The Mask Slot: Introduction
The Mask game takes inspiration from the well-known film featuring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, which was a massive success in 1994. Developed by NextGen Gaming under SG Digital, this online slot features a classic 5-reel, 3-row layout with 20 unchangeable paylines. Players can enjoy the game on any device with bets ranging from €0.10 to €50. It incorporates humorous sound bites from the movie that bring nostalgia and amusement, but can also lead to disappointment when the game doesn't initially lead to big wins.
The game's symbols may not be groundbreaking, consisting of the standard low-value symbols like A, K, Q, J, and 10. However, it also includes higher value symbols representing Stanley Ipkiss, Tina Carlyle, Stanley's dog Milo, the iconic Yellow hat, and bags of money. Additionally, there's a wild symbol featuring Stanley's alter-ego, The Mask, and a scatter symbol. The wild symbol is the most rewarding, though it only offers a payout of 15 times the bet for a full line.
The Mask Slot: Features
There are four unique features in The Mask, each triggered randomly during either the main game or bonus rounds:
- Alarm Block: Adds a 2x2 block of wilds to the reels
- In A Spin: This feature can convert any symbols into wilds, potentially turning up to three reels into wild reels
- By The Horn: Select symbols are transformed into wilds
- Mask Unmask: Adds a 3x3 block of wilds to the reels
Randomly, The Mask character may appear to initiate a bonus feature.
The game's main attraction is undoubtedly the bonus round, activated by landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols, rewarding players with 10, 15, or 25 free spins, and allowing access to the Coco Bongo nightclub setting. These free spins can be re-triggered and can occasionally multiply winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x.
The potential jackpot win occurs when the reels are filled entirely with wild symbols, combined with a 5x multiplier in the bonus round, offering a payout of 1500 times the bet. Theoretically, the maximum potential win is over 37,500 times the stake, though achieving this is quite rare and may even be limited to a predetermined maximum.
The Mask Slot: Conclusion
Initially, the frequent random features combined with the entertaining clips were quite enjoyable. However, as the base game payouts were often low, the excitement waned while waiting for the bonus, which, unfortunately, never paid more than 80 times the stake. Despite the theoretical possibility for huge returns, the practical experience often feels lackluster.
NextGen Gaming has a reputation for launching games with high potential, yet The Mask falls short of these expectations. It's not uncommon for licensed games like this to have lower returns, possibly due to the costs associated with using famous branding. It's worth trying a few spins to attempt triggering a bonus, but it's best not to persistently chase large wins.
(1 = worst / 10 = best)