Introduction to G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a casino slot from Red Tiger Gaming based on the action figure franchise G.I. Joe. The toys were released in 1964, and later, Hasbro’s G.I. Joe world expanded into comics, cartoons, and movies. The main characters in these stories are members of an elite team that fights the evil terrorist organization Cobra. In this slot, you meet Scarlett, the crossbow-wielding intelligence expert, and Destro, the arms dealer in the shiny metal mask. You will also see Snake Eyes, the silent ninja commando, and Cobra Commander, who leads the bad guys. Duke, the cool-headed field commander of the Joes, who is also portrayed on the game’s logo, stands in as a valuable Wild Symbol. The slot is built around Expanding Wild Symbols, Cash Symbols with Mini to Mega prizes, a Hold & Respin round, and Free Spins with giant Mega Wilds and Mega Cash Symbols.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
G.I. Joe is a video slot from Red Tiger Gaming that is played on 5 reels and 3 rows with 20 paylines. Bets start at a Min.bet of 0.1 and go up to a Max.bet of 20. The RTP is 95.84%, which is a touch below what many slots offer, and the volatility is high (extreme). The hit frequency is 30.29%, meaning roughly one spin in three pays something, and the max win is 10,621x the bet.
G.I. Joe takes place in a dusty orange desert with a winding dirt track and rocky hills behind the reels. The graphics have a cartoonish touch, and the characters on the reels look just like in older cartoon books. The reels have a shiny metal frame, and above them is a display of the jackpot prizes next to the G.I. logo. To score a win, you need to land 3 or more matching symbols on one of the paylines, starting on the leftmost reel. This retro-looking cartoon game is available on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers.
The lower-paying symbols in G.I. Joe are 10, J, Q, K, and A. They pay between 2x and 3x the bet for five-of-a-kind. The higher-paying symbols are Scarlett, Destro, Snake Eyes, and Cobra Commander, and they pay between 4x and 15x the bet for five-of-a-kind. Duke is the Wild Symbol. He substitutes for all the regular paying symbols and is also the best-paying symbol on his own, handing out 50x the bet for five in a row. On top of that, you have the Scatter Symbol, which triggers the Free Spins, and the Cash Symbols, which hold the prizes for the bonus round.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot G.I. Joe?
You can win up to 10,621x the bet.
What features are available in the slot G.I. Joe?
The features are Expanding Wild Symbols, Hold & Respin, Free Spins, and Feature Buy.
Expanding Wild Symbols
Duke can land on all five reels, and when he does, he expands to cover the whole reel. He will substitute for every paying symbol but not the Scatter symbol, and he counts as whatever symbol makes the longest winning combination on a payline.
Hold & Respin
You trigger the Hold & Respin feature by landing 6 or more Cash Symbols anywhere on the reels. All the Cash Symbols are held in place and you start off with 3 respins. Each position on the grid becomes its own little reel, and only Cash Symbols or blanks can land.
Cash Symbols can land on any reel as a cash prize or a bonus prize. The cash prizes are between 1x and 15x. The bonus prizes are Mini (20x), Minor (100x), Major (500x) and Mega (10,000x).
Every time a new Cash Symbol lands, the respin counter goes back to 3. The round ends when you've used up your respins, or the grid is full. At that point, the total value of all the Cash Symbols that have landed is added to your balance.
Free Spins
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Scatter Symbols anywhere on the reels gives you 10 Free Spins. During the bonus, landing 3 Scatter Symbols gives you an additional 10 spins. Any Wild on the middle reels becomes a 3x3 Mega Wild. If 2 or 3 Wilds land on the middle reels, they will become an x2 or x3 Mega Wild, respectively, with a multiplier that applies to all paylines that the Wild is on. Cash Symbols on the middle reels also get the treatment and become a 3x3 Mega Cash Symbol worth 9x the value of the original.
If multiple Cash Symbols land, they are added together first, and then the total is x9. The Mega Cash Symbol is held and will trigger a Hold & Respin. Any Free Spins you have left will be played after the Hold & Respin.
Feature Buy
You can purchase the Free Spins for 40x the bet and the Hold & Respin feature for 50x the bet.
Final Thoughts on G.I. Joe
This game is full of nostalgia, and anyone who grew up with the cartoons and collected the action figures will probably have a nice trip down memory lane while spinning the reels. The most popular characters, such as Duke, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes, take up the hunt for Cobra Commander. The graphics are pretty simple, but the retro feel is strong.
However, there’s a plot twist. This slot is a re-skin of Cash Goddess, so there’s nothing new considering the features and mechanics. In fact, all features, the RTP, the max win, and the volatility are identical to Cash Goddess. The only difference is that the divine Aztec character has been replaced by Duke. It’s still a pretty entertaining game, but we have to conclude that the mission of bringing something new to the table isn’t accomplished.
The Hold & Respin round is a good one, but it can take quite a while to land 6 on the same spin, and we ended up waiting for the feature to trigger longer than we waited for the cartoon reruns as kids. The Free Spins are also fun, and the Mega Cash Symbol multiplied by nine feels like calling in an air strike.
G.I. Joe from Red Tiger Gaming is a nicely dressed but pretty average slot. Its biggest advantage is the cartoon universe that will attract a good number of nostalgic players.
