Cornelius: Slot Overview
Cats are notoriously picky eaters, and one moggy with certain wants is Cornelius, a four-legged 'treat freak' who stars in his very own casino game. Cornelius is an online slot from Evolution owned software developer NetEnt about a kitty with 'eyes wide open to big prizes', who's all about 'filling his food bowl with goodies.' What that means for players tempted to try their luck alongside a charismatic cat is a slot with Cash Drops, free spins, and a Buy feature. Cats are known for their personalities, so let's find out if Cornelius is the kind that will curl up on your lap or tear your legs to shreds for the lols.
Cornelius, the slot, is set in a classic cartoon kitchen setting with a refrigerator, a sink, and chequered flooring all in the picture. Allusions to Garfield are hard to avoid, but Cornelius is largely his own cat, and he spends much of the time next to the game grid, like a feline Gonzo, sniffing food, donning meme sunglasses, and just generally being one of those adorable kitties people can't help but fall for – including his enemies, if he has any. Mice maybe.
NetEnt's been around the block a few times, and part of the reason for its success has to be its ability to cater to a wide range of player types. Cornelius is largely an open book – what you see is what you get. This isn't some cutey slot that belies a spiteful math model and brutal mechanics. Quite the opposite, in fact. Exhibit A is the low volatile math model and low max payout value coming in at the rather sad number of 1051 times your stake. The default RTP sits around average on 96.04%, though it can be found lower depending on the market. Playable on a tablet, mobile, or desktop device, Cornelius accepts bets of 20 p/c to $/€400 per paid game round.
The active gaming area here consists of 5-reels, 4-rows and provides 1,024 ways to win. Regular wins happen when at least three identical symbols land on adjacent reels, starting from the first reel onwards. For the lows, we get 10-A thready card royals, while the highs are fish-shaped toys, tins of food, milk bottles, and pictures of Cornelius the cat.
Cornelius: Slot Features
As you may have deduced, wild symbols do not appear in the game, but there are a few features to go over. These are the Cash Drop, free spins, and a bonus buy.
Cash Drop
Getting at least 3 Cash Drop symbols in view activates the Cash Drop feature. From the base game, Cash Drop symbols have values of 0.25 to 3 times the bet. Once underway, 3 respins are awarded, and each new Cash Drop symbol that lands reset the count to 3. On each spin, Cash Drop symbols move down one row, and their prize values are collected in Cornelius' bowl after each spin.
Free Spins
Landing 3 or more scatter symbols anywhere on the grid triggers free spins. A total of 3 spins are awarded, and whenever a new symbol lands, the counter is reset. The symbols which may appear in free spins are:
- Cash Drop Symbol – display values of 0.1-0.5x the bet.
- Up – this moves all of the Multiplier symbols and Cash Drop symbols up one row, keeping them on the reels a bit longer.
- Golden Up – moves all of the Cash Drop symbols and Multiplier symbols to the highest empty cell possible on the row.
- Adder – displays a value of 0.1x to 0.3x, which is added to all Cash Drop symbols in view. These symbols remain on the reels until free spins end, so Cash Drop symbols jump them when moving up or down the reels.
- Multiplier – multiplies all Cash Drop symbols and Adder symbols in view by x2.
Like the Cash Drop feature, Cash Drop symbols fall down a position on each spin, adding their values to Cornelius' bowl as they do so.
Bonus Buy
If you want to cut straight to free spins, it may be possible to buy your way to them. The cost for buying the free spins feature is 100 times the stake.
Cornelius: Slot Verdict
When it comes to picking a pet, the choices are as varied as potential owners' preferences. Some want a strapping great Doberman to keep unwanted visitors off the property, while others prefer snuggling up to a playful ball of fluff. After reading the review, it'll be little wonder which definition better suits Cornelius. Yep, Cornelius is the sort of game that wants to leap up on your lap and watch rom coms with you, perhaps something with Tom Hanks in it or reruns of Thirty Something. Whatever, it's a benign game more concerned with being cute than hugely thrilling.
That being the case, if cute (or childish) is what you're after, then Cornelius' gameplay has been finely balanced to match. It's never going to really blow up, but the features integrate well with the Saturday morning cartoon vibe, and Cornelius' pawprints can be found all over everything. The Cash Drop mechanic is catchy and has the ability to pile up consecutive wins in the food bowl from the base game. Then there is free spins, which is a souped-up version of the Cash Drop, with the added benefit of a collection of booster symbols. It's never going to take off, though, not really, and the most a lucky punter is likely to win is, sorry to say, a paltry 1,051x the bet. This was the max achieved in 50 million spins for a clearer idea of the odds.
It can sometimes seem like studios are locked in a battle to produce the biggest, meanest, most ruthless slot on the planet. Amidst this arms race, Cornelius might come across as something of a quaint anomaly. Roughriders might not want to touch Cornelius with a ten-foot barge pole, but for those in the mood for a charming game they can metaphorically nestle on the couch with, Cornelius could well be it.
Roughriders might not want to touch Cornelius with a ten-foot barge pole, but for those in the mood for a charming game they can metaphorically nestle on the couch with, Cornelius could well be it.
