To me, there’s only one Gonzo — the weird, bluish-purple guy from The Muppet Show.
Of course, to online slot players the world over, there is a second Gonzo — the dude who is on his Indiana Jones-like quest to collect treasure. First released in 2011, two years before there were even any legal online casinos in New Jersey, the original Gonzo’s Quest featured a dude on a quest.
Duh.
But dig this: Per Wikipedia, Gonzo is based on the 16th century Peruvian conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro, whose brother Francisco conquered the Inca Empire. So that’s … well, kind of messed up. But we’re not here to litigate history. We’re here to try and win some money.
Enter Gonzo’s Quest Megaways on FanDuel’s NJ casino, a mashup of the popular game with the popular style of play from Red Tiger. Released in the summer of 2020 — and as a result of NetEnt’s purchase of Red Tiger — the game pits Gonzo against the avalanche once again, but this time with 117,649 megaways to win.
Let’s do a little conquering, shall we?
The game has a relatively puny RTP of 94.66%, and the max multiplier on any one spin is 20,972.4. Spins can be had for as little as a dime and as much as $20.
There are seven reels, and getting the same symbol across three — or up to all seven — yields victory. And due to the nature of the game, you’re not done yet, as the winning symbols get out of dodge and are replaced in an “avalanche” of new symbols.
The first victory is a 1x multiplier. Win on the first avalanche and the multiplier becomes 2x, then 3x, and then 5x with each successive victory.
You can win nine free spins by collecting three or more “free fall” symbols. During the free spins — called “free fall” — the multipliers increase to 3x, 6x, 9x, and 15x.
There are wild symbols, and they lock in place during both the regular and free spins rounds. Additionally, there is a random “earthquake” feature that shakes out all the low-paying symbols and replaces them with high-paying symbols.
It’s a good-looking game, that’s for sure, with cool graphics. Gonzo himself is there, every so often running out to scream what sounds like “Ga-shaw!” and to pick up a gold coin. Cute little fella, this conquistador.
One item that’s interesting is the symbols — Shakespeare himself couldn’t describe them. They’re like rocks with faces, or something. The one with the bright orange earrings? That’s the big kahuna, if you will.
Well, you’re going to lose often. The game is set up to pay out big every once in a while, either due to the free spins or, more likely, to getting to the 5x multiplier and hitting it numerous times.
Alas, in my 120+ spins, I didn’t get any bonuses, free spins, earthquakes, or the like. Playing at a dime a spin, I lost a little over $8, but I was entertained while doing so, and that counts for something.
Overall, it’s a fun mashup of a most popular title with a most popular method of gameplay. Gonzo’s Quest Megaways is a winner.