The Novomatic Katana slot is a classic, and keeps all it’s classic features when transferred to mobile casinos.
The thing about famous slot machines, is that sometimes they don’t age well.
Take Book of Ra on mobile for example, or even (dare we say it) the Book of Ra Deluxe game. Loyal fans will probably lynch us, but let’s be honest; both the theme and sounds are generic.
And so, this Katana mobile slot game suffers a little from the same syndrome, having been around for so long, that it looks like a cheap copy of itself.
Look, this is a classic Novomatic online slot; you always knew it would be risky to play.
But it has an easy flow during the base game that, strangely, doesn’t make it feel dull, even if you’re better off turning off the sounds and putting your favourite playlist on spotify.
However, be warned, the minimum bet of this 20 payline slot starts at a hefty 0.80 a spin, so if you’re looking to pay a little less than that, perhaps Prosperity Palace by Play’n GO is more your scene at 0.10 per spin.
Reflecting the training and discipline needed to wield this samurai weapon, the Katana bonus games have an elegance to them that is easy to understand.
You start with 10 free spins, where the wild now also expands to cover the whole reel. And that’s it. But it gives you amazing wins, especially if you get more than one on screen.
Add that we easily re-triggered these Katana free spins to usually play 20 or 30 rounds, and you quickly see the appeal.
Not for the faint of heart, but you can easily understand why this Greentube slot has a loyal following.
Slot type | Video Slot |
Software | Novomatic |
Slot reels / paylines | 5 Reels / 20 Paylines |
House edge / RTP | 4.98% / 95.02% |
Slot volatility | Medium/High |
Coins range | 0.04 - 5.00 |
Min/Max bet | 0.80 / 100 |
Free spins | 10 Free Spins/ Expanding Wilds |
Bonus rounds | Wilds, Scatters, Free Spins, Expanding Wilds |
Slot Themes | Adventure & Explorer |
Wild Symbol: The Samurai is the wild symbol and can be used to replace any other symbol on screen to create a win over this 20 payline video slot.
However, it cannot be used to replace a scatter.
Scatter and Free Spins: The scatter is the Katana weapon, and three will trigger 10 free spins.
Here the wilds will expand to cover the whole reels, and the reels are richer in scatters, making re-triggering these bonus games easier.
Gamble Feature: Much like every other Novomatic mobile slot Katana has a gamble feature.
So after any win, you can gamble your win and try and double it by guessing whether the next card in the pack will be a red or black suit.
Guess correctly, and you double your win, guess incorrectly and you lose your win.
Personally, we didn't come across the original land-based Katana slot, so we don't hold it dear to our heart like other 'classic' machines like IGT's Cleopatra.
However, you can't deny that there's big wins to be had here, especially during the free spin where you get those expanding wilds.
Sometimes, there's something about these characteristic 'Vegas' games that simply make you want to spin.
And generally, it's called winning; if you don't do it fast enough, you'll quickly move on to something prettier.
Review by Lucky Mobile Slots, last updated: March 25, 2021 - Rating