Gustavo El Luchador Online Slot Machine – Free Play & Review

When slot providers go for the Mexican theme, they usually throw some piñatas and chilli peppers on the reels, and that’s a wrap. Leander Games had a different approach with its Mexican-themed video slot. The developer decided to tell us a story of Gustavo, a humble Mexican farmer with hopes of becoming ‘El Campeon’ of the Lucha Libre. Quite an inspiring premise, but our aspiring wrestler is only 4 feet tall and weighs only 80 pounds – that’s where all the humour in Gustavo El Luchador comes from.

The action takes place in a dry backwater village in Mexico and occasionally transfers to a wrestling arena in bonus mode. Everything on screen screams Mexico: from low paying symbols like taco, cactus, bell, tequila and scorching hot chilli pepper to character icons depicting wrestlers Los Tigres, Infierno, Tarantula, El Titan and our little Gustavo. The graphics are as smooth as they’ll ever be, and the bonus features are wildly entertaining.

Developer

Gustavo El Luchador video slot is offered exclusively on the Leander Games platform, while being developed by a young studio called PearFiction. Leander Games is one of the rare software companies not based in Europe; it was established in 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Leander emphasises the importance of visual attractiveness of slots, but also recognises how relevant it is for a game to have an exciting and engaging gameplay.

Some of the Leander-powered slots are branded, like Megadeth and Spandau Ballet’s Gold, but most of them are original concepts, brought to life by a team of skilled and creative software designers who do a great job at adding excellent special features to a well-rounded product.

How to Play It

Leander’s Gustavo El Luchador has 3 rows of symbols and allows you to spin 5 reels at once. Symbols cover 20 paying lines and once a matching string of symbols appears on one of them, the player will receive a corresponding payout amount (as presented in the paytable). The minimal sum you can bet is $0.20 and the max is $60.

The lines are fixed and you can make use of the Autoplay button if you want to stand back and watch the wrestling matches from a safe distance. There is no Max Bet button or a Gamble option. Paylines are formed left to right. You cannot change the size of the bet while the reels are in motion, but you can do it after/before each spin.

Special Features

Packed with additional features, Gustavo El Luchador offers Wild action, Rumble in the Ring free spins round and the special Las Mascaras pick-me bonus. Gustavo himself is the Wild substituting other icons to form a win; he appears on all reels, except on reel 3. In the Las Mascaras Feature, triggered by 3 or more bonus symbols, the player chooses a wrestling mask and reveals a prize.

Free Spins are played on an alternate set of reels with 4 columns and 81 ways to win from left to right and right to left. This is where Gustavo finally takes on his opponents. The more opponents he defeats, the bigger the multiplier applied to free spins winnings.

Maximum Payouts

The developer assigned a 96.01% return to player rate to Gustavo El Luchador, which can be considered average to high compared to most other slots trending today. The maximum amount you can win in the base game is 500x the stake.

The slot’s volatility is high, so pay close attention to the size of your bets and the speed you’re spinning the reels at. Don’t let the adrenaline of the lucha take over and drain your balance!

Summary

Brilliantly designed and executed, Gustavo El Luchador online slot is a top choice for players looking for some action and a bit of Mexican temperament to spice it up. One of Leander’s best products of late, the game is available on tablet, mobile and desktop devices, transforming anywhere you may be into a Mexican wrestling ring.

Chances to trigger one of the bonus features enhance with a higher bet, but you can win decent payouts in the base game, too. Overall, Gustavo El Luchador guarantees a slamming good time.