Get ready for a truly retro experience in Relax Gaming’s Line Busters Dream Drop. As the name suggests, it’s part of the Dream Drop jackpot series. However, this time, the popular jackpot mechanic is not that much in the focus as the slot has something entirely else to offer. It’s like a time machine that can go back to the good ol’ days of retro console gaming, associating itself closely with titles such as Space Invaders.

Of course, it’s a slot game before anything else. You’ll be fighting the invaders across three reels and five rows, busting their lines of defense for big rewards. The video slot has five paylines only, which truly fits the retro theme. Don’t mistake it for a drag of a slot. In fact, there are many features to look forward to, with Dream Drop jackpots as the cherry on top of the cake.

I loved how Relax Gaming paid attention to detail. When you’re not spinning the reels, a message saying Insert Coin will pop up. You also get a Game Over on losing spins, which takes me back to my childhood. Read my in-depth Line Busters Dream Drop review below and see why it’s worth a try.

Many real money slots qualify for the retro niche in theme or vibes. However, not all of them can reach the retro pixelated heights of Line Busters Dream Drop. This game looks like it was developed by Atari or Nintendo during the early days of gaming, not just in visuals, but audio as well. To make things even better, the reels are set inside a game cabinet like the ones we all used to play when we were kids.

The pixelated invaders are simple but charming, and so are the space rocks. There aren’t too many aliens on the reels – they’ve been swapped in favor of locked boxes that hide cash surprises. Details such as the Insert Coin message and the retro sound effects and soundtrack elevate the experience up a notch, so Line Busters Dream Drop works truly like a time machine.

Before you start busting the invaders, you should first set a bet. Choose between 20c and $100 per spin and hit the spin button to start. I have to say I’m a bit disappointed there’s no inserting coin animation when you choose a bet. You need to line up three symbols in a line for a prize. The boxes are the highest-paying premiums, with cash wins up to 150x the bet.

Arrows can land on reels 1 and 2, sometimes with multipliers. If there are any multipliers, their values will be combined and applied to your current win. When you shoot an invader, a cool animation will follow, showing a space gun shooting from the left side to exterminate the threat.

The Dream Drop jackpot feature can trigger any spin in the base game. When it does, a spaceship appears with a single reel and three rows. You need three identical symbols to hit any of the five jackpots —Rapid, Mini, Maxi, Major, and Mega. The Mega jackpot pays the most at 5,000x the bet.

The free spins bonus is triggered by arrows on reels 1 and 2 and a free spin symbol on the 3^rd reel. You’ll receive a random number of free spins between 3, 4, or 5. During the bonus, symbols can land in stacks up to 5. You can win additional free spins during the bonus round.

If you don’t want to wait for the bonus to occur, you can trigger the slots bonus buy feature for 40x the bet. This is much cheaper than what I see in other slots, so it may be worth a try.

Line Busters Dream Drop was a real nostalgia ride for me. I spent a lot of time playing flipper and pinball games as a kid, and this slot is a perfect reminder of that time. I didn’t land any big wins in the base game, so I eventually ended up paying for the bonus round. 

It proved a good investment as the five spins were quite generous, thanks to the x10 multipliers. It was a much more rewarding experience than the base game, although the retro tunes and visuals are a blast at any point.

Line Busters Dream Drop is a highly volatile slot game with an RTP of 94%. You can win a maximum of 5,000x the bet with the Mega jackpot.

Line Busters Dream Drop is a testament to Relax Gaming’s progress as a slot studio. The Dream Drop jackpots are kind of pushed in the background, even though it’s always fun to hit one. But the slot’s main focus is on offering a truly retro experience, and it’s safe to say Relax Gaming nailed down all of its aspects. It looks retro and sounds old-school, too, reminding players of vintage hits such as Space Invaders.

If you’re looking for alternatives at top casinos, you can try Genesis’ 8-Bit Intruders or Pixel Samurai by Playtech.