Aloha! Christmas Slot Review
NetEnt brings back the 2016 fan favourite Aloha! slot for yet another spin through this festive iteration. It’s a Christmas setting that defies traditional themes and locations. The usual, cold, snowy setting is swapped for the sunny tropics of Hawaii, looking as appealing as ever. Christmas in Hawaii might be quite a strange proposition for some players to wrap their heads around, but the slot’s impressive line-up of fresh features will settle any doubts that might come up and keep you spinning these festive reels.
Being a remake/spin-off of sorts, Aloha! Christmas builds on the popular original in a number of ways. The slot’s look and feel remain quite similar, although the scenery has swapped to a more serene beach with a couple of bars in view and a few Christmas decorations to lighten up the mood. Aloha! might be quite an odd choice for a festive spin-off. The season is visually represented through some visual cues, with a few presents lying around the background, Christmas lights adorning the bars and Santa hats that been thrown onto the slot’s tiki figures. Some might argue that the concept feels like a bit of a stretch, but the choice is actually quite refreshing, delivering something different to the more traditional and generic settings we usually get for Christmas themed slots. The presentation is nothing to write home about, but its wrapped in the usual quality one expects from a NetEnt release, with both visuals and audio in the game set at an overall good standard.
Mobile players can rest easy knowing that Aloha! Christmas is available across both desktop and mobile devices and is compatible with both iOS and Android systems.
But looks aren’t all that Aloha! Christmas has to offer. Below, we’ll delve into the fresh mechanics and features that this revamped slot has to offer!
Aloha! Christmas Features
The Mystery Symbols make a comeback in Aloha! Christmas. These symbols will land at random on your reels in both the main game and free spins, transforming into the same symbol in a bid to boost your luck.
The feature can be a great pick-me-up if your play session might not necessarily be going your way and adds another layer of intrigue and suspense to Aloha! Christmas’ reels.
Multiplier Wild Symbols
Wild symbols are back too! They perform their general job of substituting themselves for any symbol that can lead to a winning combination. But that’s not all. This time around they mix with the Mystery Symbols features to bring Multiplier Wild Symbols into the fray.
Randomly, one of the Mystery Symbols that land can turn out to be a Multiplier Wild Symbol. This symbol will have its own multiplier value assigned to it and will form part of the winning cluster. The possible multiplier values are as follows.
When playing the main game:
- X2 Multiplier
- X3 Multiplier
- X4 Multiplier
- X5 Multiplier
- X7 Multiplier
When in Tiki Bar Free Spins:
- X2 Multiplier
- X3 Multiplier
- X4 Multiplier
When in Tiki Bar Max Free Spins:
- X4 Multiplie
- X5 Multiplier
- X7 Multiplier
It’s a great way to merge different features within the game, creating a more cohesive experience that increases the opportunity for player wins and pumps in more tension and excitement into every spin.
Sticky Win Re-Spins
A winning cluster can randomly trigger Sticky Win Re-Spins. Once activated, the feature will have all of the winning symbols sticking to the reels, while the remaining symbols re-spin. Any new symbols that match the stuck ones will also stick to the reels, with re-spins continuing their run until either no new symbols stick, or the entire board gets covered in sticky symbols. Once the feature is done, a multiplier count is rewarded, based on the number of symbols that got stuck to the reels. This can vary between x1 and x7 multiplier levels.
Tiki Bar Free Spins & Tiki Bar Max Free Spins
In Aloha! Christmas, Free Spins are unlocked through Scatter Symbols. The minimum amount is 3 symbols and that will get you into the bonus mode without any additional perks. Landing more than 3 symbols will let you into the free spins segment and throw in an extra reward.
- 4 Symbols – x10 win on your current bet
- 5 Symbols – x25 win on your current bet
- 6 Symbols – x50 win on your current bet
Once they’re in, players will be given the choice between Tiki Bar Free Spins and Tiki Bar Max Free Spins. The game mode’s features are outlined below:
- Tiki Bar Free Spins – 10 Free Spins with x2, x3 and x4 Multiplier Wild Values
- Tiki Bar Max Free Spins – 6 Free Spins with x4, x5 and x7 Multiplier Wild Values
Throughout Free Spins, players will collect bonus Starfish symbols. 3 of these rare goodies will remove a low win symbol from your next free spin and add another 2 free spins to your tally.
Aloha! Christmas manages to find more layers and depth within a mode that can be all too bland at times. The player choices, multiplier wins, and starfish symbols help refresh the bonus mode, bringing some welcome changes.
Aloha! Christmas Slot Verdict
Aloha! Christmas may seem like an odd choice for a festive slot, but behind the unusual aesthetic, this spin-off has made many welcome additions and enhancements that offer a well-rounded package. The revamped slot mechanics breathe new life into the beloved Aloha! title and make the slot suitable for players with all levels of experience.
While the included features have been executed brilliantly, it would have been great to see additional functions being implemented. A form of jackpot feature inclusion would have fit in really well and given the intricate realisation of the features in play, we’re sure that it would have been crafted in a way that complements the rest of the slot.
So, if you feel ready to jump into the Christmas spirit with Aloha! Christmas, why not try out the free demo? If you feel ready for the real deal, head over to one of NetEnt’s many licensed casinos to spin these reels for real.
