Ned and His Friends by Betsoft – Slot Machine Review
Ned and his Friends is not quite the innocent slot machine that it makes itself sound like, as it involves a very unusual theme which has the main character in an apartment that’s infested by rats. Those are the friends that the game refers to, so naturally this Betsoft slot machine, though well designed, is not guaranteed to be enjoyable for everyone.
As one of the Slots3 titles available from this developer, it shares a number of similarities to the other games, such as the layout which in this case offers 5 reels and 30 active lines. Playing this game will give you access to features such as Singing Rats Free Spins, Rat Tail Click Me or Ratty Rat Doo-Wop. The top paying combo will give the player $2,500 at most.
Betting
As per the usual strategy that Betsoft employs in these games, you may select the number of lines, how many coins will go to each one, as well as the coin value. You get 1 to 30 lines, each one getting up to 5 coins if they’re activated. The coin value is going only from $0.01 to $1, so you’re given a full betting range of $0.01 to $150. It should be sufficient for most players.
Ned and Friends Jackpot
The jackpot is going to come via 5-symbol combinations involving Ned, the main character. His payout is at 500x the line bet, meaning that it can offer $2,500 at most. Given the 30 lines involved, the game’s maximum potential is $75,000 for a single round. The amount you’re getting here is not exactly awe inspiring, it’s one area where the developer could’ve done better.
The same feeling, that the game’s payouts don’t match the graphics in appeal, will be there when you find out what the RTP is. They’ve calculated it at 92.15% long-term, which is low enough that this becomes a game to avoid. As it seems to be the case with all Slots3 titles, this one also pays well below the average, and that would explain why Betsoft stopped releasing games with cinematic-style experiences baked in.
Special Features
Don’t go looking for the usual wild symbols, this game doesn’t use them, but it does have several others that can be triggered as you play.
Singing Rats Free Spins
With the scattered symbols with the Group of Rats anywhere in 3+ positions, the game gives you the free spins mode. The rats will be dancing all the while, as you get through the free spins and try to re-trigger this feature.
Rat Tail Click Me
The Rat’s Tail is another symbol that you will want appearing 3 or more times, as gross as that sounds. As scatter symbols, they get you into a Click Me type feature. All you have to do is pick one of the rat tails, to get an instant cash prize.
Ratty Rat Doo-Wop
The Girl symbols are clearly the most appealing of this slot machine, and once again we have scatters here. The bonus game triggers when she’s in 3+ scattered locations. The Girl passes out when she sees the rats, so you have to pick one of the creatures to sing a tune for her, to wake her up. Obviously, you get a prize out of this. Once the girl wakes up, the feature ends with the rats scurrying away.
Design
\If there is one thing you can count on getting from a Slots3 game is awesome graphics and cut-scenes aplenty. You get the story of a guy that has a group of rats for companions, and he’s hiding them from his girlfriend. These are dancing and singing rats, which you see perform along the way.
Seven regular symbols are present, one of which is with Ned, one with the door, and the other five with the different rats. Feature symbols include Ned’s Girlfriend, the Group of Rats and the Rat Tail.
Summary
Ned and Friends is a typical game for Betsoft and its Slots3 series. It looks awesome, has a story to tell and it can be highly enjoyable, but at the same time it offers an abysmal RTP and overall it just feels like a rip-off in the long-run.
