While shiny, new (and fun) slots come out, many of the old classics are what players are still drawn to. A recent trend has seen best slot series find a way to stay fresh by making small tweaks and releasing new versions. So that begs the question: are you Team New or Team Old? We’re going to explore the two sides of new vs old slot games and share our winner below.
Are Old Slots Still Worth Playing?
Remember the good ‘ol days with three-reel, three-column slots? They used to have simple symbols like Cherries and 7’s, and if you go far enough back, you actually had to put money in the slot (hence the term slot machine) and pull a lever to play. OK, ok – let’s not go that far back. When chatting about old versus new, we’re mostly talking about simple, straightforward slots (how they were initially created) versus the new wave that has complex bonus rounds, paylines in every which way and all sorts of other features.
Me, personally, I often get in the mood to play the old slots. There’s just something so easy about them. You’re never left guessing weird paylines or layouts, or whether you’re close to triggering some special bonus round. You spin, you watch the reels and (hopefully) win.
Why Some Old Slots Hold Up
Simplicity is the key. The mechanics are simple and easy to understand. And so are the payouts. Being ‘basic’ might be diss in some ways but with slots, basic can be good. There’s not feature overload and confusing gameplay to think about. Just spin and enjoy!
Why Some Old Slots Don’t Hold Up
On the other hand, some of the older games look kind of boring compared to the shiny and new. Players with shorter attention spans might fall asleep seeing just three reels on a screen with a few paylines.
A lot of new games have all sorts of action. Cascading symbols, buckets that get filled after each spin, bonus rounds where you can choose your own adventure. It really morphs slots from being a game where you can just zone-out and mindlessly spin to something where you’re actively entertained.
What Makes A Slot Series “Still Hold Up”?
There’s been a relatively new movement in the slots space where game makers turn a game into a series. It’s not exactly a novel concept – this isn’t the first time they’ve done it – but 2025 felt like a year where the game developers really leaned into it.
Think of Huff N’ Puff, for example. There’s the original, then Huff N’ More Puff, Huff N’ Even More Puff, Huff N’ Puff Money Mansions, Huff N’ Xtra Puff and Huff N’ Lots Of Puff. And by the time I finish writing this article, there will probably be another one added to the series.
Joking aside, this is what actually makes a slot series hold up. They make an original that’s fun to play and then they keep iterating to make some small tweaks to build on a favorite. What happened in this particular series too is the games became slightly more volatile, so they leaned more into the jackpots than steady wins like the original. Making some changes to the symbols, the mechanics, the payouts and bonus rounds is what makes a slot series hold up.
Slot Series That Still Hold Up In 2025
We’ve been having a conversation around the office about our favorite online slot series. Of course, most slot games are one-offs but given the latest trends, we wanted to review the series and do a bit of a power ranking. Here are my five favorite slot series in order:
1. Big Bass Series
It feels like there are a thousand different types of Big Bass games, you’re probably not wrong. Jokery Casino has 20 different versions and that’s where I stopped counting. I know there’s more – probably about 50 – which is kind of what makes this series so fun. It’s almost like Pokemon: you gotta catch ‘em all! I’ll admit: I’ve played most but haven’t yet tried every single one in the Big Bass slot series. It’s on my bucket list, though.
Why it still holds up:
- There’s a game for every holiday, theme and season
- The different aesthetics and slight tweaks to gameplay keep it fresh
- There’s such a huge variety of Big Bass games that it’s hard to get bored
Who it’s best for:
This game is all about the big wins. Get to the bonus round and Big Bass usually pays handsomely.
2. Gates of Olympus
It’s no surprise that this Game of the Year continues to be so popular among players. Pragmatic Play had a hit with the original but have since added Gates of Olympus 1000, Games of Olympus Super Scatter and Gates of Olympus Xmas 1000 to spice things up to the Gates Of Olympus Series.
Why it still holds up:
- Intense music, a good protagonist (Olympus) and many ways to win
- The random lightning multiplier adds a lot of excitement
- I’m a big fan of the cascading symbols style of games
Who it’s best for:
If you like a little bit of Greek mythology along with in-game multipliers, you’ll enjoy reading our review of Gates of Olympus.
3. Sweet Bonanza
Sweet Bonanza has sucked me in. It’s a bit of a basic game but it has really become one of my go-to’s. I was worried that I might get bored of it but they continue to release new versions to keep it fresh. For me, it’s one of the best proven slots out there.
Why it still holds up:
- Easy, fun and light-hearted game
- Lots of ways to win; you don’t have to line up symbols from left to right
- One of the most consistent slot games
Who it’s best for:
Admittedly, I find it hard to get to the bonus round in any of the Sweet Bonanza games. However, I continue to get slow and steady wins almost every spin. That activity and the consistent payouts is probably what keeps me coming back.
4. Of Dead Series
Play’n Go has a wide variety of options in their ‘of dead’ series, including Scales of Dead, Banquet of Dead, Myth of Dead, Ghost of Dead and Secret of Dead. There’s more but you get the idea. This is a fun series if you like macabre themes.
Why it still holds up:
- Dramatic music adds to intensity
- Games in this series are slightly different but mostly play the same, which is good for familiarity
- Pays fairly regularly; Secret of Dead has an RTP of 96.20%
Who it’s best for:
This series is for those who like simpler slots. The mechanics and paylines are very easy to understand right from the get-go.
5. Money Train Series
Money Train might not be as well-known of a series as some of the others, but I like their slot games for regular wins. If you like classic, Western themes (guns, cowboys, robbers) then you’ll probably enjoy the Money Train series.
Why it still holds up:
- Great iterations from game to game; can really notice advancements from Money Train to Money Train 4
- Gameplay is similar but music, theme updates keep the series fresh
- Simple paylines, play makes it easy for anyone to pick up and play
Who it’s best for:
The series has laid out a number of options from easier gameplay in the original to more complex by Money Train 4. The themes are consistent, so it will be familiar but players have options as to which version they want to get into.
Editor’s Final Verdict: Should You Still Play Old Slots?
For me, personally, I’m drawn to new slots. The best online slot sites reviewed by Maple Casino’s experts has plenty of new slots release on a weekly sometimes daily basis! I love to see when new games drop and see what kind of innovations the game developers have unveiled. That doesn’t mean that I don’t go back to the games I love, though. I’m probably about a 75/25 split with the lean towards new games. And then about a quarter of the time, when I don’t want to investigate or learn anything new, I settle in and spin around some of my favorite classics.
