There have been many Robin Hood-themed slots on the market over the years. The noble outlaw of Sherwood forest and his trademark green pants prove an irresistible theme for slots makers. However, few (if any) slot games have created an entirely new version of the character like the captivating Lady Robin Hood from Bally Technologies.
Based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, Bally is a well-respected developer, and they’ve done a great job taking a new look at an old theme on this 40-payline five-reel slot.
| Game manufacturer: | Bally |
| Number of paylines: | 40 |
| Game theme: | Fantasy, Medieval |
| RTP: | 94% |
| Reels: | 5 |
| Min/Max bet: | $0.01 – $400 |
| Progressive jackpot: | No |
| Regular jackpots: | No |
| Free spins: | 10 |
Themes & visuals
The first thing you’ll notice about Lady Robin Hood is the lack of background music. Instead, Bally went for a serene forest ambiance. The sounds of trees waving in the wind, a babbling brook, and melodious bird songs are a pleasant change from the usual repetitious music found in many slot games.
The symbols fit the theme nicely – alongside the standard slot letters and numbers, you’ll see such Robin Hood iconography as gold coin purses, quivers of arrows, and bullseye targets. The animation is as smooth as you’d expect, especially the bonus rounds when Lady Robin Hood herself shoots arrows into the reels to trigger extra wild symbols on the next spin.
The music during Lady Robin Hood’s bonus rounds is typical of Bally games – perfectly listenable but hardly breaking boundaries with its fairly cliched Medieval score.
Betting options & paying combinations
Lady Robin Hood comes with five reels and 40 paylines. Only the stake per line can be adjusted; the number of paylines cannot. This may put off players who enjoy a more customizable experience. Each line can be displayed by clicking on the corresponding number along the side of the wheels.
The bets go as low as $0.01 per line – $0.40 overall – and up to $10 a line – a $400 overall bet. This range is on the higher end of online slots and should suit high-budget players. On the other hand, $0.01 is low as well, so penny slots fans should also be happy with Lady Robin Hood on that front.
A standard-reel top prize (matching four Lady Robin Hood symbols) grants a payout of $1,000.
Unfortunately, however, there is no auto-spin functionality in this game. The slot spins automatically only when a player pulls three Wild Free Game symbols to trigger a free spins round. The absence of auto spin is hardly a game-breaker but may put off more serious slots players.
Lady Robin Hood’s Return-to-Player (RTP) stands at 94%, which puts it on the lower end of the RTP spectrum for online slots.
What about the jackpots?
Sadly, Lady Robin Hood does not offer a jackpot. Even if the rest of the game is good (this one is), a slot without a jackpot typically fails to keep most players’ long-term attention. In today’s competitive environment, that tantalizing big-money payout is responsible for a lot of the hype around slot games.
Additional features & bonus rounds
Lady Robin Hood doesn’t include a wide selection of features, bonus rounds, or jackpots compared to many prominent titles. Only three scatter symbols, one of which is bonus-round-only, and no jackpots mean this game can start to feel stale quickly.
Wild Symbols
There are two types of Wild Symbols in Lady Robin Hood – Wild and Wild Free Game. Both count as your standard Wild icons; they can take the place of any other symbol to form a winning line.
The wild free game symbols, however, are also free spins – with an extra minigame added on top. Pull three wild symbols across three lines in one spin to win 2x your stake as well as ten free spins with a bonus feature activated.
Bonus Round
During your free spins, arrows are shot at the reels from off-screen (presumably by Lady Robin Hood herself). Each time they hit on reels two to five, a target replaces that slot on the reel and a small shield fills up one quarter at the top of the column.
Between one and three arrows are shot at the start of the game and then one is shot after each spin. If one of the reels takes four shots, thus filling up the shield completely, then the entire reel freezes and becomes a block of Wild Symbols for the rest of your free spins. This unlocks the potential for some big wins.
Unlike in many other slots, you cannot extend your free game period by obtaining more wild symbols during your run.
Scatter
There are only three types of scatter in Lady Robin Hood, which is fewer than you might expect from a top-tier slot game. These are:
- Wild
- Wild Free Game
- The Target (which appears in the bonus free game round)
The wild symbols appear on reels two to five during normal spins. Additionally, on random occasions, Lady Hood shoots several arrows at the screen that create new wild symbols for the next spin.
Who is this game ideal for?
Lady Robin Hood is relatively simple and doesn’t feature overpowering background music, which might suit people who prefer calming experiences or are new to slots. While the maximum bet is high enough, dedicated slots players might be put off by the lack of autoplay and jackpot.
Penny slots players will no doubt enjoy this game as the lowest per line bet is one penny.
What’s hot
Calming atmosphere: The relatively simple mechanics and serene forest sounds make for Lady Robin Hood’s biggest draws. This is perfect for newer slots players or those in need of some relaxation.
Good Bets Range: The $0.01 per line bet is a big deal for lower-budget players as well, as is the $400 maximum bet for higher-rollers.
Novel animations and theme: With so many games themed around Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, and the rest of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, it was great to see Bally come up with something original. The bonus rounds with their arrow mechanics are also well animated and fun to watch.
What’s not
No Jackpots: Without a jackpot, the potential for massive wins is limited, which may put off a good chunk of the player base. Although wins on the wild bonus free spins round can get quite high (around $2,700 at the highest bet level), the lack of a showcase big-money prize is a glaring omission.
Little variation: With only one bonus game and two scatter symbols in the main game, Lady Robin Hood is not the most complex or diverse title on the market. It only took us about an hour of gameplay to see all the features this title has to offer.
No Auto Spin or Adjustable Paylines: These two features present an attractive option for experienced slot players, and their absence in this title is a big minus.
Final ratings
- Graphics and design – 3/5: Lady Robin Hood is simple to play, which could be a plus for some players. The game also features smooth animations and a comfortable theme that many people will be familiar with.
- Sound effects – 4/5: The tranquil forest soundscape this game offers is excellent – so much so that we left it on in the background while writing this review. The music is a nice touch, and the thud of Lady Hood’s arrows hitting the reels is satisfactorily realistic. We dropped one point for the absence of voice lines.
- Jackpot value – 0/5: We can’t give this game anything other than a zero for this category as it does not offer any kind of jackpot.
- Replay value – 2/5: Although the game is fun to play, there aren’t enough special features, mini-games, and scatter symbols to keep things interesting in the long run.