWorks are a fun-loving bunch who like to pepper their games with jokes and puns, and Martian Mania sees them at their zany best. Martians got their name from the planet Mars, from where all pop culture aliens are rumoured to come, but it’s not the only Mars-based joke that surfaces in the game. Look out for jars of green marzipan that look anything but safe to eat.
Guaranteed Action
NuWorks are probably best known for their tendency to imbue their games with multiple jackpots. Martian Mania accords to that formula, but it’s also got something extra bolted on – Feature Guarantee. This is the name given to a feature built into the game that mandates a compulsory side bet. This is only enacted when you are playing the maximum number of lines i.e 25.
Every time you spin the reels, the side bet will be added to the amount deducted from the regular slot bet. What’s the point of all this? Basically this additional fund is used to guarantee that a feature will be triggered within a certain number of spins.
While some players will take umbrage at being asked to cough up additional money just to play, others will appreciate the opportunity this provides to get onto the feature. Too often with slots, it’s possible to drain all your cash spinning reels without getting anywhere. Feature Guarantee is a means of ensuring that sooner rather than later you’ll see some action.
They Came from Outer Space
The cartoon graphics that NuWorks have used in Martian Mania work well. Red and green are the predominant colours, with symbols including an asteroid, a phaser gun, an earth-based satellite dish and a flag reading Property of Mars. Spin the reels and you’ll be greeted by some darn nifty animations that see characters encroach on neighbouring reels as they come to life. Look out for the curmudgeonly green alien who simpers and scowls before waving his phaser menacingly. Sound isn’t usually NuWorks’ strongest suit, but they’ve delivered here, with evil cackles and whooshing spaceships adding to the atmosphere.
Jackpot Overload
If you’ve played a NuWorks slot before, you’ll be expecting more than one jackpot and you won’t be disappointed. There are 3 up for grabs here, a major, minor and mini. The value of each is displayed in the top right of the screen.
To the left of the reels there’s a vertical strip that links to Help and Rules while to the right a similar strip links to the paytable. These links are so narrow they’re easy to overlook, but once you know where they are, you’ll have no trouble accessing the data.
There is also a series of coloured ovals with numbers in the centre flanking the reels: this pertains to the paylines, which can range from 1-25. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find the remainder of the game’s controls. Here you can control the bet per line, which can range from 0.01 to 5.0, and set autoplay, with the game returning to manual control after 5, 10 or 25 spins.
Wilds and Scatters
Wild and scatter symbols are the backbone of any video slot and in Martian Mania scatter is played by the red planet symbol. Wild is played by the aliens which come in 3 shades – blue, purple and green. Any wilds that appear on reel 3 will serve as a substitute for the game’s regular symbols. If it’s the purple alien who appears the win will be doubled and if it’s the green alien it’s tripled.
To access the game’s alien invader feature, land 3 scatter symbols in view. The feature game will oblige you to find the alien invader, who has been cunningly disguised. Here you can win up to 20 spins and various multipliers. There’s also a win-win feature that will follow this if you’ve won 10x your stake or lower. Win-win can secure you up to 500x your slot bet – not a bad means of compensation.
All told, Martian Mania is a game that showcases NuWorks at their very best. The animations are great, the bonus game’s a hoot and the multiple jackpots give you every reason to spin the reels and chase down those marauding martians.
