Mule Britannia Pokies
Set in the English holiday resort of Blackpool, Mule Britannia is a 3-reel, single payline pokie from Microgaming that comes packed with features like nudges, holds, a gamble feature and a bonus trail that leads to a side game.
Pictures of donkeys, seagulls, sandcastles and deckchairs give it a traditional British seaside atmosphere, which will remind many of the holidays they took when they were young, while it will also appeal to anyone who likes fun cartoon style games.
Microgaming have lots of games in their range that work in similar ways and rather than start from the ground up, they have simply transposed much of the software and features onto a new design, which isn’t really a bad thing, as players tend to pick their games based largely on how they look.
Luckily, this one looks good, with an appealing, if somewhat busy-looking layout which sees the 3 reels taking centre stage, surrounded by the nudge game indicators to one side and a bonus trail of numbers on a series of balloons to the other side.
Below this is a payout schedule that lists how much is won with each symbol, and right at the bottom is the standard control panel that Microgaming tend to use across many of their games. The buttons are used to set the amount staked per spin, with players able to adjust the amount from 0.10 to 10.00, which may seem pretty low, but is quite normal for this format of pokie.
The symbols form winning combinations when lines of identical ones come to a stop across the payline that runs through the centre of the reels, with the regular cherry symbol being the least valuable, paying 1x the bet amount when it lands across it. Next up the lemons are worth 4x and the oranges pay 8x, as do the ice cream cones, which are the first of the theme-related symbols to appear on the payout table.
Next up is the Blackpool rock sweet, which pays 10x, the sandcastle is valued at 20x and the seagull at 50x. There’s a big jump next, with the bucket and spade symbol paying 250x the bet when it lands across the line and then the donkeys pay the jackpot of 1000x the amount bet per spin.
Mule Britannia
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Some symbols that land on the reels will have numbers next to them, and each time one of them lands it will light up the corresponding balloon on the bonus trail. Once all 7 have been lit, players enter the bonus game which takes place on a second screen.
Here we see the mule dressed as Britannia and she’s overseeing a couple of ice cream cones that have several levels of prizes on them. Players need to gamble Hi or Lo to move up the ladder which has levels like Saddle Up, Mule Be Lucky and Nice Ass, earning multipliers of up to 1000x their stake as well as extra nudges until they get a gamble wrong and are paid out their win so far.
The nudges are also theirs to enjoy, so they can move reels up or down to try and line up winning combinations, while these can be gambled or held over for the next spin. Nudges can also be randomly awarded in the base game, as can holds, where players keep a reel in place and spin the others for a second shot at a win.
There’s also a Super Hold feature where the reels turn slowly, allowing players more time to stop them in the right places.
The Verdict
Mule Britannia has an unusual, but fun theme that should appeal far beyond the shores of the UK. It’s combination of cartoon images and rewarding bonus features will attract a wide audience, while the simple gameplay in the base game, and the need for a bit of skill in the Hi/Lo bonus round should make it suitable for players who like to challenge themselves now and then.