Irish Eyes Slot Machine

While licensed slots based on movies and TV shows are all the rage at online casinos, there’s also plenty of room for original content. Such is the case with the Irish Eyes slot machine, whichdraws together stereotypical elements of Ireland such as red-haired women, pots of gold, and leprechauns.

The name of the slot machine is an obvious reference to the 1912 song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” Written by George Graff, Jr. and Chauncey Olcott, it was part of a wave of songs in the early20^th century that took a romanticized look at the beauty and mystery of the Emerald Isle.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the song, I’ve included the lyrics below. The next time you’ve had a few pints at an Irish pub, don’t be shy about standing up and belting out this tune. By the endof the first few lines, it’s likely that you won’t be singing alone.

The song was initially made famous by Irish tenor John McCormack, but it’s managed to endure in popularity for over a century. It’s appeared in most Hollywood movies about Ireland, and it’s beencovered by performers ranging from Nelson Eddy and Bing Crosby to Ronan Tynan and Roger Whittaker.

The most important elements of a slot machine (other than the random number generator) are the various reels and their symbols. That’s what we’ll be talking about here, as well as theirassociated payouts. If you’re more interested in the game’s bonus features, you can find those in the following section.

Please note that the value of payouts is expressed in credits and not coins. In order to determine the true amount of a payout, multiply the payline win by the amount staked per line. Forexample, a 50 credit win on an active line with a $1 wager would amount to winnings of $50.

• LeprechaunThis mythical creature is an integral part of Irish folklore, and it’s since become famous around the world. Substituting for all symbols except the scatter, this wild icon offersone of the following payouts when part of a winning line: two credits for one symbol, 10 credits for two matches, 150 for three, 1000 for four, and 10000 for five.
• Irish LassThere are a lot of beautiful women in Ireland, and it’s not uncommon to find them with red hair and freckles. The bonny lass on this icon is a perfect example, and she provides maleplayers with just a hint of eye candy (well, at least more than the leprechaun). Since this is the scatter symbol, wins pay left to right and are multiplied by the total amount wagered. Theavailable prizes include the following: two credits for two matches, five for three, 20 for four, and 100 for five.
• End of the RainbowAs the legend goes, anyone who finds the end of a rainbow should also discover a pot of gold. When this icon makes up a winning combo, the player receives one of thefollowing payouts: six credits for two matches, 50 for three, 500 for four, and 1250 for five.
• Pot of GoldFamously associated with leprechauns and the end of rainbows, this pot is filled with a tantalizing number of golden coins. The icon offers one of the following payouts for awinning combo: three credits for two matches, 25 for three, 175 for four, and 500 for five.
• Four-leaf CloverA three-leaf clover is common, but this variation is rare enough to have inspired a number of stories and superstitions. According to some, each leaf stands for one of thefollowing: faith, hope, love, and luck. This icon offers one of the following payouts for a winning combo: three credits for two matches, 25 for three, 175 for four, and 500 for five.
• Ace and KingAs with most slots, Irish Eyes includes a number of poker card values to round out the symbols on the reels. If either of these symbols makes up a winning payline, the player winsone of the following amounts: 20 credits for three matches, 50 for four, and 150 for five.
• Queen and JackRanked just below the ace and king in value, these icons pay the following: 10 credits for three matches, 30 for four, and 125 for five.
• Ten and NineThese icons have the lowest total value, although most players aren’t going to turn up their noses at the following amounts: five credits for three matches, 20 for four, and 100for five.

Winnings can climb to extreme levels if you’re lucky enough to come across one of the special features for the game. There are only two available, but their simplicity should make themappropriate for players of all ages and levels of gaming sophistication.

Free Games

In order to receive 12 free games with tripled prizes, you’ll need to get three or more scattered symbols (red-haired woman) on the reels. This feature can be re-triggered, and free gamesare played at the lines and bet of the trigger game.

Pick Me Bonus

With this feature, the player has a chance to win up to 100x the triggering bet. This option is available when the leprechaun symbol appears anywhere on reels one and five at the same timeduring a spin. When the feature occurs, the player is asked to choose one of the triggering symbols to reveal a prize. All prizes are multiplied by the triggering bet, and the ability topick again is also available. In addition to the base game, this feature can also be activated during free games. If the “Win All” option is found, the player receives 100x the triggeringwager.

If you’re looking for a game with impressive graphics, sound effects, and music, you’ll probably want to avoid Irish Eyes. While the designers at NextGen definitely made sure that the release wasprofitable for the player, they didn’t spend a lot of time on elements such as reel icons and an accompanying score. The latter is especially odd, considering that the source of inspiration forthe title is in the public domain (and therefore could’ve been recorded for free).

The game makes a noise when the reels spin, but it’s nothing that I would term “music.” There is a brief blast of sound on a winning spin, as well as two seconds of an Irish-sounding tune.Otherwise, there’s not much in the way of sound.

The graphics are equally unimpressive, with no real animation to speak of. Most modern games at least include some movement on the reels during a win, but that’s not the case with Irish Eyes.Things get slightly more interesting during the bonus game, but there’s nothing here to encourage repeat play from the customer.

Like every other slot from NextGen, Irish Eyes has an abundance of controls located beneath the reels. While some of these only allow for one action to be performed, others provide customizablechoices for the player. This section explains each of these controls in order to prepare the player as much as possible.

• SpinPressing this button sets the reels in motion. The length of a spin is four seconds, but there’s no option for ending it early.
• InfoThis section contains information about the pay table, the payline configuration, and the bonus features. With the exception of the line layouts, all the info about the Irish Eyes slot iscontained within the body of this article.
• AutoplayBy pressing this button, the player can choose to allow the slot machine to spin on their behalf. The available spin options include the following: 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500.Once an option has been chosen, the reels immediately start spinning, and the word “autoplay” is replaced with “stop spin.” By clicking this new option, the automatic spins are canceled after thecurrent spin is completed.
• LinesThe number of active lines are displayed in this field. If the player uses one of the next two buttons to make an adjustment, then the alteration is reflected here.
• Lines UpThis selection raises the total number of active lines. The number can be adjusted one at a time, with the highest option being 25.
• Lines DownThis selection lowers the total number of active lines. The number can be adjusted one at a time, with the lowest option being one.
• Max LinesIf you tire of using the up and down buttons to adjust the number of active lines, just press this selection once to choose the maximum amount.
• Max BetTaking denomination and number of active lines into account, this button allows the player to wager the maximum allowable sum with a single click.
• BetWhen the player selects a denomination to wager on each payline, that amount is displayed in this field. If the player adjusts the size of their bet, then this field changes to reflect thelatest decision.
• Bet UpClicking this button causes the bet per payline to be raised. The highest available amount is $5, while ambitious players can also choose from sums such as $2 and $1.
• Bet DownClicking this button causes the bet per payline to be lowered. The least available amount is $0.02, but other inexpensive options include $0.05, $0.10, and $0.25.
• BalanceThis constantly updated field displays the amount of money available to the player. As you may have guessed, wins and losses cause this sum to fluctuate during gameplay. If the totalever drops to zero, then you’ll need to deposit more money into your casino account before continuing.
• Total BetThis field displays the upcoming wager for a player, and it can obviously change based on the whims of the participant.
• WinIf you’re lucky enough to find a winning combination during a spin, the amount of the payout is displayed in this otherwise vacant field.
• PaylinesOn the side of the reels, you’ll notice a series of colored and numbered boxes. There are 25 of these in all, and each corresponds to a specific payline. By clicking on one of these,you’ll be able to see the specific line tied to that number. The other somewhat odd feature is this: when you click on a number, you automatically activate that specific number of paylines. Forexample, clicking on the number 17 activates that many lines, while choosing 1 would give you the minimum available lines.

Irish Eyes is a no-frills slot machine from the fine folks at NextGen. The game can be enjoyed by players on a budget, while high rollers should also be able to wager enough to keep thingsinteresting. The payouts are surprisingly strong, especially those associated with the wild symbol and free games feature. While a progressive jackpot would’ve also been welcome, I can’t complaintoo much about a release that combines simplicity with big cash prizes. And for superstitious gamblers, playing a machine with multiple references to good fortune should be a no-brainer.