Introduction to Arizona James and the Lost Relics
Arizona James and the Lost Relics is a casino slot from Hacksaw Gaming, introducing another daring explorer who has a soft spot for treasures left behind by ancient civilisations. The rugged gentleman also seems to have an idol in real-world entertainment, as he adopted a nearly identical image and a name very similar to that of a famous fedora-hatted archaeologist. His first expedition takes place in an exotic area, where mummies and dangerous creatures guard the secrets of a legendary tomb. Our hero is well prepared, though, bringing along an arsenal of ammunition to blast away the despicable creatures and leave behind a trail of precious riches for you to collect. Valuable coins, sacred artefacts, and exquisite jewellery pop up wherever the shots land to transform affected positions into lucrative instant wins. Let's see how Arizona James gets on with his ambitious quest for treasures worth up to 25,000x the bet.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Arizona James and the Lost Relics is a video slot from Hacksaw Gaming with 6 reels, 5 rows, and a cluster-pays system that requires 5+ matching symbols to land horizontally and/or vertically adjacent. You can choose your stake from a range of options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.05, which makes the spins particularly affordable, up to a Max.bet of 40, ideal for high rollers seeking a bigger thrill. The math profile runs on a default RTP of 96.28%, which is in line with the industry standards and promises stable long-term returns. Several alternative variants of 94.31%, 92.30%, and 86.33% have also been released, so make sure to check the version you're playing. You can expect the return values to be evenly distributed between occasional high and more frequent low hits due to medium volatility, while the max win available on any single round is 25,000x the bet. The base hit frequency sits at the rate of 38.7%.
The expedition takes you to a jungle area, where remnants of the ancient empire rest, overgrown by thick foliage, and shrouded in mysterious silence. Our intrepid explorer stands next to the playing panel, a pistol in hand, ready to charge in and face any dangers that await inside. An inspirational, adventure soundtrack elevates the atmosphere and sets a heroic mood for the adventure ahead. The game features a highly polished, comic book-style artwork, using a palette of vivid colours that perfectly capture the lively natural environment. Thanks to the fully responsive nature of the design, you can play it on any desktop, smartphone, or tablet.
Winning combinations must contain at least 5 matching symbols forming a cluster by landing horizontally and/or vertically adjacent. The paytable hierarchy contains two groups of paying icons, with the low-paying ones represented by playing card ranks from 10 to A, all awarding 50x the bet for a set of 14 or more matching instances. High-paying symbols comprise images of a scorpion, a snake, a mummy, and two undead monsters. They bring payouts of between 75x and 200x the bet when scoring a cluster comprising at least 14 units. FS Scatters are depicted by a gold scarab, while Wilds take the form of a revolver cylinder.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Arizona James and the Lost Relics?
You can win up to 25,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Arizona James and the Lost Relics?
The features are Super Cascades, Pistol Reveals, Cursed Temple Bonus, Tomb of Gold Bonus, Gamble, The Crystal Cavern Hidden Epic Bonus, and Feature Buy.
Super Cascades
Super Cascades trigger whenever you hit a winning combination. Symbols involved in it and any matching ones elsewhere on the grid disappear, making room for new symbols to enter and potentially award more successive wins. The sequence continues until no new combinations can occur.
Pistol Reveals
Whenever a winning cluster involves a Wild, the symbol transforms into a Pistol Cylinder with between 2 and 6 shots. Once all cascading finishes, it activates and shoots random positions on the grid. Each hit spot reveals a special icon: Coin, Amulet, Sacred Relic, or Reload symbol.
Coins = award an instant prize between 1x and 500x the bet.
Reload = adds 2-6 bullets to all Pistol Cylinders.
Amulet = emerald version multiplies all Coins in adjacent squares, while the gold version multiplies all Coins on the grid by x2, x3, x4, x5, x10, or x20.
Sacred Relic = collects all values from Coins and other activated Sacred Relics, and retriggers all shot positions to reveal new outcomes.
Cursed Temple Bonus
Landing 3 FS Scatters anywhere on the grid within the same base game spin activates 10 free spins with an increased chance of landing Pistol Cylinders. Landing 2 or 3 FS Scatters awards +2 or +4 free spins.
Tomb of Gold Bonus
Hitting 4 FS Scatters throughout a single base game round activates 10 free spins with the previous mechanics maintained. Additionally, a bullet collector appears next to the grid, accumulating a bullet for every winning combination occurring during the bonus. On the last free spin, the collector releases all collected bullets, shooting random positions on the grid just like in the Pistol Reveal feature. Landing 2 or 3 FS Scatters awards +2 or +4 free spins.
Gamble
After triggering any of the first two bonuses, you have a choice to play it or gamble. If you choose to gamble, you can upgrade your round to the higher tier or receive a fixed cash prize. In the Cursed Temple variant, the maximum is 100x, while in the Tomb of Gold, it's 500x the bet.
The Crystal Caverns Hidden Epic Bonus
When you accumulate 5 FS Scatters on the grid within the same base spin, you gain access to the Hidden Epic Bonus. The round follows the mechanics of the Tomb of Gold Bonus, but charges the bullet collector with 5 shots and triggers it on every spin. The bullet collector is progressive between spins.
Feature Buy
If you don't wish to chase after specific symbol combinations in the base game, you can make use of the Buy Bonus menu, where certain functions of the game can be triggered instantly for a fixed price that scales with your current bet.
3x = Bonushunt Featurespins with a 5-times higher chance to trigger a bonus game.
75x = Into The Wild Featurespins, guaranteeing at least 2 Wilds to land.
65x = The Cursed Temple Bonus with 10 free spins.
250x = The Tomb of Gold Bonus with 10 free spins.
Final Thoughts on Arizona James and the Lost Relics
The theme and the title of this adventurous production feel like a deliberately awkward play on the popular franchise. After all, what could sound more like Indiana Jones than Arizona James? The entire setup and the game's logo only strengthen that feeling, turning the scene into a faithful copy of the whip-cracking explorer. Naturally, it's not the first time a studio has drawn inspiration from these riveting escapades, but in this case, the imitation doesn't hold back from being evident. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and it's sure to cause some of the players to chuckle at the direct similarity. From the pure audiovisual perspective, the theme presents high-quality graphics in an action comic book style, complete with a range of smooth, eye-catching animations and a different environment for every stage.
The copycat feeling is even stronger when looking at the technical setup, but in this case, the studio borrows from one of its own earlier releases. When you compare the main stats and the feature line-up, you'll quickly notice that the entire configuration is a clone of Le Cowboy, where shooting random positions on the grid makes up the core of the action. Like in most instalments of the 'Le' series, Coin, multiplier, and collector reveals are the central appeal, which gets amplified during the bonus game with an increased frequency and the bullet collector that guarantees a powerful last spin. So, if you appreciate the playstyle but would prefer a different companion on your adventure than the mischievous raccoon, this should prove to be a solid alternative.
Arizona James and the Lost Relics doesn't score high on the originality scale due to being a straight-up clone, but it offers a familiar gameplay in a more intense environment than Smokey's cartoon series.
