Retro Reels Diamond Glitz

Retro Reels Diamond Glitz: Slot Overview

Retro is one of those words thrown around to describe something that appears old, but looks that way on purpose. In the case of Retro Reels Diamond Glitz from gaming grandaddy Microgaming, the term could not be more apt, as the game is a real trip back to an earlier era of online slots. Loading up Diamond Glitz was like stepping through a wormhole, and while there is a contemporary feature onboard called HyperSpins, for the most part, the rest can be considered fully old school.

Old is one way of describing Retro Reels Diamond Glitz' looks (which is a remake of an old classic), which present a cool, blue-toned screen, consisting of a white reeled game grid fronting a basic sparkling background. This is another entry in Microgaming's Retro Reels range, and all are indeed retro. Here they've gone diamonds, whereas the previous one, Retro Reels Extreme Heat, was all about flames. Basically, one was red, this one is blue, and aside from that, there isn't a whole heck of a lot else separating the two.

One thing the two games share is a noticeably high RTP rating of 97.5%. Matching this figure is a high hit rate of 49.59%, while volatility is low – as is potential. Basically, players can expect a lot of minor payouts on a regular basis. If that sounds appealing, any device may be used to bring about some old-time thrills, while bets of 25 p/c to $/€125 per spin may be set.

Played on a 5-reel, 3-row game matrix, 25 fixed paylines have been built in for landing winning combinations across. Symbols pay left to right, and at least three are needed to do so, barring the top paying dollar sign symbol, which needs just two to create a winner. Should a line of five dollar signs hit, a payout worth 400x the bet is coming your way. Less impressive are the One Diamond, Two Diamond, or Three Diamond Symbols paying 10-20x the bet, or the cherries, bells, 7s, Bars, Double Bars, or Triple Bars worth 8-10x the bet for five of a kind. In addition, combinations of any Bars, or any Diamonds, pay up 3-4x the bet for a line of five. There are no wild symbols in Retro Reels Diamond Glitz, which just leaves the features to cover; let's have a look-see.

Retro Reels Diamond Glitz: Slot Features

Retro Reels Diamond Glitz might not look like a game steeped in innovation, and to be honest, it's not. What it has is a batch of triggerable free spins and the HyperSpins/respins feature.

HyperSpins – respins

Instead of hitting the general play button to spin all five reels as normal, players have the chance to spin individual reels one at a time. There is no set cost to this. The game takes what symbols are currently displayed on the reels and calculates the cost to spin each reel. Naturally, the better the chance of landing something large is, the greater its price tag will be. On a respin, only wins that involve the respin reels are paid. Also, changing your bet will deactivate the respin option.

Glittering Free Spins

The other extra bit is free spins, triggered when at least 3 scatter symbols are in view. The prizes up for grabs are 5x, 40x, or 100x the bet plus 15, 20, or 25 free spins for landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters. During free spins, all wins are doubled, and the feature can be retriggered.

Retro Reels Diamond Glitz: Slot Verdict

In many ways, Retro Reels Diamond Glitz's title says it all. There are lashings of retro, quite a few diamonds, and a dash of glitz. It's all targeted at a specific audience, and as always, such pinpoint accuracy means others won't be amped by what Retro Reels Diamond Glitz has to offer. Those up for a trip down memory lane, to a so-called simpler time, are likely to squeeze some enjoyment out of Retro Reels Diamond Glitz. Those who missed out on the era may get this sort of game from a historical appreciation perspective but are likely to pass since there are so many other more exciting options out there to sift through.

Those keen on Retro Reels Diamond Glitz's style of play should be alright, though. The high hit frequency ties in well with HyperSpins, and we must confess to a tickle of delight when respinning a single reel and getting some nice payout for a comparatively small outlay. For example, when there's a couple of juicy symbols on reels 1 and 2, then respinning reel 3 to score the required winning symbol, then stretching the win out to reel four. It feels like you're gaming the system when it works in your favour, though costs can very quickly rack up if you take your eye off the ball. Also, HyperSpins are not an exclusive feature, so it's not like you have to play Retro Reels Diamond Glitz to have a crack with it. There isn't anything to add in regard to free spins, either. They double win values, super. While we are on the subject of wins, Retro Reels Diamond Glitz maxes out at 1,000x the bet, so no great draw there either.

It's funny, with Microgaming releasing so few homemade slots, it's hard not to wonder why they choose to relaunch a game like this. It's as if they've given up on trying to be cutting edge or innovative, not so much because they aren't capable of doing so, but because they are just content doing pet projects for personal reasons. Like a retiree no longer clawing their way through the rat race but kicking back to watch their favourite shows on telly and not feeling the least bit guilty about doing so.