Are you in love with pirate stories? Did you really like “Pirates of the Caribbean”? Or do you feel up for a genuine treasure island adventure? If the answer to any or all of those questions is yes, then I know a perfect slot for you – RTG’s “Goldbeard,” which offers some good, fun times for all true pirate lovers.

But even if you’re not a pirate lover, there’s still a good chance you’d love this 5-reel, 20-line progressive slot. Its fun, cartoonish graphics give you that ever-longed feeling of getting back to careless childhood and playing battle games with some imaginary characters. And this slot offers many of those: canons, pirate ships, treasure chests, even the famous parrot which knows a word or two. Even the non-themed symbols are shaped in a way that will make the slot as authentic as possible. And if you take into account the wild symbol, the scatter, as well as free spins and a multiplier, you’ll have even more reason to look forward to giving “Goldbeard” a try.

The slot is not difficult to play. First of all, you need to choose how much you want to play with. The options are various – you can choose the coin value anywhere between $0.01 and $5, which means that on all 20 lines, you can place a bet of anywhere from $0.20 to $100. You’ll have to admit that the range is enormous, and that there’s something in it for everyone. And always keep in mind that as little as $0.20 can win you a random jackpot, every time the reels stop.

Wild Symbol:

Let’s be frank, just like any other slot, “Goldbeard” isn’t flawless. In my opinion, allowing the wild symbol to appear only on two reels out of five means less chance of winning. That’s what they did here – the famous Goldbeard can be caught only on reels 1 and 5, from where it will replace any other symbols except the scattered coins. However, the good news is that when he participates in a winning combination, the winnings are doubled.

Scatter Symbol:

Scattered coins in “Goldbeard” don’t award any bonus rounds or free games, they plainly serve to increase your winnings by making a winner wherever they appear on the reels. And do note that scatter wins are multiplied with the amount of the bet you placed.

Free Spins:

One of the cool features, which isn’t so easy to get, are the free spins. If you want them, you need to wait for the above mentioned system (with the wild symbol on only two reels) to work. However, when you do get one or more Goldbeards on reels 1 and 5, each will award you with 2, 3, or 4 free spins. And that’s not all – during the free spins, Goldbeard can also be found on reel 3, and if you get Goldbeards again on reels 1 and 5, they will grant you more free games. And another thing – everything you win while the wheels are spinning for free will be tripled. Not bad, huh?

Finally, even though it has its downsides, this slot made me smile. Even though I didn’t win much (not even during the free spins), I still felt pretty happy. And I think this means that the slot still offers much more than it takes.

- reviewed by Latest Casino Bonuses, last updated 2011-05-04