Dia Del Mariachi Slot Machine: Review & Demo

Mexican parties are famous, especially if we look at the slot machines which are dedicated to them. Besides all the games where the action revolves around regular fiestas, there are also the ones that are inspired by public holidays, such as Day of the Dead. We now see a holiday that’s dedicated to mariachi singers, and in slot machine form it’s going to be called Dia Del Mariachi. It’s one of the many Microgaming slots that are exclusive to them, as a creation from All41 Studios.

Dia Del Mariachi proposes a system with 6 reels, which will be able to deliver as many as 117,649 ways to win (Megaways). The system is one that’s become common for new slots in the last few years, and the reason is mainly the fact that these high volatility releases can pay very well (10,000x the stake in this game). The RTP can vary, but in this case, it has a decent upper limit of 96.42%. A lot of times, it’s the features that will make the difference in these games, and in Dia Del Mariachi we find Rolling Reels, wilds, several feature symbols with modifiers, Jackpot spins, Sombrero Spins, and free spins.

Dia Del Mariachi Betting and Prizes

With a starting point set to just $0.20 per spin, Dia Del Mariachi is going to be about as accessible as most slot machines. With bets of up to $20 also possible, it can accommodate larger budgets as well.

If you want a slot machine that can change your life with its top jackpot, then Dia Del Mariachi fits the bill. It will pay up to 10,000x the stake at the end of its best rounds, but of course, there will be downsides associated with gameplay that can deliver that much. This comes from the high volatility nature of the game, telling us that it can be risky for the average player, and most will lose in order for a few to win big.

The RTP can look pretty good, but you need to find a version of the game that’s at the maximum level of 96.42%. The range includes lower RTP values as well though.

Slot Features

The Megaways system has 6 reels to offer, and for each, there is a random decision made, for 2 to 7 symbols to land on it. This includes the extra horizontal reel, which we see at the top of reels 2-5, where certain special symbols can land.

Rolling Reels will be used as a way to remove winning combinations, bringing new ones to the reels. As part of a single spin, this can happen multiple times, provided that wins keep forming after each Roll.

Wilds do exist, but they’re somewhat limited thanks to the areas where they’re allowed to land. Only the horizontal reel at the top can get them, and from there they will act as substitutes.

You also get several feature symbols on that same horizontal reel. They can each trigger a modifier, as detailed below, but they don’t do it automatically. Instead, you need a Sombrero Spin to randomly trigger during that same spin, marking positions where special symbols are present, in order to get them to do their job. That’s a bit too much randomness for my tastes.

As for what those feature symbols will do, they are:

• Jackpot Wheel, which will spin to deliver a fixed jackpot of up to 10,000x the stake (Mega Jackpot is the highest).
• Pinata, which pays a prize of up to 10x the stake.
• Firecracker, which gives you wilds in all positions occupied by regular symbols underneath (the special symbol also transforms).
• Rocket, where the feature symbol is transformed into an extra wild, along with up to 3 others from the regular game area (last 5 reels only).

Finally, there is a possibility to get access to 10 to 14 free spins, whenever 4+ scatters appear on the reels.  The major difference is that the Sombrero Spins trigger every single round, making it much more likely to get those modifiers or to gain access to the Jackpot Wheel. If you want to play in this mode directly, you can pay 80x the stake and get yourself access to the free spins immediately.

Theme & Design

Like most Mexican-themed slots, the graphics of Dia Del Mariachi involve many of the symbols that you’d expect, and most of them have some sort of connection to musical instruments. Classical guitars, trumpets, noisemakers, and violins, are present among the premium symbols of the game, while the lesser positions deliver Royals. Additional symbols appear at the top, for the various modifiers (Pinata, Firecracker, Rocket, Wheel). Gold Bar scatters and W wilds are also used.

Conclusion

Dia Del Mariachi looks good on most counts, and while we’ve definitely seen Megaways slots pay even better, this one doesn’t do too bad. I think you’re going to appreciate its features as well, they feel different enough from those that most Megaways games deliver.