Cash Pump slot review

Ride across the vast American plains and feel the freedom. After a while, it’s time to make a pit stop at the Cash Pump.

It is time to step back in time with Play’n GO and Cash Pump. The game is a mix of 50s vintage and 60s free-spirited rock’n roll. The game takes a lot of influences from Easy Rider and our main character bears a striking resemblance to Peter Fonda’s character Wyatt.

Cash Pump is an interesting mix of traditional fruit machine mechanics and modern themes and features. Initially, the game looks like your standard three-reeled machine, but there are many modern twists in there. The first one being the obvious fact that the game has 4 play zones and a total of 12 reels.

The game also relies heavily on its theme. It is done really well, but it takes centre stage and might feel abrasive.

Graphics and sound

Cash Pump takes you right back to the quintessential Americana of the 60s. Choppers, lone desert highways and pit stops in the middle of nowhere. This is the rebellious side of US history that fought against things like the Vietnam war.

The visuals are well implemented and clever. The whole game revolves around a petrol pump or a cash pump in this case. The outdated and slightly dilapidated pump is a remnant itself from the 50s; chrome ornaments, big bright buttons and not a plastic piece in sight.

Then there’s the music. It is that pure 60s rock’n roll with a ton of guitar solos and attitude. It is the epitome of freedom and rebellion in the US. The sound design in this slot is superb. The machine actually sounds like a proper petrol pump with all the clanks and clinks.

The theme of the game is surprisingly good and thought-out. I liked how Play’n GO went all-in with a simple idea. The game could have worked without the Easy Rider references, but they just made it better.

Symbols and wins

Cash Pump takes the best parts of fruit machines and adds some nice features from modern slots. The game is played on four sets with three reels each. The four quadrants are all independent but can help each other out.

There are a total of 8 symbols, of which 6 are regular and 2 special. They look like the classic fruits from old machines with sevens and BAR as the high-tier symbols. The biker is the wild and the Cash Pump emblem is the scatter.

The first thing you notice when you check the paytable is that all the wins are pretty low. Sure, the BAR and sevens are worth a lot more than the rest, but generally, all wins are weak. There are actually two reasons for this. One is that the game has multipliers and the second is that you are technically playing four rounds for the price of one.

As each of the quadrants are independent, you can get wins from multiple sources. The does have high volatility, so you are going to get some bigger swings, but the four playfields even it out. This is like playing the slot equivalent of multi-hand video poker.

The game has two special features, which both are good. First, stacked wilds from one quadrant will be cloned to all the rest and you get an extra multiplier. The second one is a more standard Free Spin feature, but it can get out of hand with retriggers and increased multipliers.

You want to hit those features as often as you can. Without them, you won’t stand a chance. The base game is heavy and winning is hard. Those wilds are stacked for a reason.

Features

• Stacked Wild Feature: The rider’s wild energy is contagious

Our very own easy rider here is the wild symbol and his wild energy is easy to spread. If you get a full reel of wilds anywhere, it will then be cloned to all the other quadrants. This will also give you a random multiplier for the round. It can be either 1x, 2x, 3x or 4x.

• Free Spins: Drive through the night and see the stars

Cash Pump emblems are scatter symbols and the perfect place to stop. Get four scatters on the reels at once and you win 7 free spins.

During the spins, you collect every scatter symbol you see. Every fourth scatter will give you 5 extra spins and it increases the multipliers. There is no limit on how many times this can happen, so eventually, those wild stacks are going to be extremely valuable.

My experiences

Cash Pump is a breath of fresh air to classical fruit machines. It tries something new and actually does it well. The quadruple playfield combined with stacked wilds and free spins is a great mix.

One thing I loved about Cash Pump is how heavily Play’n GO leaned on the theme. The game could have looked like your standard old fruit machine, but they decided to dive deep. There are so many little details and visual nods to Easy Rider that it’s uncanny.

Classic games are fun every once in a while and Cash Pump makes them easily approachable. The modern look and innovative design are what the genre needs.