Diamond Cherries

Classic slots are a really important part of the history that led up to video slots becoming the norm in the online casino world. With that having been said, they still have their place (especially when modernized with extra features), and they can offer a really good experience. With the Diamond Cherries slot by Rival Gaming, you'll have a chance to experience classic slot action while getting some extra features that are typically only reserved for five-reel video slots. Overall, this game brings all of the action that video slot fans will love while the game itself uses an older style.

Game Layout and Format

From the first moment that you load up this game, you'll know right away that it's of an older style because you'll see the reels, controls and pay table all on the same screen. There are three reels with a single payline across the center, and this payline is marked with a red line for visual clarity. Symbols can miss the line, as in the case in many three-reel games, but as you'll see, this isn't such a big deal for making wins. Coins range from $0.01 to $10 apiece, and you'll need to play with three coins (via the bet max button) at all times to get the most value possible, so your practical betting range starts at a super-low $0.03 per spin and goes up to $30 for each play.

Bet Size Selection

It's extremely important that you exercise intelligent bet size selection when you play this slot (and others like these). With this game in particular, you need to always be playing with three coins. A failure to do so, regardless of your coin size, will result in a much lower average payout rate. For example, playing with three coins at $0.01 apiece will give you a better payout rate as a percentage of your bet than playing with a single coin at the $0.50 level. The reason for this is that the top jackpot is scaled differently so that playing with three coins gives you a higher jackpot proportionately than playing with one or two.

Symbols and Payouts

In terms of gameplay, there are two symbols that drive things along more than others. Rival Gaming (read more) has created a situation where the action comes from the diamond symbol and the Diamond Cherries logo. The diamond is a scatter symbol that pays out for one or more anywhere on the reels. One pays 3x, two pays 9x and three pays a whooping 300x, which is the second-highest payout in the game.

Additionally, there is the Diamond Cherries logo symbol which acts as a wild. One gives a 2x multiplier to a winning combination, and two gives a 4x multiplier, but it doesn't act in place of the scatters. Three of a kind in this symbol pays a whooping 2,500x, which is the top payout in the slot.

The red lucky sevens pay out 150x for three of a kind. Other than that, there are three different bar symbols: the blue single bar, the purple double bar and the red triple bar. You'll earn 45x, 90x and 120x for three of a kind in those symbols, respectively. Additionally, a payout that smooths out the volatility a bit is the 12x payout for three of any of the bars mixed up. It's a cool way to add extra value by giving payouts for wins that don't really come up as three of a kind, and that's something that players really appreciate because of how it affects their experience.

Overview

The bottom line with this game is that classic slots can be a lot of fun for today's players if they have good features. In the case of Diamond Cherries, there are scatters and wild symbols with multipliers, and even though there's not an extra bonus feature, the speed and action of the normal gameplay is pretty substantial. Along these lines, we recommend that players who would reject this game just because it has three reels actually give it a try because there's a good chance that they'll end up liking it a lot more than they expected. Overall, this isn't like the classic-style games of a decade or two ago, and it has all of the action you'd expect from a solid five-reel title.