Genies Gems
The wombat says: Let’s take a trip out to the Arabian desert Wombat Fans. The romance of the Middle East, the excitement of the Arabian Nights or the riches of Ali Baba’s cave -they are all up for grabs here in Microgaming release Genie’s Gems.
Oh, and there’s also a bit of genie magic thrown in for good measure, too. So let’s rub the lamp and see which delights (if any) this generous genie will bestow on us…
Look and Feel
The graphics are pleasant enough, and an Arabian-style melody plays over the top whenever you hit a winning combo, but there are no 3D graphics or cool animations (check out later games like the Dragon Dance slot machine for more of these) which makes us very sad-faced wombats indeed.
Game Play
Genie’s Gems slot has 5 reels, 3 rows and just 5 paylines. As this is one of Microgaming’s older games, this makes sense (well, the Cool Buck slot is even older- or should we say more classic- and that has 3 reels. It’s still popular though). .
Your symbols on the reels are made up of 5 icons and they are all related to the Arabian Nights theme, they include; and the golden domes of an elegant building, a flying carpet, the famous bejewelled lamp, a giant blue diamond and the genie himself. Add to this your lower value symbols mad up of the standard playing cards 10, J, Q and K, and you are ready to spin.
The Genie icon is the game’s top payer, awarding a 10,000-coin jackpot if you hit 5x of them across the reels, with the bling bling Diamond symbols paying next best at 5,000 coins. When it comes to Bonus icons, however – forget it. The simplicity of this game is outlined by the absence of any wild symbols or bonus features so this is a slot where spinning the reels is what it’s all about. The game is as bright as the Germinator slot though- we can’t fault the designers for vibrancy.
This is a high variance slot meaning that payouts are likely to be rarer but higher; the highest payout available is worth 10000x your bet and can scoop this Middle Eastern delight by landing 5x of the genie symbols on an active line.
It is also possible to win with just 2 symbols on a payline but only with the 10 & J.
Conclusion
Sadly Wombat fans, the only gems on offer in this Microgaming slot are the ones that the genie will give up if you manage to release him from this bottle. Genie’s Gems is a dated game, and without Wilds or Scatters it’s the equivalent of a slot dinosaur. If you’re looking for something very simple or you like playing retro slots, then this might be your thing. Otherwise move on to something better, like a trip to the panto…