Get out your virtual skis and head to the slopes in Wild Rescue, a winter sports-themed video slot powered by Novomatic. It’s a 5 reel, 30 payline game that comes with tumbling reel re-spins with added wilds as well as a free spins feature. Available to play across multiple devices, stakes range from between 30p and £60 per spin.
We’re not always complimentary about the design of video slots from Novomatic but Wild Rescue is 1 of the Austrian developer’s better efforts – a snowy mountain scene forms the backdrop to the reels which include the usual assortment of lower value playing cards.
More lucrative are the skiers, snowboarders and the members of the mountain rescue team. The male rescuer is the most lucrative standard symbol as a 5-of-a-kind combination awards 1,000 coins.
Following a winning spin, you will trigger the Tumble feature – the successful symbols are smashed from the reels and replaced by the ones directly above. A new payout consideration is then made with the new symbols in place. The tumbles continue as long as a new winning combo is created. There aren’t any wilds in the base game – the ranger symbol does become wild during the tumbles though.
3 successful tumbles in a row and the you’ll trigger the Avalanche feature – between 2 and 15 wilds are dropped onto the reels here. A new payout is then made with the avalanche wilds in place. These can combine with the ranger wild to great effect.
Land the bonus symbol (the helicopter) on the odd numbered reels (1, 3 and 5) on the same spin and you’ll trigger the Extreme Skier Free Spins Bonus feature. Watch out here for the 6 wild skiers who drop down the screen on each free spin.
When they reach the bottom, they’ll either drop off the screen or be rescued by a chopper and sent to the top again for another run. The free spins continue until all of your skiers have made it to the bottom or you’ve had 50 free spins. The tumbling reels are in play during this feature to further boost your winning chances.
Extreme skiing can be a dangerous business and the same could be said for your bankroll in Wild Rescue. This is an extremely volatile offering – expect plenty of times when your funds will drop off a cliff. You can win a huge chunk of change on a single spin though. Expect big peaks and deep troughs here.
If you can cope with the big swings, there’s plenty to like in Wild Rescue. The cartoon visuals are nicely done (by Novomatic standards) and there’s plenty of explosive action on offer. Get lucky with the features and the skiers in Wild Rescue could help you slalom away with some winter riches. If you like Novomatic games, there’s plenty to choose from with Kingdom of Legend and River Queen worth trying.
