Scarface Slot Machine

A Scarface slot machine may seem like an unusual choice for an online game, but NetEnt is a company with a reputation for pushing the envelope and thinking outside the box. Their instincts turnedout to be correct in this case, as the 5-reel game has become successful with gamblers from around the globe. It may not be as violent and foul-mouthed as the source material, but it stillprovides a welcome change of pace from slots that focus on cute animals and various types of fruit.

In this article, we’ll look at the basic elements of the Scarface slot. We’ll pay particular attention to the game’s paytable and bonus features, but elements such as paylineconfiguration and video quality are also on the docket.

The movie Scarface deals with the rise and fall of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban refugee and criminal who arrives in the United States and begins his climb to become a powerful narcoticskingpin. The movie proved unpopular with critics of the time due to its extreme foul language, as well as depictions of violence and drug use. It’s since become regarded as a classic, and itseems to hold a special place in the heart of rap musicians.

Whether or not you’ve seen the film, here are some interesting facts that you might not know:

• Before he gained international fame for Platoon, Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay for Scarface. At the time, he was battling his own addiction to cocaine.
• Despite many of the characters being from Cuba, actor Steven Bauer was the only performer of Cuban heritage in the main cast.
• The movie came about after Al Pacino saw the original 1932 Scarface in the theater and decided to adapt it into the modern era.
• The role of Tony Montana was initially offered to Robert De Niro, but he turned it down.
• The filmmakers originally wanted Glenn Close for the role of Elvira, but the producer championed an unknown actress by the name of Michelle Pfeiffer (against the protests of Pacino anddirector Brian De Palma).
• The film initially received an X rating in the U.S. for drug use, frequent profanity, and excessive violence. Universal appealed the rating and eventually got it reduced to an R. Brian DePalma had only made minor edits from his original version in order to get the rating reduced, so he went ahead and released that cut without anyone noticing.
• The first version of the film that aired on network television had 32 minutes cut out.
• Upon the film’s release, Brian De Palma received a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Director.
• The film is now considered one of the greatest gangster films of all time, and the line “Say hello to my little friend!” was ranked 61^st by the American Film Institute among themost memorable lines in movie history.

The audio and video on the base game is nothing to get too excited about, although the reels do feature some actual images from the classic 1983 film. The bonus game includes some welcomeviolence in the spirit of the Brian De Palma movie, but the animation isn’t as smooth as I would have hoped for. At least they shelled out the money to use the actual likenesses of theperformers, so you actually get to see Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer and others on the reels.

The best aspect of the game from a visual standpoint is the inclusion of clips from the film. I especially loved seeing Tony unload on his attackers with his M-16, and the scene where he blowshis office door (and several assassins) apart with a grenade is one of the most memorable. Unfortunately, there aren’t nearly as many clips as I would’ve hoped for.

The game’s music and ambient sounds are somewhat disappointing, and they fail to capture the distinct early 1980’s vibe of the original motion picture. In a perfect world, I would’ve enjoyedseeing the inclusion of a few of the more distinctive songs from the soundtrack such as “She’s on Fire” and “Scarface (Push It to the Limit).”

This slot machine from Net Entertainment features 20 paylines. These lines are fixed, which means the player doesn’t have the option to raise or lower the number of active lines for each spin.While some may chafe at the lack of freedom, it at least assures the player of never missing out on a win because one of the paylines wasn’t activated.

Paytable for the Scarface Slot Machine

This section deals with the game’s symbols and their associated values. This is known as the “paytable.”

• Tony Montana

  In the capable hands of actor Al Pacino, Tony Montana is one part clown and one part killer. Despite his many faults, he possesses ruthless ambition and cunning instincts that allow him torise up from humble beginnings before eventually being destroyed by his own vices. When part of winning combination, this symbol awards one of the following payouts: 50 credits for threematches, 200 for four, and 2000 for five.

• Elvira Hancock

  This chain-smoking blonde begins the film as the girlfriend of Frank Lopez. Tony is instantly smitten, and he pursues and marries her (with less-than-ideal results). Played by a then-unknownMichelle Pfeiffer, Elvira offers the following payouts: 30 credits for three matches, 150 for four, and 1000 for five.

• Manny Ribera

  Tony’s best friend, Manny is laid back, level-headed, and crazy about the opposite sex. Portrayed by Steven Bauer, his slot machine representation pays 25 credits for three matches, 100 forfour, and 750 for five.

• Alejandro Sosa

  A dangerous and powerful drug lord, Sosa is played in the film by Paul Shenar. His falling out with Tony helps drive the climax of the film. Pays 25 credits for three matches, 75 for four,and 500 for five.

• Frank Lopez

  A Miami drug lord who initially employs Tony, Frank was played in the film by longtime actor Robert Loggia. This symbol pays 20 credits for three matches, 60 for four, and 250 for five.

• Ace

  Pays five credits for three matches, 50 for four, and 150 for five.

• King

  Pays five credits for three matches, 30 for four, and 100 for five.

• Queen

  Pays five credits for three matches, 25 for four, and 75 for five.

• Jack

  Pays five credits for three matches, 25 for four, and 60 for five.

• Ten

  Pays five credits for three matches, 20 for four, and 50 for five.

In this section, we’ll be looking at the special symbols and bonus features that are available on the Scarface slot machine. While the symbols in the base game allow for some decent payouts,these icons and bonus rounds give the player a chance at some huge payouts.

This icon features Manny, and it serves as a stacked wild that substitutes for all symbols except other stacked wilds. If it appears fully on the second reel, it activates the Nudge Spins. Whenthis occurs, the player receives a re-spin, and the stacked wild is nudged one space down the reels. These re-spins continue until the stacked wild is no longer visible on the reels.

This icon features Elvira, and it substitutes for all symbols except other stacked wilds. If the full stacked wild appears on the fourth reel, the player receives 15 free spins (with all valuestripled). If a full stacked wild appears on reel four during the free spins phase, then the player receives an additional 15 free spins.

This icon features Tony Montana, and it substitutes for all symbols except other stacked wilds. If this stacked wild appears fully on the third reel, then the bonus game is activated. When thisoccurs, the player is taken to another screen where they’ll see an overhead view from inside Tony’s mansion. The coked-up drug kingpin is standing at the top of the staircase, and the hiredkillers of Alejandro Sosa are advancing towards him. Each turn, Tony either gets bullets or an M-16 grenade (determined at random), and the player may then select which space to fire on. Bulletskill any attacker in a single space, while the grenade kills intruders in multiple spaces. When the assassins get too close, Tony is ambushed from behind, blasted by a shotgun, and falls lifelessinto his fountain (and the game seamlessly cuts to the identical scene from the film). For each opponent killed in the bonus round, the player receives a specific amount of coins.

When a partial stacked wild appears on the reels, it transforms into a Scarface wild. This icon substitutes for all other symbols in order to create winning combinations.

Below the reels, this slot machine has a number of displays and controls for the convenience of the player. In this section, we’ll be looking at each of these options and discussing theirfunction as it applies to customers.

• Paytable

  By clicking this button, the player is taken to a series of pages that explain the symbols and their accompanying payouts, as well as the payline configurations and bonus features.

• Win

  If the player is lucky enough to get a winning spin, this section details the amount of the current payout.

• Feature Preview

  This odd addition to the game promises a preview of the bonus round. While it does display the basics of the feature, it fails to show every aspect. If they were going to include this option,I’m not sure why NetEnt would leave it incomplete. This is easily the most useless button on the game.

• Bet Level

  The bet level runs from one to ten. Each level raises the overall size of the wager, or it can be reduced by going in the opposite direction.

• Bet

  Indicates the size of the player’s wager for the upcoming spin.

• Autoplay

  Tired of clicking the spin button over and over? If so, just initiate the autoplay feature and let the game do all the work. The number of autoplay spins ranges from 10 to 1,000, and thereare a total of nine options to choose from. You can also choose advanced settings, such as stopping the feature after any win or when a bonus game is activated. This comes in handy duringbathroom breaks or other situations where the player has to be away from the computer for a few minutes.

• Spin

  As you might have guessed, clicking this button sets the reels into motion.

• Coins

  The total number of coins currently available to the player. This amount varies depending on the chosen denomination.

• Max Bet

  When clicked, this button allows the player to wager the highest possible bet (as determined by the current level and denomination).

• Coin Value

  The coin denomination being risked by the player. Options include $0.01, $0.02, $0.05, $0.10, $0.20, and $0.50.

• Game Settings

  This option allows you to adjust the quality of graphics, turn off sound effects and ambient sound, and even set your computer’s spacebar to double as the spin button.

• Volume

  The volume of the game can be raised or lowered, or it can be muted entirely.

• Information

  This section is accessed by clicking on the question mark symbol on the very bottom of the screen. Bonus rounds are discussed in great detail, as well as information on the return to player,game options, and much more.

The Scarface slot machines from NetEnt may lack the visceral punch of the 1983 source material, but that’s understandable considering the latter’s reliance on graphic violence, rampant drug use,and an almost pathological use of the “f-word.” While hardcore fans of the movie may be disappointed by the censored nature of the game, it still maintains an edgier feel than most virtual slots.In addition, there are plenty of opportunities to win cash prizes, and those lucky enough to hit the top payout of 60,000 coins can try to recreate the lavish lifestyle of drug kingpin TonyMontana. As the game/movie says, “The world is yours.”