In 2011, the Gonzo’s Quest slot machine appeared at the NetEnt casino, which changed the idea of slots. Now, 8 years later, it is still mega popular and can be found on almost any gambling site.
This is such a famous and popular slot that you can literally open any NetEnt casino and play it for free and without registration. It is also available in test mode on our website. Use the link below to play for free right on our site.
At the time the slot was launched, there was no such thing as disappearing winning symbols. It was only with the release of Gonzo's machine that players became aware of it, and the feature became known as Avalanche. Later, many other developers copied this feature and a huge number of slots with similar mechanics appeared. Now they are called slot machines with cascading reels.
Why was the idea of cascading reels that Gonzo's slot machine came up with so popular? The fact is that the symbols of winning combinations disappear and others fall in their place from above. So a lot of winnings can fall out in a row, despite the fact that it is free for the player, because he does not need to make a bet.
This simple yet ingenious idea upended the lingering notion that reels should spin. Until that moment, there were only ribbons of symbols that went from top to bottom. The developer proposed an alternative in the form of falling symbols, and this was a huge breakthrough.
In the future, NetEnt came up with another innovative mechanic - spiral reels, but it did not become so popular. It was presented in the Finn and the Swirly Spin slot, which is unique in that the symbols do not spin on the reels, but go in a continuous ribbon, twisting towards the center.
In addition to being an innovative slot machine for its time, Gonzo is also very entertaining. It has great graphics, a funny character that is active during the game, and some lucrative bonus features. For example, when the Avalanche feature is activated, players get multipliers. In the main game, these are multipliers from x1 to x5. During Free Falls free spins, from x3 to x15.
A couple of years ago, NetEnt started developing a Gonzo machine in virtual reality. They even took prototypes to exhibitions. However, with the change of the chief director, the developer abandoned this project. This was done in order to reduce unnecessary costs and direct resources to increase volumes.
