ALL ABOUT WILLY’S HOT CHILLIES SLOT
Following their foray into the dark world of underground crime in the PI thriller, Cash Noire, NetEnt bring us something a little more light-hearted with this Mexican-themed low variance number with a retro-gamer look and a regular, low-risk pay model. Extra Chili by BTG this is most definitely not – the variance here is medium at best and this slot feels like it is primed for the mainstream summer slot market with a cheery-bearded fellow, some cute features and a clever prize-wheel bonus round thrown in to keep you smiling. Yes, Willy’s Hot Chillies is basically a simple, fun slot with a traditional mix of wilds, stacks and multipliers and an alternative bonus round where modest prizes stack up. If you like high variance thrills and spills, look elsewhere, otherwise, read on to find out more about this game.
GAME SET-UP, SYMBOLS AND GRAPHICS
When you first load up you’ll notice that Willy’s Hot Chilli has a basic, retro graphics look to it. The scene is the heat of a Mexican desert town and the graphics are all primary color illustrations in blocks. There are five reels, three rows and 20 fixed paylines in action at all times. When the bonus round kicks in the reels are replaced with a horizontal wheel that reveals prizes as it spins.
Low value symbols are represented by the card suits, spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds. The high value icons are a pinata, a bottle of hot sauce, a taco and a treasure chest. The latter is the highest paying of the lot at 3x for five on a payline. Remember, this is low variance stuff so those symbols don’t have high values associated with them. Look out as well for the wilds that come in stacks with multipliers and are also key to unlocking the bonus wheel round. There is also a special bonus symbol that needs to drop on the 1streel to trigger this.
WILLY’S HOT CHILLIES SLOT RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
So, bearing in mind that this is a low-medium variance game, don’t expect anything too dramatic to go on – the wins come fairly regular and in small amounts thanks to the low value paytable. That means Hot Chillies will suit players who like to stretch their budget a bit further without the risk of blowing it all in a flurry of dry spins. The RTP is set at a standard 96% which is reasonable and the top payout looks like over 2,000x.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
Multiplier Wilds
The Wilds are the stars of this game. They perform the normal function of subbing in for all other symbols to create wins. In this instance they also come with multipliers of 2x up to 5x. Where more than one wild multiplier is in play on a line, so they are combined by multiplying together. It is also possible to land stacks of wilds on the 2nd, 3rd, 4thand 5threels to increase your chances of wins.
Willy’s Hot Wheel
To set up this bonus round you’ll need to land a bonus symbol on reel one PLUS one or more multiplier wild stacks on the remaining four reels. When this happens so the wheel becomes active, and each reel that contained a wild stack becomes a firey pointer that activates the reward that appears above it when the wheel stops. The number of wheel spins you get is calculated by adding up all the multiplier values on the reels when the bonus round is triggered. Makes sense? Good. …
The prizes on the wheel are as follows. Note that there is also a multiplier in play at all times in the round.
- Cash Prize– up to 30x.
- Extra Spins– 3 more spins of the wheel.
- Extra– an additional firey pointer is added to improve your chances of winning a prize.
- Chili Multiplier– enhances the multiplier to the side of the screen that is applied to all wins.
- Blanks– there are also blank spaces on the wheel, so not every spin necessarily scores a win.
And that’s your lot. The chances of big wins here are very small with a top payout of 2,000x but if you’re going to get close it’ll be by stacking up the prizes with Willy’s Hot Wheel.
OUR VERDICT
Fun times with bearded-Mexican Wild Willy! We’re not sure whether this slot will stand the test of time. It certainly has a distinct look to it and the bonus wheel is an interesting feature, but the low potential and basic graphics puts us off a bit. Really, whether this one floats your boat will come down to taste. Here at The Slot Buzz we prefer high risk mayhem but for those looking for a casual spin on a cute slot in the hot sun, this is a great pick. Have fun, and gamble responsibly.
