Love Boat

All aboard for the Love Boat! Developers know they’re onto a winner when it comes to turning the clock back to the good ol’ days of the past, and Playtech’s Love Boat slot falls straight into the nostalgia category. This is one of those feel good games like Well of Wonders: 1,2,3- ahhhhhhh!

If, like me, you’re not familiar with the American TV show of the same name, allow me to fill you in.

Love Boat took the US by storm back in the day, with a drama set on, you guessed it, a boat – or to be more accurate – a cruise ship, where the passengers and crew are caught up in funny and romantic stories. You know you’re in for a fun-filled voyage from the outset.

The vintage theming helps to set your game play strictly in the fun category, but this is a game that has some fun extras to offer too, with a Match-up Bonus, Love Doctor free games, and that old favourite a Jackpot. Compared to Playtech’s older games like the Cowboys and Aliens slot, the graphics are pretty whizzy!

The reels are set against the ultimate of settings, the deck of your very own Love Boat with sun loungers and the rail of your ocean going vessel before you. The graphics are authentically retro with an enjoyably simple look.

The tone of the game is set to strictly tongue in cheek with the soundtrack taking you back to those cheesy tones and snippets of real dialogue of this TV gold!

Game play

Love Boat is a five reel, 3 row, 25 payline slot.

The only thing that ages the game at first glance is the out of mode look of those 1970’s dudes and chicks, but the game itself looks crisp and well-laid out and the music is even chirpier than the Ted Slot, and that’s going some.

You can’t help but chuckle when you see the high value icons of the game, a selection of photos the TV show’s actors as their crew characters, complete with highly-questionable hair styles straight out of the 1970’s and 80’s! Prepare to have some laughs while you spin the reels. The lower value icons are the dated outlines of loved up sailors everywhere- two intertwined glasses, a heart, two different life rings, and a clipboard with the mandatory heart!

Love Boat’s Wild is the icon of the red ship at sail, the Scatter is the Love Boat icon and the Bonus symbol is the speed control to set the ship to full steam ahead!

Matchup Bonus

All you gotta do to get cracking on the Matchup Bonus is to hook the speed control icon onto reels 1, 3, and 5- then you’re in the Bonus mode. This is just the start of the silly fun!

Here you move to a new screen where the outlines of men and women are found, if you choose one from each side of the room of people, each person comes with a cash value. Now you can act as the matchmaker! You are awarded a multiplier dependant on the compatibility of your couple. If you get Let’s Be Friends you get a 1x multiplier, You’re Smoking Hot get you a 3x multiplier and It’s My One True Love gets you an appealing 5x! Now the economics of love are looking up!

If you love a free game- who doesn’t, then the Love Doctor free games may be a winner for you? Just get the Love Boat icon to land and you’ll be in the offing for a generous 10 free games. In this mode the boat’s doctor has a love-o-meter up the side of the reels. Depending on how many of the doctor’s faces you land on the reels, you are able to access different features which last for the rest of the of the spins. These features start with freezing Wilds and then progressing onto more free spins, freezing Wilds, more free spins and finally free spins with a multiplier.

This game has a nice little bonus in the form of a Jackpot to fall in love with too. If you get a jackpot ticket turning up on reel 5 during the base game then you’re entered into a weekly draw (you’re entered each time you get that icon) which has a very healthy E10,000 pot to win!

Conclusion:

What’s not to love? Love Boat is a barrel of laughs. I loved the silly soundtrack and dated moments of dialogue. The game has enough features to keep me mind firmly on spinning the reels and the prospect of being entered in a huge Jackpot really floated my boat!