Willy’s Hot Chillies

Introducing Willy’s Hot Chillies slot

The cover song They’re Red Hot sung by Anthony Kiedis the frontman of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers speaks of ’Hot tamales and they’re red hot, yeah she got ’em for sale’ and whilst a tamale is not a chilli it can be just as hot and this makes a perfect reference introduction for the Mexican themed slot from the development team at NetEnt.

Design & Theme

NetEnt have already produced a Mexican themed slot, Spinata Grande and whilst this was met with a reasonably positive response from players it is not a slot that will be remembered in years to come as an ultra-success from NetEnt and with this in mind keep reading to see whether Willy’s Hot Chillies fairs in comparison.
From the outset it is obvious that NetEnt have decided to give players a light-hearted gaming experience that plays out over a basic 5-reels and 20-pay line format. The slot has a real smartphone vibe with a bright and friendly disposition and the game Crossy Road sprang to mind when I tested this slot and if you have played it you will understand the simple and blocky view. It is true that Willy’s Hot Chillies is not what you would think of as cutting edge but it delivers clean visuals that match the playful theme perfectly and the soundtrack is the perfect way for the slot to express itself.

Symbols

It will probably come as no surprise that there is an abundance of Mexican symbols used in your reels with eight regular symbols that are split into four high and four low payers. The low pay symbols are the usual playing card suits clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades; however, they have been jazzed up and look like pizza toppings.
The four higher paying symbols are all party related and you can expect to come across tacos, hot sauce, a piñata, and a chest of gold. Although the chest may appear a little out of place, it is the most valuable symbol in the game. Value is a relative term in this slot as landing five chests will only pay you 3x your stake however the low values through some of the features can provide you with higher prizes to a certain degree.

Betting and Prizes

When it comes to placing your bets things become more serious with high rollers able to bet as much as £400 per spin, but the low rollers can still play with a bet range that starts at just 25p per spin. Due to the huge bet range this is a slot that will appeal to all types of player. The return to player is set at a respectable 96% although 0.84% lower than Spinata but to be honest who really keeps score! Due to the low/medium volatility you are not going to be blown away by the wins, but they are very welcomed all the same.

Features

Willy’s Hot Chillies offers some good features with the star of the show being the Willy’s Hot Wheel and the multiplier wilds. The multiplier wilds can substitute for all the other symbols apart from the bonus to create winning combinations. The multiplier wilds also come in the following denominations x2, x3, x4, or x5, if you are lucky enough to land two multipliers on the same winning line the multipliers are added together before they are awarded. The multipliers can also come stacked on your 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th reels covering anything from one space up to the entire reel.
The party comes to a climax when you land the bonus symbol on your first reel as the reel becomes covered in multiplier wilds. When you are lucky enough for this to happen, you will trigger the Willy’s Hot Wheel and any full reel of multiplier wilds become a Fire Pointer. You are then rewarded with the same number of spins as the number of multipliers you have on the wild stack. Therefore, if you land three x4 multipliers you would be rewarded with 12 spins.
You will see Willy’s Hot Wheel as it spins horizontally above your reels and it has several different rewards shown. Whatever the fire pointer lines up with when it stops spinning is what you are rewarded with. There is also a progressive Chillies Multiplier that will multiply all wins by x1 from the start. The wins on offer in this feature are coin wins that equal 1 – 30 times your total stake, an additional three spins, and this then adds the spins to the fire pointer. Additional turns of the other reels into the Fire Pointer or a Chillie Multiplier where each symbol are increases by +1.
The Hot Wheel also has some empty spaces meaning that you cannot win on every spin. The round comes to an end when the spins on the fire pointer are zero, after this the total reward for the entire round is paid.

Final Thoughts

Willy’s Hot Chillies is a slot that creates a great first impression, but does it live up to this? The slot has excellent visuals and a super name. If I had to be picky I did feel a little let down when I went to the pay table and the low value symbol wins were less than I would expect and this resonated through the rest of the slot.
On the plus side the slot is great fun and I did enjoy some truly memorable moments and a half decent win or two. The festival vibe and expertly executed looks however if you are not into cartoon styled slots then this may not be for you. The main issue for me lies with the low win line prizes, however there are the multiplier wilds and stacking wilds, so this makes for better win potential.
If you want to know the probability of achieving a stunning win, then this is not the slot you would choose if you are looking to play for massive wins. Therefore, if you set your expectations at a middle level, you will be in the right place to enjoy a chilled night at the reels.
Personally, I would rate this slot as a solid 7/10, what it may lack in prizes it makes up for in looks and features and I would recommend anyone to give the reels a spin or two.