Narcos Mexico

Narcos Mexico

8 / 10
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Narcos Mexico features the same look and vibe as the original Narcos slot released by NetEnt, but it packs elements that leave its predecessor in the dust. The pokie pushes the winning limits and delivers a bigger knockout punch with a 10,486x payout potential. While its RTP rate of 95.7% is lower than the NetEnt version, it adds a bonus game that builds up its entertainment and payout value. The first few triggers may fall flat with weak payouts due to the game’s high volatility, but it has the potential to build up significantly. It may not be entirely new compared to the first pokie, but it creates positive continuity and leaves an even better impression.

Narcos Mexico Slot Review

The Narcos franchise is back with another branded pokie titled Narcos Mexico. The pokie is from Red Tiger Gaming, NetEnt’s sister studio, and is based on the Netflix series of the same name. The series was penned as the fourth season of the popular show Narcos but carved its own path, focusing on the 1980s Mexican drug war and the ascent of the Guadalajara cartel. This series continuation/spinoff traces the roots of the modern drug war, plunging viewers into the loose, disorganized world of drug growers and dealers with Felix Gallardo at the helm, unifying four influential cartel leaders to build an empire.

Like its inspiration, Narcos Mexico Slot also takes a different direction, albeit with less danger than the first instalment. Rather than putting players in the middle of the street action with drive-by shootings and product drop-offs, the pokie invites them to wine and dine with cartel royalty. It addresses the low payout potential of the first pokie, featuring a respectable 10,486x maximum win limit. Unlike the first pokie, it offers much bigger payouts packaged in an impressive audiovisual experience to impress fans of the show and punters chasing massive wins. The game also features a brand-new bonus feature based on the cartel wars that fuel the series.

Nice to know

Launched 24th March 2022
RTP 95.7% (adjustable)
Volatility High
Software Red Tiger Gaming
Features Wild, Scatter, Supply Drop, Double Cash, Win Exchange, Cartel Spins
Theme Netflix’s Narcos Mexico series
Paylines 243 win ways
Grid Layout 5x3
Min. bet/line $0.10
Max win 10,486x
Jackpot N/A

Positive points

  • ✅ The maximum win potential is over 10,000x the stake
  • ✅ Supply drop of random wilds on the three centre reels
  • ✅ Cartel leaders can double winnings randomly
  • ✅ Cartel Spins feature entertaining territory expansion and two payout modifiers
  • ✅ Wins of 100x the bet or more can be exchanged for Cartel Spins

Negative points

  • ❌ The maximum bet limit is $10
  • ❌ The RTP rate is customizable
  • ❌ No progressive jackpot

From Foot Soldier to Cartel Member

Narcos Mexico Slot has the same look and vibe as its predecessor, representing the deadly theme with neat cartoon realism. This time, players rise above the street-level violence and share a table with the four cartel leaders that appear between bullet-ridden cars, mansions, and palm trees set on the shores of Mexico’s coast. The cartel kingpin also drops by occasionally as the scatter that triggers the Cartel Spins. The exotic scene is beautifully blended with the series’ official soundtrack that changes tempo depending on the grid events. The pokie maintains the same setup as before, unfolding the drug-dealing action on a five-reel grid with 243 ways to win.

Playing the Game

Joining a cartel empire is no easy feat, but Narcos Mexico makes it a piece of cake with a simple gameplay procedure. All you have to do is set a bet between $0.10 and $10, hit spin, and wait for different symbols to appear throughout the playable. The pokie retains the usual Red Tiger control panel with the following prompts:

  • Stake – opens a tab with bets between $0.10 and $10
  • Yellow button – spins the grid
  • Auto – triggers up to 100 free spins
  • Play buttons – activate the turbo feature

The ‘PAYS’ button guides players through symbol payouts and bonus features, while the speaker button on top of the grid mutes and unmutes the soundtrack.

Symbol Payouts

Narcos Mexico Slot features nine different paytable symbols that appear randomly throughout the base game. There are generic low-value tiles depicting A to 9 poker card ranks in front of theme-appropriate items like dynamite, liquor, and skulls. The four cartel leaders denote the high-value icons, paying up to 5x the wager. Since the pokie features win ways, three symbols or more of a kind create winning combinations in any order from left to right. They pay like so:

Character Winnings for Three For Four For Five
10 0.1 0.2 0.4
J 0.1 0.3 0.5
Q 0.2 0.3 0.6
K 0.2 0.4 0.8
A 0.3 0.5 1
El Chapo (Alejandro Edda) 0.5 1 2
Juan Guerra (Jesus Ochoa) 0.6 1.2 2.5
Amado Fuentes (Jose Maria Yazpik) 0.8 1.5 3
Benjamin Arellano (Alfonso Dosal) 1 2.5 5

A single round can generate multiple payouts, but each win way only pays the most valuable symbol cluster. The combination values are multiplied by the selected bet. The funds are withdrawable in the real money version but count as fun credits in the demo game.

Bonus Features

Narcos Mexico has several modifiers to break the monotony in the base game while waiting for the innovative star of the show – the Cartel Spins. Each feature boosts payouts in unique ways, and they are;

  • Wild

The slabs of cocaine with a scorpion on top play the wilds in Narcos Mexico. The icons only land on the second to fourth reels, stepping in as substitutes for regular symbols to complete winning combinations. The wilds have no payout value on their own.

  • Supply Drop

The Supply Drop feature triggers randomly during the base game. A cargo plane flies above the reels and drops wilds onto any tiles on the second through fourth columns.

  • Double Cash

Randomly after any winning round, a cartel leader can make a call to double the collected payout.

  • Win Exchange

This unique gamble feature allows punters to trade winnings for Cartel Spins. When the payout is 100x the stake or more, you can exchange the amount for three Cartel Spins while collecting the remaining payout. For instance, if the payout is $150 for a $1 stake, you can trade $100 for the spins and keep $50. However, if the win is 30x to 100x the bet, the available option is trading the entire payout for a chance at three Cartel Spins, much like a gamble game. The chances of winning the gamble are displayed in green on a wheel, while the chances of losing are in red.

  • Scatter

Guadalajara cartel kingpin Felix Gallardo takes centre stage as the scatter and the only character irreplaceable by the wild. His appearance on three tiles on the first, third, and fifth reels triggers three Cartel Spins. The icon does not award any credit payouts.

  • Cartel Spins

The Cartel Spins play on a separate 10×10 playtable, and a leader is locked on the grid’s four corners. On each spin, the tiles can display Mystery Territory icons, phones, planes, or blank spaces. Each of them activates and locks in place when they land next to a cartel leader or his active turf and offer rewards like so:

Mystery Territory Reveals a bet multiplier between 1x and 5x
Phone Doubles all the multipliers from the territory it lands in
Plane Increases all the multipliers from the territory it lands in by the revealed number
Blank space No prize

Landing paying symbols also resets the number of spins to three. When a Mystery Territory symbol lands next to a rival’s turf, the stronger leader takes over the rival’s area to grow his influence. The bonus feature continues playing until all tiles are covered in symbols, the spins run out, or the maximum payout value of 10,486x is achieved. In the end, the multiplier values are applied to the placed bet.

RTP and Volatility

Narcos Mexico replaces Narcos’ conflicting medium-high volatility with a bang-on high variance. Therefore, you can expect the pokie to grant winnings sparingly, but they are well worth the wait once they come by. The RTP rate takes a dip from 96.23% and now comes in at 95.7%. Still, it is well within a decent range.

Mobile Affinity

Crafted using HTML5 technology, Narcos Mexico is compatible with every device, from smartphones and tablets to PCs and laptops. The audiovisual experience adjusts well to the different devices and requires no download to run.

Verdict

In the end, Narcos Mexico does a great job of following a new path while complimenting the experience of the first slot. Its visuals may not be all that different, and the dangerous action is arguably not at the same level, but it still improves on the Narcos pokie in numerous ways. The massive winning potential of over 10,000x is the most obvious, making the game an appealing option to players disappointed by the low wins of the first game. While the Cartel Spins responsible for the payout may not be slinging bullets at the grid with reckless abandon, they upgrade the experience by sitting players next to cartel leaders. The bonus can also heat up when rival cartels start expanding their turfs to the benefit of the player.