Dogfather Slots

Review of Dogfather Slots

Since as far back as I can remember I’ve always loved dogs and our family definitely had some of the craziest and most lovable hounds ever born. Some destroyed everything, some wanted nothing more than to be cuddled, and some were halfway in between. Most were my best friends who’d console me after my evil brothers tormented me and made me cry – we’d go to the park and run around and play catch and then everything would be alright.

So as you can imagine, I will always have a soft spot for slot games that are based on dogs or animals in general. They’re usually all lighthearted and will be funny in some way – even if the comedy is unintentional. Now there’s definitely a few things to laugh at in the Dogfather but some of the imagery is quite startling at first, like the brass knuckles with massive spikes coming out of them! I guess these gangster dogs don’t play around.

Since most of the violent imagery is designed as a colorful cartoon the shock wears off quickly but I still think that Microgaming made some strange choices in this one. Anyway, let’s see if this old dog has any tricks left in it…

Screenshots

Click on the screenshots below to enlarge the images but make sure that you’re prepared for the bright colors that are going to explode onto your computer screen. The software developers tried to use all of their favorite colors on the symbols, as well as every possible combination imaginable.

If you look at the user controls you’ll see that this machine is starting to look a little dated but that’s obviously going to be part of its charm at this point.

Storyline

Casino software companies are well aware that us dog lovers sometimes gamble with our hearts and it seems like they try to release as many canine-based titles as possible. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the crew over at Microgaming put their heads together and decided to put a twist on The Godfather Slots with “The Dogfather”. It’s actually a clever play on words and it resulted in a decent machine for dog lovers who are looking for a taste of the bizarre.

It falls into what we like to call the “alternate universe category”, which we reserve for when animals, aliens, or food items take on human forms and characteristics. So imagine if you will, a place where dogs act like human gangsters from the south side of Chicago in the 1920s and are ready to dole out violence at every turn. These criminal doggies have handguns and other brutal weapons to intimidate the poor poodles that they’ve lent bones to, but they’re also used to threaten any rival gangster hounds who want to battle them for control of the canine bootlegging market, (which one would assume is mostly toilet water).

This release from Microgaming tells their violent and glamorous story through symbols and imagery but sadly we are left to make up most of the plot in our imaginations. So you’d better have a good one if you only like playing something with a decent storyline.

Unique Symbols

The unique symbols here are actually a little more on the violent side than what many will be expecting going in. Hand guns, bullets, and brass knuckles? Most could agree that those are a little too aggressive for a slot based on cartoon gangster dogs. However, Microgaming didn’t resort to using playing card images like a Jack or a King so everything on the reels is totally unique and they certainly do a good job of setting a “gangster tone”.

• Brass Knuckles with Spikes
• Cigar, Cigar Cutter, and Wallet
• Hand Gun and Bullets
• Stuffed Rabbit with Cash
• Sexy Poodle
• Flea Soap and Rubber Gloves
• Doberman Pincers
• Pitbull in Vest
• Pug in Suit
• Itchy da Flea (Scatter)
• Fire Hydrant (Bonus)
• The Dogfather (Wild)

You just knew that the boss of the joint was going to be the best-paying and the Dogfather delivers with 13,000 coins for 5 of a Kind. All dogs need a break sometime, so it’s natural that the Fire Hydrant is the second-highest with 5,300 coins for five across the reels. The payouts then drop drastically with the Sexy Poodle pouring 900 coins into your dinner dish for 5 in a spin.

Jackpots

Someone must have put the Dogfather to bed without a bath because he’s not offering any jackpots whatsoever. You’d have thought that Microgaming would have seen fit to thrown us a bone.

Bonus Rounds

This machine has one of the best names ever for a special feature: the “Mark Your Territory Bonus Game” that’s filled with what else, but a horde of attractive fire hydrants. Hitting 3 or more Hydrants takes you into the unique area where you can win a maximum of 5,300 coins.

It’s basically just a pick em’ area where you choose whatever images you want and then the prizes that are hiding behind them are revealed. You are presented with 13 different hydrants and depending on the number of symbols that triggered the round you will have either 3, 4, or 5 chances to cash in. The number that is revealed each time is your total win for that symbol with everything being added up before you head back to the regular mode.

Thankfully all of the amounts that were hidden underneath the hydrants are revealed once you’ve made your selections so you can either smile at making the right decisions or kick yourself for making the wrong ones.

This can be hit during freerolls so make sure you stay on your toes.

Free Spins

Normally we do everything in our power to make sure that our pets don’t bring fleas into the house but with this machine you’ll want to see those pests as often as possible since 3, 4, or 5 of them triggers the free spins mode. Unfortunately, you only win a flat 13 each time no matter how many Scatters trigger the feature, which will surely annoy some of you out there, and rightfully so.

The good news is that all of your funds are tripled throughout and they can be re-triggered while you freeroll. You can also stack up Scatter wins in addition to any payline ones during the action.

Graphics

Even though this release is getting up there in dog years, the images, reels, and user controls are all still kind of cool. Also, there are tons of different colors, all of which are so bright you might feel like playing with sunglasses on – it really is an explosion of every color under the sun.

The designers did a good job of adding fun little things to the user area like dog tags for controls, a bone as a Stop button, and a fire hydrant to display your current balance. The main background is a cartoon street but unfortunately we never get to see too much of it.

Audio & Soundtrack

The main soundtrack for the bonus round is a sassy bass and piano tune that is reminiscent of old gangster films – just picture a fat mob boss with a cigar waddling down the street saying hello to everyone. The problem with the song however is that it is only 4 bars so it repeats and repeats and repeats. This obviously gets boring fairly quickly.

The swinging 1920s song that belts out of your speakers during free spins mode is pretty darn catchy and it will immediately remind you of an old time dance club during prohibition. It definitely gets you pumped up during the action and you should find your toes tapping along to the beat.

The other sounds consist of the classic Microgaming whirling as the reels rotate and a cartoon style “boing” when the Flea Scatter lands on the board.

Conclusion

So what’s the verdict? Well, Dogfather Slots still has a little bit of life left in it and dog lovers should crack a smile while playing – just don’t expect to be entertained for a very long time. There’s not a deep storyline and the imagery of gangster dogs doing their thing isn’t really enough to keep you engaged.

Also, if you’re looking for a game with a “Stop” button you’re barking up the wrong tree – the Dogfather rolls to the beat of his own drum and he doesn’t want to be told when to sit. This fact alone will discourage the majority of people from even trying it because who has the patience these days to sit and watch reels spinning?

That all said, even though most of you won’t want to bother chasing the Pink Rabbits stuffed with cash, the diehard dog lovers will probably still want to take this mutt out for a walk – even if it’s only once around the block every so often.

Random Video of The Dogfather

Well, I was stuck again on a video to end a dog-themed review with so let’s just go with Snoop Doggy Dog since he has a song called “Doggfather“. The video is actually quite cute because it’s done in the style of a 1920s jazz club. Enjoy!