Tropical Hot

Players seeking the best online slots will want to look closely at Tropical Hot, an island title released by Fazi.

There are some solid bonuses such as two progressive jackpots and a Gamble feature, but this is an old-school fruit slot – solid fundamentals are the story here, not flashy graphics or big features… with the notable exception of a terrifying, radioactive monkey with burning brains and an eerie smile at the side of the reels.

Theme

The modern popularity of video slots makes it easy to forget the genre’s humble origins: the original slots were analog ‘one-armed bandits’ found in seedy bars before they were available in casinos. In its way, Fazi pays homage to this lineage in this slot, while adding modern flourishes from radioactive monkeys to progressive jackpot wins.

This is a minimalist title – rather than a gateway to big bonus features, base play is the core of this game.

Naturally, when a designer places the basics at center stage, fundamentals have to be absolutely on point. Visually, there’s no question that this is the case: all gaming symbols are rendered beautifully, with subtle animated sequences accompanying each win.

Gaming symbols consist of the classic fruit icons found in slots from the very beginning, albeit updated for this tropical setting. A totem with a banana nose sits to the left of the reels, a kind of benign observer, the very opposite of the monkey with his head on fire. The top-paying lucky seven symbol offers an incredible 1000 times the line bet for five-of-a-kind wins.

This slot’s most important symbol, however…

… is the star scatter symbol. This pays in any position, offering up to 200 times the line bet for five-of-a-kind.

Betting Options and Functions

This slot offers 20 adjustable paylines, all paying from left to right. Bet per line can be set from 0.10 – 30.00 for an overall per-spin bet range is 0.10 – 600.00 times the betting currency.

Autoplay can be engaged for up to 1,000 spins at a time, with limits available for single wins or bankroll swings of a selected size and options for quick spins. The overall theoretical return to player ratio is unknown.

Bonus Features

• The “2X” symbol on the left of the reels activates the Gamble option
• Players attempt to predict the color of the next playing card to appear.
• A correct guess doubles the size of the win; an incorrect guess drops the win total down to zero.
• The max gamble limit is 2000.00.

• Progressive jackpots are available at random on any spin.
• Higher-level bets are more likely to result in jackpot wins.

Our Take

A simple, well-built slot is a rare and welcome sight in today’s online gambling landscape – sometimes it seems that every new title is obsessed with maximizing the number of bonus features available, at the expense of overall quality. Here, Fazi moves in the opposite direction: gaming is simple, strong, and enjoyable.

A visit to this island is well worth player’s time… just watch out for flaming monkeys.

Players who enjoy this game’s design style should explore Burning Ice, a three-reel mini-slot with a similar visual approach.