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Plenty of online slots have their reign among the top games when they’re first released. But many of these same slots see their popularity diminish after a few years or even a few months.
Only a small portion of slots have retained enough popularity over the years to become legendary. These storied games continue to be widely played despite being released years ago.
Keep reading as I discuss 11 legendary internet slots that have withstood the test of time and are still relevant today.
1 – Mega Moolah (Microgaming)
Mega Moolah was released by Microgaming in 2006, which makes it somewhat ancient in terms of online slots. Nevertheless, this is still the most-popular progressive jackpot slot by far. Mega Moolah has broken its own record for largest internet slots jackpot time and time again. The most-recent mark includes a $21,977,013 prize that was paid in October 2018.
This game offers four progressive jackpots, including the Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega payouts. The Mega jackpot is the one that keeps breaking records. You need to randomly trigger the bonus round to play for the Mega jackpot and other progressive payouts. The bonus round sees you spin a prize wheel to earn anything from extra credits to one of four jackpots.
These progressive jackpots are largely what’s kept Mega Moolah so popular. But this game also has a timeless theme that still appeals to players. Mega Moolah is an African-themed slot that features various Savannah wildlife animals, including a lion, elephant, yak, gazelle, and zebra.
You’ll also see a monkey dressed as a witch doctor. This symbol is important because it triggers free spins whenever appearing three or more times anywhere on the reels. Thanks to its jackpots and timeless theme, Mega Moolah is still worth playing whenever you’re in the mood to try and win life-changing money.
2 – Gonzo’s Quest (NetEnt)
Gonzo’s Quest took the gaming world by storm when it dropped in 2009. Players at the time had yet to see such high-quality 3D graphics.Gonzo’s Quest also grabbed gamblers’ attention with its “cascading reels” feature. Cascading reels see symbols from winning payouts disappear, allowing icons from above to take their place. This offers the chance to form more wins in a single round. Cascading reels are certainly nothing new these days. But the fact that Gonzo’s Quest has them helps it blend in with more-modern games.
Its 3D graphics are also competitive with the majority of slots that are released today. This is quite when considering that Gonzo’s Quest is a decade old! As for Gonzo, he’s a Spanish conquistador who’s exploring South America to find Eldorado, the lost city of gold. He’s also quite entertaining and cheers for your wins off to the side of the screen.
This game already has enough going for it to remain a classic for years to come. But NetEnt casinos have made it even more popular by tying free spin deals in with Gonzo’s Quest. Also note that NetEnt has launched a 3D version of this game, which allows you to look around in a 360-degree view.
3 – Cleopatra (IGT)
Cleopatra is part of a series of land-based slot machines that IGT adapted for online play. It’s remained extremely popular ever since being formatted for internet casinos in 2006.Cleopatra looks much older than its release date, though, which makes me wonder why it’s so well-received today. This game also doesn’t have a progressive jackpot or unique features, making its popularity even more of a mystery. But I have to give credit where it’s due, and Cleopatra is still heavily played these days. One possible reason why is that it was one of the earliest games to feature the Queen of the Nile.
Dozens of online slots have followed suit by rolling out Cleopatra themes. But IGT’s version is one of the originals, giving it a nostalgic feel. The graphics are also solid for an old land-based slot that was brought to online casinos. Symbols like the scarab, Eye of Ra, and horn are quite graphically enhanced for their age.
Free spins are the only feature that you can trigger. You need to land three or more Sphinx icons anywhere on the reels to get free spins. Overall, Cleopatra definitely isn’t for everybody due to its limited gameplay and features. However, it’s a decent game if you want a touch of nostalgia.
4 – Blood Suckers (NetEnt)
Blood Suckers is one of the “newer” games on this list, having been launched in 2013. But it’s still considered fairly classic by online gaming standards. This NetEnt slot experienced a popularity explosion when it was first released. Many players found Blood Sucker’s graphic nature to be unique when considering that most slots lean towards the playful side — even those with a horror theme.
Blood Suckers features gory animations of a vampire biting a young woman’s neck, and the hero (you) stabbing the vampire with a stake. Speaking of which, Blood Suckers has an entertaining bonus round where the goal is to rip open coffins and kill vampires. You want to stab as many of these sleeping creatures as possible before opening an empty coffin.
This 5-reel, 25-playline game has plenty of appeal around Halloween time. You’ll hear chilling wind, spooky piano music, and screams while playing. Of course, you don’t have to wait until Halloween to get started with Blood Suckers. It has plenty of replay potential year round.
5 – Thunderstruck II (Microgaming)
One of Microgaming’s biggest early hits is Thunderstruck, a Norse mythology themed game that launched in 2004. They capitalized on this success by releasing Thunderstruck II in 2010. The sequel quickly gained a following due to its upgraded graphics, 243 ways to win, and multiple bonus features.
The graphics do an excellent job of bringing famed Norse gods to life. This game also offers stellar animations whenever prominent symbols form a win. 243 ways to win is a format that allows you to create payouts with symbols in adjacent reels, rather than in paylines. This was a revolutionary concept when Thunderstruck II dropped at the turn of the decade.
The bonus features revolve around each of the gods, including Valkyrie, Loki, Thor, and Odin. Each differs in terms of how many free spins and other special features they offer. Thunderstruck II may be aged when compared to the rapidly moving online slots industry. But this game remains competitive with other popular slots thanks to its solid graphics and varying bonuses.
6 – Millionaire Genie (SkillOnNet)
Millionaire Genie hit gaming sites in 2011 and continues to be a success today. This game’s 3D graphics made it stand out in the early days of its release.Millionaire Genie offers highly sophisticated cartoon graphics that make it feel like a rendition of Aladdin. The 3D genie stands off to the left side of the reels and encourages you after every win. You’ll also see a number of well-designed symbols, including a magic lamp, bag of gold, emerald w/ snake, key, book, and princess. The princess icon is especially important, because she triggers the Genie’s Palace Bonus game.
The bonus brings forth three beautiful princesses. You select two of them to reveal a multiplier and guaranteed cash prize. Millionaire Genie truly lives up to its name by offering a large progressive jackpot. This payout is typically worth over $1 million, thus providing even more incentive to try Millionaire Genie.
7 – Major Millions (Microgaming)
Major Millions is the oldest game discussed here, having launched in 2000. It was the first big hit produced by Microgaming, which has since gone on to create more online slots than any other developer. The original Major Millions was a 3-reel classic slot. But Microgaming has since modernized this game with a 5-reel, 15-payline version.
Major Millions’ jackpot is the first reason why it remains on players’ radar. This progressive prize usually ranges between $250,000 and $500,000, making it one of the industry’s bigger payouts. You trigger the jackpot by getting five Major Millions icons on the 15th payline. Many players also appreciate this game’s simplicity. Even the modernized version offers straightforward gameplay for anybody who’s well versed in 5-reel slots.
The theme is a lighthearted take on a decorated army major. Symbols include a tank, place, binoculars, war medals, war supplies, classified information, and a scatter icon. Major Millions is a basic 5-reel game at heart and won’t wow you with its graphics or features. But it’s still a fun game that offers a large progressive jackpot.
8 – Mega Fortune (NetEnt)
Mega Fortune is a 5-reel, 25-payline slot that takes you on a high-roller experience that includes yachts and luxury cars. You’ll truly become a high roller if you’re able to win the multimillion-dollar jackpot.Released in 2009, Mega Fortune was once a serious rival to Mega Moolah in terms of jackpot size. Its “Mega” prize has paid as much as €17.8 million. The Mega jackpot no longer reaches these heights. But you can still look forward to trying to win millions of dollars.
The jackpot is available in the bonus round, which is triggered by landing three or more wheel icons. This takes you to a second screen, where you spin a concentric wheel to win a credit prize or jackpot. You need to work your way into the innermost layer of the wheel to have a shot at the Mega payout.
Besides offering a massive jackpot, this slot sells its luxurious theme with extravagant symbols. These icons include a limo, champagne, money clip, sports car, cash, and diamonds. You’ll also hear a disco-style soundtrack that’s reminiscent of the old Robin Leech-hosted show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Given that many players dream of getting rich through slots, Mega Fortune’s theme has held up well over time.
9 – Shopping Spree II (RTG)
Realtime Gaming (RTG) found great success with Shopping Spree slot. This encouraged them to launched Shopping Spree II, which has become even more popular. This 5-reel, 9-payline slot lives up to its name by taking you to a luxury shopping district. The background does a perfect job of portraying the theme by featuring mannequins decked out in the finest dresses and purses.
Shopping Spree II’s symbols also support the theme. You’ll line up payouts with a Sale sign, diamond ring, shopper, high heels, necklace, purse, shopping bags, and loyalty card. The dream is to land four diamond rings and a 20x Sale sign in one payline. Doing so will award the progressive jackpot, which is often worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In addition to helping trigger the jackpot, the Sale wild symbol also acts as a multiplier. It can enhance payouts by 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, or 20x. Shopping Spree II remains playable due to its interesting features, including multipliers, a big progressive jackpot, and free spins. The shopping theme is also timeless enough to keep this game relevant.
10 – Gladiator (Playtech)
In 2000, the Ridley Scott-directed film Gladiator became a box office hit. Starring Russel Crowe, the movie revolves around General Maximus’ quest to avenge his murdered family – all while trying to stay alive in Rome’s gladiator pits. Playtech does a good job of capturing the movie’s serious-and-deadly tone through Gladiator slots. The somber music really matches the essence of a film where nobody is truly a winner.
Gladiator includes real-life depictions of each character, including Maximus (Crowe), Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), Senator Gracchus (Derek Jacobi), gladiator Juba (Dimon Housou), and trainer Proximo (Oliver Reed). This game also offers a bonus round, which is triggered by landing three or more Coliseum scatter symbols.
The bonus begins with you picking stones from the Coliseum wall to reveal your number of free spins and multiplier size. You then play the free spins with prizes you earn through the bonus’ first stage. Gladiator slots is perfect for anybody who appreciates the movie. It will gain even more publicity now that Ridley Scott is considering a sequel to his famous movie two decades later.
11 – Hall of Gods (NetEnt)
Thor and other Norse gods are usually a winning formula for a successful slot. Such is the case with Hall of Gods, which remains a classic. This 5-reel, 20-payline game revolves around the Norse gods Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freya. Each of these icons offer nice payouts when they form winning combinations.
A symbol with two ravens sitting on a gravestone triggers free spins. You’ll receive anywhere from 10 (3 symbols) to 20 free spins (5 symbols), depending upon how many icons you trigger the bonus with. Thor’s Hammer unlocks a bonus game, which is the real treat to this slot. You smash mirrors with Thor’s Hammer to match up prizes, which include credits and jackpots.
The progressive jackpots include Mini, Midi, and Mega prizes. The Mega payout is normally worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hall of Gods is yet another NetEnt game that continues to get lots of play. This is unlikely to change anytime soon when considering its big jackpot, popular theme, and fun bonus round.
Conclusion
New slots are constantly being introduced to the gaming world every month. This is exciting from the perspective that you get to try new themes and features. But sometimes it’s just nice to play the classics. The 11 slots discussed here definitely fall into the classics category, because they’ve remained popular for years.
Most of these games have one thing in common – big jackpots. This is especially true of Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, and Hall of Gods, which can all make you a multimillionaire. Other slots like Blood Suckers and Gonzo’s Quest remain relevant due to their features and theme. Gonzo’s Quest is especially notable, because it helped change the internet slots landscape with its cascading reels and 3D graphics.
Cleopatra is one game that I can’t understand the long-term buzz behind. My guess is that its nostalgic feeling and original theme (at the time) have made it a legend. In summary, you can see that online slots become legendary for various reasons. Whether you enjoy chasing huge jackpots or reliving industry changing games, you should try some of the slots discussed here.
