By Doug Holmes
Summary:
- NeEnt releases Mexican Standoff slot
- Min/max bet: 0.20/20
- Max payout: 15,000x
NetEnt has entered the symbol-collection slot category with the recent launch of “Mexican Standoff“, a high-volatility game inspired by the popular Mexican lucha libre style of wrestling. The slot centers around four masked fighters collecting matching symbols, triggering features, and clashing.
Compared with ELK Studios’ Pirots series, its main distinction is the grid multiplier system reaching x4,096. The setting is a wrestling ring with a grid that starts at 6×6 and can expand to 8×8.
Bets range from $/€0.20 to $/€60, RTP reaches 96.05%, and the maximum win is 15,000x the bet.
Four regular symbols represent the luchadores and pay 0.05x the bet each. A special paying symbol is worth 1x. Symbols cannot be upgraded, making multipliers important.
Wilds pay 0.05x and can be collected by any wrestler once per movement.
Luchadores collect adjacent matching symbols, which disappear, causing replacements to drop, and avalanches to continue while further matches are available.
Special Features
Every position starts with an x1 multiplier. When a luchador visits and collects there, its multiplier doubles, up to x4,096. The Random Multiplier feature raises values on random positions by one level. It can trigger at the start of a spin or when the Hype Meter fills.
The Hype Meter will charge with collections and stores activations when full. Once movement ends, it clears the grid and characters, triggers an avalanche, and activates the Random Multiplier feature.
The grid can expand to 7×7 and 8×8. Expansion resets after each base-game spin, but the larger grid and multipliers persist during free spins.
The Grid Clearer Roomba removes low-paying symbols and wrestlers in a 90-degree area, triggering an avalanche. The Symbol Converter Battery changes symbols along its row or reel to the collecting wrestler’s color; symbols on another wrestler’s path become Wilds, and the effect can spread. Small and Big Multiplier Doubler Chairs double values in a 3×3 area or across the entire grid.
Brawl throws one character elsewhere, Tag Team combines two wrestlers to collect both colors, while Character Removal takes one wrestler and its matching symbols off the grid, potentially returning it after a win.
Corner Jump sends a wrestler from a corner towards matching symbols and doubles nearby multipliers. Ultimately, Edge Rush moves a wrestler towards another along a row or reel, doubling multipliers and throwing the second character elsewhere.
Three scatters will award five free spins, with multipliers, grid size, and the Hype Meter persisting while extra scatters add more spins.
A Super Scatter among the three triggering scatters awards five Super Free Spins, guaranteeing at least one Random Multiplier activation per spin.
NetEnt’s Elevate menu offers Bonus Hunt for 1.5x the bet, Charged x16 for 10x, Charged x128 for 75x, free spins for 100x, and Super Free Spins for 500x.
All in all, Mexican Standoff gives the collection format a lively wrestling identity and plenty of interacting mechanics. Persistent multipliers make the bonus rounds its main attraction, although the modest symbol values and numerous features may not suit everyone.
