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Ranking the 5 Best Vintage Pokies of All Time

With innovations like 3D slots, VR slots and more, it’s hard to believe the history of online slots goes back to the 90s.

While the 90s slots were fairly limited compared to today’s games, they were innovative in their own way. These early slots paved the road for the current generation of slots by introducing people the concept of casino pokies online. These slots were so popular that many games from the 2000s and 2010 have sought to mimic their appearance.

Some of these games were on the cutting-edge in terms of storylines, bonus features, and technologies of the time. Many vintage games are still available at online casinos today but even those that aren’t are still worth remembering. So, without further ado, let’s take a trip down memory lane to the five best vintage themed slots from the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s.

1. Mega Fortune

Progressive slots were huge business in the early days of online casinos and NetEnt’s Mega Fortune was perhaps the biggest of the lot. This 5-reel, 25-payline game takes players into a life of wealth and riches, with symbols such as private yachts and limousines. It features scatter wins, free spins, wild substitutions, and a triple jackpot bonus game. It delivered one of the biggest jackpots ever in September 2012 when a Norwegian student won €11.7 million.

2. Mega Moolah

Before there was Mega Fortune, there was Microgaming’s Mega Moolah – the father of all online progressive jackpot slots. The theme is the African Savannah, where there are plenty of wild African animals around just waiting to be spotted. This game includes free spins, scatters, wild rewards, and a randomly triggered jackpot bonus game. This is the game that keeps on giving: by 2019, the Mega Moolah jackpot had triggered six times, paying out the equivalent of more than US$60 million.

3. Gonzo’s Quest

Moving away from progressive jackpots, perhaps the most popular early video slot was Gonzo’s Quest, a NetEnt game based on a maverick Spanish explorer in search of Eldorado. Gonzo’s Quest has a place in history as the first game to replace the traditional reel spin. In this game, the spin made way for an Avalanche feature with symbols cascading down the screen like falling rocks. When a winning bet line is formed, symbols crumble to dust and the gaps are filled with more falling symbols.

4. Starburst

Another vintage slot that remains popular today is Starburst, one of the early online slots based on the old fruit slots of the 70s and 80s. Like the popular Candy Crush game for mobile players, the secret to this slot’s success is its simplicity. This 5-reel, 3-row video slot contains many exciting features including “Win Both Ways” and the expanding “Starburst Wild”. Although it was actually released in 2012, this game harks back to the 80s with arcade-like effects following wins, flashing texts, and electric sounds.

5. Jack and the Beanstalk

While we’re on the topic of vintage themed slots, what’s more vintage than Jack and the Beanstalk – a slot based on the classic fairy tale that’s been passed down the generations. This game looks so vintage, it’s hard to believe it’s actually a 3D slot released in 2011. That’s right, it combines the latest technologies with a real classic theme. Another one from NetEnt, this game begins with five reels and 20 paylines. The fairytale involves giants and that’s exactly what players get in terms of features, including: win presentations, re-spins, walking wilds, free spins, and a bonus treasure collection game.