The Shaolin Path Slots
The Shaolin Path is a means of travelling along a pilgrimage like the monks of yore, only they were on a quest to obtain pure enlightenment whereas here Simbat has created a traditional slot machine to help users reach a money enriched end.
Although it may deviate away from its original pure intentions, there is a lot of purity to be found in this game and we don’t mean spiritually, though if slots help you to calm your aura that’s fine with us.
What makes this Simbat matrix so amusing is the fact that you get two games in one, which means a whole host of features are ready to be pulled, flipped, spun and karate chopped into admission to reveal a jackpot that can land anywhere between 2,200 and 8,200 credits. Now who is ready to become a kung fu master? If you didn’t answer yes to that question then this guide is going to be pretty dull for you.
On the Path
To begin your journey you need only bet 1.00 credit, which is a very small starting point indeed, however when you take into account that the base game only has one payline the lack of range makes sense. Even though you have a 1.00 stake, you’re wins will still be doubled should any of the matching icons create a 3-reels combination.
As this is a very old-school machine, you will see a wide array of different fruits all of which will reward you with a steady flow of coins, depending on how many of them you uncover. As a general rule you need to find three matches to get the prize, but you can uncover a lone cherry and still win 2.00 coins.
Once you have accumulated enough money you will be given the option to gamble what you’ve earned in a toss of Heads or Tails, only here modern day coins have been switched out for more traditional currency in-keeping with the game. This small detail helps create an atmosphere for you to savour as you play. Going back to the gamble feature, this will lose every bit of money you’ve made or doubled it, so choose wisely.
Your funds can be transferred to the top game, which is actually more to do with the slot name than the lower base game. The reason being is that you need to collect a series of discs that are decorated with a certain martial arts move, ever bringing you closer to becoming a master. If you don’t manage to find one after another it will reset and you need to start over again. This is known as the ‘Master Ladder’, with the discs merely acting as markers to symbolise whereabouts you are on your journey - when it comes down to the reels, you need to find fruit icons to progress further.
Pay Up
We’ve touched on the betting range in the base game, but in the main one you play with between 8 and 16 credits, again across one payline. But that isn’t the trickiest part of the title to navigate – it’s actually the collect, save and hold options that prove to be brain teasers, the reason being is we’re simply not used to playing slots like this any more.
The Choose Bet button does actually allow you to choose your bet but it does so in a way that makes you think you’re moving between the two games instead, which is hugely misleading. What is actually happening is that you’re selecting the different betting levels you want to activate when playing either of the games. Also misleading is the Save/Start button which moves your funds from one game to the next rather than setting the reels into motion; only the Collection button makes sense.
The handle designed to give you that pull and pump action so infamous with physical slot machines is the way you get the reels going, and again is one of the few simple controls that this activity has.
Follow the Path or Return Home?
We’d return home, no offence Simbat but this game is confusing and doesn’t offer nearly enough variance to compensate for that. The only areas we highly recommend are the level ladder from student to teacher, and the large jackpots up for grabs which we didn’t expect in a title such as this. Nevertheless the gameplay is clunky and stiff, and we find ourselves eager to finish rather than play, but maybe you’ll have a better time when you take on The Shaolin Path. We certainly hope you do!
