Aztec Treasures by Betsoft – Slot Machine Review
Aztec Treasure is one of the early slot machines that Betsoft released, a 3-reel game that features all-themed symbols which are obviously going to be inspired by the Aztec civilization. It doesn’t have the visuals that might’ve made you a fan of Betsoft’s work, but feature wise it’s beyond what a lot of other classic games are offering, even today.
3×3 reels form up the game area on which you will be playing. There are 8 active lines for this area, and each one will give you a chance at winning the slot’s progressive jackpot or a 250x top prize. Symbols that can be collected, a bonus game and the Hold option are some of the major features that you will discover in this unusual 3-reel slot machine.
Betting
It’s not a very elaborate game if you look at the setup involved, but it does give you a lot of options to change how the bet is set up. One choice that you have, but which I’d recommend you don’t use, is to reduce the number of lines from the maximum of 8. Another is to pick 1 to 5 coins to use for each active line. Finally, you can choose the coin’s value, between $0.01 and $1.
Aztec Treasure has a betting range of $0.01 to $40, where the maximum line bet is going to be $5.
Aztec Treasure Jackpot
You’re going after a small progressive jackpot while you play Aztec Treasure. It’s mentioned at the top, and its value will be influenced by the value of the coins which are used. It’s only awarded for the maximum bet rounds though, so if you can’t spend $40 per spin, then your highest reward will be at 50x the line bet (up to 250 coins) for each combination. With all 8 lines contributing, the game’s maximum potential would be 400x (2,000 coins).
Looking at the Return to Player, it’s a disappointing game, below the average for modern-day slots. It’s set to only 93.01%.
Special Features
It’s far from a standard 3-reel slot machine, and you can see it in the way it plays. Its Hold option influences every single spin that you go through, but there are also symbols which you collect in order to trigger a bonus game.
Hold Reels
Each of the three reels has a Hold button under it. This is an option that you get for free, and each round that you trigger will basically have two spins in it. You spin the reels the first time, and then you look at the symbols to see if you have a winning combination, or at least the beginnings of one. If you have a matching symbol on two out of three reels, then you might want to use the Hold button to lock those columns in place, after which you click on Spin again. Only one reel will re-spin in this example, and it might get you that third missing symbol so that you can form a new combination. Ultimately, it’s up to you what reels you hold for the re-spin.
Bonus Game
The bonus game that’s included will come when the player has collected all three types of gemstones. These are symbols that come in red, yellow and blue variants. You collect each one as it appears, and the bonus game starts up only when all three are found.
Design
The theme is the Aztec civilization, the reels are set against the side of one of their temples, and the jungle surrounds the game area on all sides. Look at the reels to find images of gems, logos, Aztec pyramids, Aztec warriors, headbands, idols, skulls and various representations of birds or the Sun. It’s a dated design, but I appreciated the Aztec inspired symbols, since at least we’re not getting fruits from it.
Summary
Aztec Treasure is not your typical 3-reel slot machine, it offers some unique features, but it also has a below average RTP, so it’s not a game that I’d recommend.
