Pistoleras Slot
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Casino software developers have introduced us to a number of slots inspired by the Wild West, but few of them feature attractive female outlaws as their main characters, as is the case with Microgaming’s 2015 offering, aptly called Pistoleras. In case you are wondering, the name of the game derives from Spanish and translates as “holsters”, in keeping with the slot’s American-frontier theme.
Pistoleras utilizes 5 reels, 3 rows, and 25 fixed paylines from which players can receive payouts. The game resembles a typical video slot from Microgaming’s library and is not all that impressive in terms of design, but it is easy on the eyes. It offers hassle-free gameplay and supports bets of up to ten coins per payline, with coin values varying between $0.01 and $5.00. Pistoleras is suitable for all sizes of bankroll, since the minimum and maximum bets across most Microgaming-powered casinos stand at $0.25 and $1,250.
In addition to its flamboyant symbols, Pistoleras surprises chance-takers with a wealth of special features. In truth, nothing is omitted from this slot’s design, as it offers wild and scatter symbols, free spins, and a pick-and-win bonus game for extra profits.
Theme
As mentioned above, the spinning action in Pistoleras takes place in the Wild West, which holds a very special place in US history and was once inhabited by colorful characters such as sheriffs, outlaws, cowboys, and Native Americans. Here you will see nothing of this kind, though. The game’s characters are in fact three beautiful (and scantily clad) female outlaws who award the highest regular prizes in the slot.
Each of the three ladies is dressed in a particular manner and uses a different type of gun. The developers have once again opted for the overused playing-card initials for the symbols that offer low-value prizes.
When it comes to design, the game resembles the older titles in Microgaming’s video slot collection, which is to say the five reels are non-transparent and occupy most of the base-game screen, leaving hardly any space for the backdrop. The background has a purple hue, and one can see the sun setting above the reels. The reels are encased in a golden frame adorned with red roses.
The background music and the sound effects further complement the Old West theme. As you spin the reels, you initially hear only the usual buzz of the bells and whistles associated with slot machines. Lucrative winning combinations are accompanied by guitar music. During free spins, the monotonous background sounds give way to a lively mariachi song that makes you tap your feet in time with the music.
Symbols
There are three regular paying symbols in the base game, each represented by a different female outlaw. The gal with the red sombrero and the rose tucked behind her ear awards a prize of 2,500 coins for five identical symbols. Next in line is the gal with the guitar slung behind her back, who can earn you as much as 2,000 coins. She is followed by the girl in the red low-necked dress holding a rifle—five of these pay 1,750 coins. The interesting thing about these girl symbols is that they can all appear stacked across the reels during the base game, awarding you even higher payouts.
The low-value symbols are the standard playing cards 10, J, Q, K, and A, but they are decorated with red roses. These symbols offer payouts that range from 50 to 1,200 coins, but you must bet the maximum of ten coins per spin to earn this much.
One of the most distinctive traits of Pistoleras is that it features not one but two different scatter symbols, and each of these has its own function. The scatter with the Western coach returns payouts for as few as 2 matching symbols, but five of these can result in a payout of up to 25,000 times the line bet. Additionally, the scattered coach triggers the round of free spins when it lands simultaneously on reels 3, 4, and 5.
The second scatter symbol in Pistoleras depicts a sack full of gold coins the three outlaw girls have probably stolen from the local bank. It offers a payout of 500 coins for three matches and unlocks the Saloon Bonus when it hits reels 3, 4, and 5 concurrently. To boot, there is also a wild symbol featuring the Pistoleras logo. It substitutes for all other icons, except the two scatters, and triples your payouts when it is part of a winning combination. The wild is also one of the most lucrative symbols in the game, as it pays 10,000 coins for five of a kind.
Combinations and Jackpots
Pistoleras may not offer jaw-dropping graphics and animations, but one can hardly complain considering how many special features the game is equipped with. Players can increase their profits by activating the round of free spins. To trigger the feature, you need at least three scattered coach symbols on the same spin, which grants 15 bonus rounds. Matching four or five scattered coaches awards 20 and 25 free spins, respectively. Free-spin wins are tripled, and the feature can also be retriggered with the same symbol combination.
One of the most interesting things about Pistoleras is that the bonus pick-and-win game can be triggered even during free spins—now that is something few video slots can offer. The Saloon Bonus is activated whenever the player lands three scatters on reels 3, 4, and 5. The player is then taken to a separate screen containing 12 targets.
You need to shoot at the targets and match three identical girl symbols, each corresponding to a different coin prize. There is also a wild here, so if you have already revealed two identical girl symbols and click on the wild, you will be awarded the prize corresponding to the girl that gave you the first two matches.
Pistoleras is a great game for those of you who prefer to play low-variance slots. Payouts are awarded fairly frequently to the benefit of players with smaller bankrolls. The free spins and the Saloon Bonus also get triggered quite often, helping you earn a little extra in a risk-free way. The generous paytable also makes this game worth trying, so if you are enthusiastic about traditional Microgaming video slots, give its reels a whirl.