I initially thought that this game was titled ‘Grand Junction’ and was expecting it to be some elaborate train-based game for the, erm, interesting Train Spotters amongst our readers. Alas, it turns out that the game’s actual name is Mountain Express, and the Grand Junction part refers to the game’s biggest and best bonus round. Playtech’s Mountain Express is a 50-pay line game with a 96.51% RTP and a top win of just 2,000x the bet.
We’ve got a handful of main features to discuss – first up, hitting three or more tunnel symbols will trigger the main free games feature. After that, 11 free games are awarded on a modified set of reel strips where Locomotive and Train Driver symbols appear in stacks. The feature can be re-triggered in the usual manner, too – hit three more tunnel symbols, and 11 extra free spins will be yours. The ‘Grand Junction’ is a little harder to hit – you need all five of those scatters for a bonus trigger, but it just might be worth it – this two-stage bonus round starts with a Hold and Spin bonus that gives you 9 free spins to collect as many Coin, Train, and Conductor symbols as you can. You’ll then move on to the bonus game, where a jackpot is paid depending on how well you did in the previous section.
Choo Choo! I don’t know about you, but all this train talk makes me want to catch a tube train for no apparent reason… I think I’ll stick to our free demo slot of Mountain Express instead, though… it’s available to play below.
| Provider | Playtech |
| Reels | 5 |
| Rows | 3 |
| Paylines | 50 |
| Bonus Rounds | 2 |
| Bet Range | 0.01 - 50 |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Max Win | 2,000x |
| Bonus Buy | No |
| RTP | 96.51% |
| Our Rating | 7.0 |
Mountain Express Slot Casino Bonuses
Mountain Express Slot Free Play
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Mountain Express Slot Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols
I’d never have expected trains to become so popular in the world of online slots, but the last two to three years have made a mockery of that idea – Money Train, Money Train 2, Money Train 3, Cash Express, oh – let’s not forget Money Cart 2 and Money Cart 3 either! In short, train-themed games are ten-a-penny nowadays, but the funny thing is – they sure aren’t boring! Perhaps trainspotters should not apply? Hey, what the hell is wrong with trainspotting anyway? It seems like a harmless hobby to me, if not a tad pointless. Each to their own, though!
So, let’s talk about the paytable next! The train driver gets the top spot – and rightly so, I’d say! – with a payout of 40x your *coin value* for a full payline of five of a kind – keep this in mind, as it does complicate the payouts somewhat. The gauge symbol offers 25x coin value for all five symbols, followed by the suitcase at 20x, the tickets at 15x, and all six royal symbols share equal returns of 10x the current coin value. The wilds pay identically to the train driver symbol at 40x for all five symbols, whilst the scatter will get you 50x your total bet whenever all five appear anywhere on the playfield. Note that there is a second set of royal symbols surrounded by glowing roundels – if that means nothing to you, tap it into google with “London underground”, and you’ll soon understand.
Bet selection is performed by choosing a coin value of between €0.01 and €50.00 per spin, and I’m pleased to say that there is plenty of intermediate bets between the two extremes. So, if you’re a low or high roller, there are plenty of options for you to choose from.
Base Game & Modifiers
The basic gameplay of Mountain Express is relatively typical of a video slot, but with a massive 50 paylines spread out across a standard 5×3 reel set, this is one game where you are more likely to be surprised you’ve hit a win than disappointed that a combination that appears win-worthy is not! You’ll still need at least three matching symbols starting from the left-hand side to score yourself a win, with the exception of the main scatter symbols and the Grand Junction royal symbols. I will include all the bonuses in the next section, even though you could argue that the Grand Junction feature could be listed as a base game feature.
Mountain Express Slot Bonus Features
Mountain Express is packed full of bonus rounds, starting with the Free Games Feature. This is triggered by hitting three or more scatter symbols, and whilst there’s no benefit to the bonus from hitting more than three scatters, you do receive a cash payout of either 100x or 500x the total bet for a four or five scatter trigger, respectively.
Free Spins
Your spin counter is set to 11 immediately after triggering this bonus, which is played using an alternative reel set. In this mode, the locomotive and train driver symbols are stacked on the reels – the locomotive is the wild, by the way, as that confused me for a moment there! This feature can be re-triggered by hitting three more tunnel symbols whilst the feature is active. You can also trigger the Grand Junction feature during free games.
Grand Junction Feature
Whenever five of the special Grand Junction royal symbols appear during a single spin, this two-stage bonus round will be activated. Note that you will need to collect three or more train symbols during the first stage to progress to the main bonus game.
- Hold and Spin Bonus: Nine free spins are awarded to begin with, and each coin symbol that lands during a free spin are locked in place for the remainder of the free spins. Likewise, any train symbol that lands will also be locked in place. Conductor symbols will award an additional 3 spins, but these are not locked. Every coin symbol present on the reels at the end of the feature will award 1x, 2x, 3x, or 5x the total bet, in addition to all regular line hits. If three train symbols are present on the reels, you will progress to stage 2.
- Bonus Game: The number of train symbols that were present on the reels during the Hold & Spin feature will determine which bonus game you will be transported to. Three trains get you the MINI wheel, whilst four, five, or six will reward you with the MINOR, MAJOR, or GRAND wheels, respectively.One free spin is then awarded on this unique reel set. The numbers shown on all five reels will be added together at the end of the spin to determine the jackpot payout you will receive. The MINI jackpot can pay up to 20x the total bet. The MINOR jackpot can pay up to 100x the total bet.; The MAJOR jackpot can pay up to 500x the total bet. The GRAND jackpot can pay up to 2,000x the total bet.
Mountain Express Slot Review Final Thoughts
If you’re a train fanatic, this game hasn’t got an awful lot to appeal to you – sure, it’s based around trains very loosely, and you’ll probably like it, but there’s not a single Shinkansen in sight! I’d love to know what the maximum jackpot is, too – I’m going to take a guess; it’s probably the 2,000x on the GRAND jackpot wheel.
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