Crazy Monkey 2

Crazy Monkey 2 Slot Machine Review

Following in the footsteps of Igrosoft’s successful Crazy Monkey slot is the highly anticipated sequel, Crazy Monkey 2. Like its predecessor, Crazy Monkey 2 is a five-reel video slot set in the heart of the jungle, and like its predecessor, it dangles the carrot of a 5,000 jackpot. It’s a little disappointing that the jackpot hasn’t been increased – after all, what are sequels if not bigger and better versions of the original – but put that disappointment aside and you could have a good time playing.

Igrosoft’s video slot doesn’t take any liberties with the story or gameplay of the first Crazy Monkey, so if you liked that title, you’re an ideal candidate to drop some coins into this one. It looks and feels exactly the same. Only the graphics have improved slightly, with the jungle in the background looking a little more realistic and detailed, and the ferns and shrubs now providing a better playground for our chirpy protagonist.

New Game, Same Cast

Some of the icons from the first game return for the sequel. The Pile of Bananas has signed on for Crazy Monkey 2 after a torturous period of negotiation, as has the Butterfly (though it’s now blue instead of red) and the Monkey himself (still crazy after all these years). The snake is back, coiled in a new pose, and the Crazy Monkey logo returns. But now, instead of a golden skull, there’s a tribal mask. Also new are a red toadstool, a bright green frog, and a tropical bird.

Like the first game, Crazy Monkey 2 can be played for as little as one credit per spin up to 225 credits. Players can choose to play with one, three, five, seven or nine pay lines: each option is selectable at the bottom of the screen, where players can also view the pay table, adjust their bets and hit the auto-start button.

The Mask is Wild

As mentioned, the Mask is the game’s wild, replacing the golden skull from the original Crazy Monkey. It works in the same way, substituting for all symbols in the game. The only symbol that cannot be substituted by the Wild is the Monkey, as it is the game’s Scatter, which serves to unlock the bonus game.

In addition to being a wild, the Tribal Mask brings some pretty hefty payouts. If you get five on an active payline, you’ll win a whopping 2,000 credits. Four wins you 500 and three wins you 100. Yes, the payouts are identical to Crazy Monkey. I can’t hide anything from you eagle-eyed players. The Crazy Monkey 2 icon pays the jackpot of 5,000 for five, dropping to 1,000 for four and 200 for three. The lowest paying symbol in the game is the banana, which pays a measly 10 even after landing five. Needless to say, there are plenty of bananas on the reels. You won’t slip on them, but you won’t exactly hit the club with the winnings from such combinations.

Monkey Business? Try Risky Business!

Yes, Crazy Monkey 2 does virtually everything its predecessor did, including offering a 50/50 gamble. Those who win in the base game are given the opportunity to double their bankroll. Of course, once you land on the Risk screen, you can always turn tail and return to the base game, but once you start playing, you’re locked in and the writing on the cards can condemn you to ignominy or hold the keys to a 2x multiplier.

In the Risk game, you must choose one of four hidden cards. If your card is higher than the dealer’s, your winnings are doubled. If your card is the same as the dealer’s, it stays the same, and if it’s lower, you lose your winnings. It’s all pretty simple stuff; it would have been nice if the risk feature was more than just turning over cards.

Super Bonus

A trio of monkey scatters activates the Crazy Monkey bonus, which again involves the monkey pulling on ropes; if bananas fall, you’ll go to stage two; if he gets hit in the head with a blunt object, the game is over and so is the monkey.

In the second stage, the monkey picks a box of your choice. You may or may not win. The second bonus round is slightly different from the one in the original game, but this minor change doesn’t make up for the fact that CM2 is identical in every other way. The best we can say is that if you liked Crazy Monkey 1, you’ll probably enjoy the sequel.