The Nutcracker (iSoftBet) Demo Slot - Review for Canadians, Demo Play & Payout Info

The Nutcracker story

It's not very often that you'll find a slot inspired by a ballet. But then, the Nutcracker can hardly be called an ordinary ballet. First performed a week before Christmas in 1892, it follows a children's tale of traditional Christmas magic. On Christmas Eve, a young girl named Clara creeps downstairs to play with her favourite new toy, a Nutcracker doll. While she is playing, she witnesses the house being invaded by mice, led by the evil Mouse King. The doll magically comes alive, as does an army of toy soldiers. He leads the toy soldiers into battle, and Clara helps them defeat the mice. The Nutcracker doll is then transformed into a handsome prince, who takes Clara to the magical Land of the Sweets, where she meets the Sugar Plum Fairy. But, was it all a dream...?

The Nutcracker origins

It's no surprise that The Nutcracker works so well as an inspiration for a slot, and the reasons for iSoftbet's choice are easy to see. The ballet is a spectacle that has a universal appeal to adults and children alike, and for many, it has been the first introduction to any kind of live artistic performance. Full of special effects, one of which is a magically growing Christmas tree, it was designed and written to wow family audiences. Since the 1930s, it has become a firm favourite across the world, and particularly in America. But it wasn't always that way.

Already successful with the ballets 'Swan Lake' and 'Sleeping Beauty', Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, who had been commissioned to write the music, was always a little dubious about the choice of the story. Written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffman, the original tale 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King' needed heavy adaptations to work as a ballet, including cutting out an entire plot line and changing some of the characters. Its premiere in St. Petersburg in 1892 was panned by the press. Newspaper reviews of the day called it a failed experiment with no story, a collection of scenes reminiscent of pantomime, and one review said that it couldn't even be called a ballet!

Used to viewing ballet as a form of fine art, the critics just weren't ready for the joyful extravaganza which included children in the cast, outlandish costumes and theatrical illusions. It's ironic then, that the Sugar Plum Fairy, who never even featured in the original tale, went on to become arguably the most famous character in the ballet, and has a special role in iSoftbet’s Nutcracker slot.

The Nutcracker graphics

It's a credit to iSoftbet, therefore, that the company has taken a classic work like this, and through its graphics and sound, managed to capture the mood of traditional Christmas magic through the elements of the story. The slot incorporates a background of a snow-covered European townscape, complete with twinkling Christmas lights. The scene is framed by the star-studded curtains of a theatrical stage, acknowledging its links with the live performance. The 5 reels are edged with glinting gold, and gold playing card symbols nestle on a rich, red velvet background. The main characters of the story are all there in their animated glory - Clara hugs her Nutcracker toy close in one symbol, while the evil Mouse King glowers from another. They are accompanied by symbols depicting traditional 19th century toys - a teddy bear with a red ribbon tie, and a toy train. The animations add to the atmosphere - the Sugar Plum Fairy winks and flutters her wings, and faint puffs of steam can be seen coming from the toy train.

The Nutcracker sound

The music from the ballet is instantly recognisable. It's been used in all sorts of media, most famously in Disney's Fantasia (1940), the Simpsons' Nutcracker song and even in a 1970s Cadbury's ad campaign for Fruit and Nut.

Although the soundtrack of the online slot is original, it's still highly reminiscent of some of the music from the ballet itself, and so it has a warm familiarity about it. The base game's background music gives a distinct nod to the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy', and there are orchestral flourishes accompanying some of the bigger wins. When you get to the bonus games, you'll be treated to some rich, orchestral style music influenced by the ballet's March theme and more. All the while, the faint sound of sleigh bells can be heard in the distance - that festive feeling pervades this slot.

The Nutcracker bonus features

This is a slot with a straightforward, 5 reel, 20 payline game. There are chances to win two types of free spins bonus. One bonus is triggered by the Sugar Plum Fairy, the other is triggered by the Nutcracker doll.

The Sugar Plum Fairy takes on the important role of the scatter symbol. During the base game, if three or more Sugar Plum Fairies land, they'll trigger the Fairy Free Spin feature. If the Sugar Plum Fairy appears on three, four or five reels, she'll award you 10, 20 or 30 Fairy Free Spins. Not only that, further Fairy Free Spins are available during the bonus - 30, 20, 10, 2 or 1 extra Free Fairy Spins will be added to your bonus spins for 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 of a kind, respectively. In theory, you can win up to 60 free spins overall. But that's not all - the Nutcracker doll gives a helping hand during the feature too - if he appears as a stacked wild on reel 3 during any of the Fairy Free Spins, he'll increase the multiplier by one on any wins - up to a maximum of 10x.

Like the Fairy Free Spins, the Nutcracker doll's free spin feature can only be activated during the base game. If you land a stacked wild on the third reel, you'll trigger the Nutcracker bonus, and the stage curtains will close while the set changes. When they open again, you're presented with the Christmas tree scene from the ballet, where you get the chance to pick one of four presents from under the tree. Choose wisely, because each box contains the number of free spins you'll be awarded. Each will award you either 5, 7, 8 or 10 Nutcracker free spins. While these may not be as many to win as the Fairy Free Spins, this is compensated by reel 3 remaining locked as the wild, while the free spins begin. Each time there's a win, an extra free spin is added, while the winning symbols are locked into place. Extra respins will continue as long as new symbols fall in that expand the winning cluster.

The Nutcracker paytable

There are two tiers of symbols that pay out. The higher tier has four symbols - the Mouse King, Clara, the Teddy Bear and the Toy Train. The highest payer is the Mouse King - 5 of a kind will win you 500 coins, whilst 4 will bring in 100 coins, and finally, 3 will give you 30 coins. Clara is the next highest payer - 5 appearances yields 300 coins, while 80 coins will be awarded for 4 of a kind, and 20 for 3.

5 Toy Trains are worth 200 coins, 4 will give you a win of 60 coins, while 3 wins 15 coins. The teddy bear will get 150 coins for 5 of a kind, 50 for 4 and 10 coins for 3.

The lower tier of symbols are the 5 playing card symbols, A K Q J and 10. Ace is the highest payer - 5 Aces yields 100 coins, 4 wins 30 and you'll get 8 coins for 3 aces. There are 80 coins on offer for 5 kings, 20 for 4 and 7 for 3 Kings. Finally, the Queen, Jack and 10 all have the same payout - that's 50 coins for 5 of a kind, 10 for 4 of a kind and 5 for 3 of a kind. How much real money you win for your coins depends on how much you stake - learn more about that below.

The Nutcracker RTP, volatility, bets and wins

Talking of coin value, stakes can be made anywhere between 20p and $20 per spin. Adjust your stake by tapping the Coin Value button, and then use the + or - buttons. The game’s return to player percentage is 95.97%. The percentage represents how much prize money is paid out per $100 spent. That doesn't mean each player will get the same. It depends on when and how much they play, but it does give a helpful indicator as to how often a slot will pay out. 95.97% is considered to be slightly lower than the average, but given its seasonal use, this kind of RTP to be expected from a Christmas slot.

Volatility refers to the frequency of payouts, so for example, low volatility means more frequent payouts of lower value, meaning that the risk of losing large amounts of money is lower. iSoftbet says that the frequency with which the Nutcracker slot will land on a winning combination is 22.85%, and this is considered a medium volatility game. If you'd prefer to use Autoplay, you can set the number of uninterrupted spins to speed up your play.

Players have reported that the Nutcracker free spins feature tends to come in more frequently than the Fairy free spins, and it can sometimes take a little while before you get to experience one of each. Having said that, the highest payouts of 5,000 times the stake are a worthy reward for anyone who manages to increase their multiplier to 10x during the Fairy Free Spins.

The Nutcracker theme

Christmas themed slots can be a bit overdone, but the Nutcracker is one of the free iSoftBet slots that are subtle enough for it not to matter which time of year you play them. NetEnt's Jingle Spin is another such slot. Here, you have a steampunk Santa, cranking a wooden wheel that sends bonus baubles along a line of elves, ready to drop into the gift box symbols scattered across the reels for extra prizes. Despite the obvious baubles, presents and fir trees in the surroundings, the artwork doesn't scream Christmas, and the comical way in which the elves heft the baubles from one to the next will bring a smile as you play, whatever the season.This great mechanic, coupled with a quirky soundtrack and effects makes Jingle Spin a joy to play. And like The Nutcracker, and indeed most free slots, you can play it on mobile and tablet, as well as desktop and laptop devices.

The Nutcracker legacy

Sadly, Tchaikovsky died in 1893, a year after The Nutcracker Suite's disastrous premiere in St. Petersburg. It's a pity that he never got to see how popular his ballet would become throughout the 20th century, or how far its influence would reach, even into the realms of video slot games. It would be interesting to know what he might have thought of it all now.

iSoftbet's Nutcracker is a Christmas themed slot that stands apart from others in the way it looks. The magic and the mystery that has captivated theatre audiences for over a century has been adapted to the reels with great skill, and has been brought to life with charming graphics, evocative sound and a good selection of free spin bonuses. It's easy to get immersed into the seasonal childhood magic with this slot. It's definitely worth trying out.

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