Super Waldo Demo (Croco Gaming) Slot Demo & Review

Game Overview

Slot provider Croco Gaming, released, we feel, one of the most controversial slots in history: Super Waldo. It may not be controversial for the reasons you’re thinking of, but we can’t help but feel Nintendo’s lawyers will be having a very close look at this game. So, if Mario and 8-bit graphics are your thing, read on to learn all about this totally, 100% unique and original video slot!

Theme & Design

With just eight published live video slots to their name, it certainly wouldn’t be unusual for a software provider like Croco Gaming to push the boundaries with their next release. Something controversial… like Nolimit City has done… But no; instead, they decide to go up against one of the biggest entertainment companies on planet Earth (Nintendo) and blatantly rip off Super Mario.

You don’t even need to be a Mario fan to know; the second you load up the game, it’s just almost identical. The main character, Mario, even looks the same! The reels themselves sit within Mario’s classic universe, with the signature spinning gold coins and mystery “? ” boxed above the reels. There’s even the Hungry Plant at the top of the screen; it literally can’t get more blatant than this.

What’s surprising, is that while we’ve seen plenty of video slots clearly inspired by Mario, or Nintendo releases – think Reel Rush 2, from NetEnt, and Flame Busters, from Thunderkick – most software providers have chosen to keep some distance. Croco Gaming have, we feel, taken a huge risk here; we really wouldn’t be surprised to see Nintendo attempt to sue them into oblivion; the similarities really are that blatant. Still, it looks solid, but it’s just a risky move in our opinion.

Super Waldo Gameplay & Bonus Features

Super Waldo is designed around a five-reel, three-row layout, and there are 20 fixed paylines in play at all times. The game offers an RTP of 96.99%, and you can bet between €0.20 and €100 per spin.

The entire slot is basically built around an innovative range of mechanics, and above the reels you’ll see a moving row of bricks which contain either Simple or Mystery bricks. These change with each spin, and when a Waldo Wild lands directly beneath a Brick, Waldo leaps up and smashes it open to reveal one of several possible prizes. Simple Bricks can hide Gold Coins, Golden Bricks, or, if you’re unlucky, nothing at all!

Gold Coins award instant prizes worth between 1x and 10x your bet, while Golden Bricks trigger the Wheel of Fortune, a 12-sector wheel that continues spinning until it lands on a disabled section. This wheel can award prizes worth between 2x and 500x.

Mystery Bricks, on the other hand, are a bit more unpredictable. They can reveal Gold Coins worth 2x to 20x, Power-Up Mushrooms, or the rare Golden Pipe. Power-Up Mushrooms award you a re-spin, where the Hungry Plant feature always activates, adding 2 to 5 Egg Wilds onto random reel positions. Bricks already triggered during that re-spin can’t activate again, however.

The Golden Pipe is the key to triggering the Secret Level Bonus. Once triggered, you receive 3 “Refilling Spins”, during which all Bricks hold Gold Coins worth between 2x and 200x. The bonus round continues until you hit three consecutive spins without activating any new bricks.

Finally, there’s the 8-Bit Castle Bonus Game, triggered by landing 3 or more Pipe scatter symbols. Depending on how many you land, you’ll start with 10, 12, or 15 free spins, and in this bonus round, Bricks stop moving altogether, remaining fixed for the duration of the bonus and capable of being triggered multiple times. 

Now, interestingly, Reels 2 and 4 always contain Mystery Bricks, while 1, 3, and 5 hold Regular Bricks, and each is guaranteed to reveal at least some kind of award! During this feature, the Power-Up Mushroom is also upgraded into a Golden version that awards re-spins until a winning spin occurs.

Bonus Buy

If you live in a region where bonus buys are allowed, Super Waldo also offers up a couple of Bonus Buy/Feature Spins options. For 3x, you can activate the Bonus Boost, which makes landing the bonus round naturally 5x more likely. For 20x, you can activate Waldo Spins, which sees a guaranteed Waldo Wild on each spin.

The 8 Bit Castle and Secret Level bonus rounds can also both be purchased for a cost of 100x and 200x respectively.