Slots are popular, online and offline. You just put your money down, spin the reels and, hopefully come up with a win. The history of modern slots goes back to 1894, when Charles Augustus Fey built the first coin-operated slot machine. From there, slots progressed until in the 1980s, when we started to see electronics play a major role. But this isn’t the only influence that the 1980s have brought to bear on online slots today.
Below is a look at some of these influences from this marvelously kitschy decade, how online slots still display them today, plus a few games that demonstrate 80s influences. You’ll find a few 80s style slots on the top new slots sites and you can check them out here.
Fruit machines
Some people still refer to slots as “fruit machines”. This goes back to the days they featured different pieces of fruit on the reels, such as cherries, lemons, oranges and plums. Uncomplicated to play, games designers transferred the concept to online slots and on some sites you can still play games that have traditional fruit symbols on their reels.
Retro colors
Think of the 80s and you think “retro”. The colors were slightly garish, yet there’s something lovable about them. They invoke a sense of nostalgia. Some players enjoy this and, depending on the game they’re designing, designers will use retro colors to make their game appeal to players who have a hankering for nostalgia and years gone by.
Simplicity
Games in the 80s, including slot machines, have a reputation for being simple but fun. Slots with influences from the 80s tend to be simple in their gameplay and graphics and base themselves on iconic arcade games such as Pac-Man (remember that one?!). The sound effects bring back memories of the ones from the era.
Lots of combinations
Slots in the 80s had three reels and around 10 different symbols. Although there were still certain elements of skill involved in winning on the machines, it meant there were lots of winning combinations. Today’s online slots have four or five reels and are more games of luck than skill, but they have lots of different paylines and provide lots of opportunities to win.
Rock bands
There’s something about the mullet-haired rock bands of the 80s that makes for fantastic slots. Despite the age of the band, their music still resonates with people today and licensing their imagery or music to online slot game makers is an excellent way for these and other bands to make extra money, too. Several bands have done it. Kiss, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Spinal Tap and ageing rockers Saxon all spring to mind. By the time they appear on themed slots, their songs have had plenty of time to charm their way into our musical affections.
Now let’s look at some of the newest games to have that 80s feel about them, starting with…
Samantha Fox
In the 1980s, Samantha Fox turned heads and broke hearts with her good looks and topless posing in The Sun newspaper. She also wowed fans with her voice in the hit singles “Touch Me (I Want Your Body)”, “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)” and “I Wanna Have Some Fun”. Earlier this year, the 80s teen idol became the latest to lend her image to an online slot. The game “Samantha Fox” features personal items of Fox and of the era, such as leather jackets, record players and radio cassettes. The four mini games within “Samantha Fox” relive her career, taking the player back to her days of photoshoots, recording, giving concerts and signing autographs for fans.
Spinal Tap
Eighties lovers will remember the spoof documentary “This Is Spinal Tap” that follows the fortunes of fictional rockers Spinal Tap, “one of England’s loudest heavy metal bands”, as they tour the US. The slot features a soundtrack from the band itself and band members occupy some of the symbols. All the while, the game retains the comedic feel of the movie, with bonus features also built around the band and its story so you can enjoy some laughs as you play. Just like the slots of the decade itself, the game is generous, with a high RTP and more than 2 000 paylines.
Guns ‘N’ Roses
Once they were the “Most Dangerous Band in the World”. Now they’ve licensed their imagery and music to the “Guns ‘N’ Roses” slot. The graphics will remind you of the Appetite for Destruction album cover and there are plenty of roses throughout the theme, as you’d expect. There’s some fabulous gaming going on, too. The RTP is higher than most online slots and there are lots of opportunities for large wins, although, by online slot standards, the jackpot itself isn’t especially huge. Still… it’s not likely to bother you if you’re a fan of the band. It’s an exciting game regardless.
The 1980s were a tremendous time…. so much so that even online slots today retain some of the attributes and features of slots from back then. It all makes for amazing gameplay and a terrific experience. The 80s may be long gone, but they manage to keep on giving!
