It's Time!! (Relax Gaming) Slot Review

It’s Time: Slot Overview

It’s Time is a themed video slot developed by Relax Gaming and released on October 2, 2019. The game draws inspiration from mixed martial arts (MMA) culture, centering around Bruce Buffer, the iconic UFC octagon announcer known as “The Voice of MMA” since 1996 and famous for his catchphrase “It’s Time.” Buffer is the half-brother of boxing announcer Michael Buffer, who has his own branded slot titled Let’s Get Ready to Rumble. Set within a fighting octagon, the slot targets fans of high-volatility, feature-packed gameplay, MMA enthusiasts, and players seeking an arcade-style experience with branded entertainment value. It features a 6-reel, 4-row grid with 40 fixed paylines, delivering a fast-paced, combat-themed adventure where players battle for substantial wins up to 2,500x their stake.

Design and Graphics

The visual style of It’s Time evokes a nostalgic 90s arcade or SNES video game aesthetic, characterized by cartoonish, pixelated graphics and vibrant animations that contribute to an energetic, somewhat dated yet playful atmosphere. The backdrop is an MMA octagon fighting ring, complete with cheering crowds and dynamic lighting effects that pulse during key moments, enhancing the live-event feel. Symbols are thematically aligned with the MMA motif: low-paying icons consist of bandaged 10-to-A card suits, symbolizing battered fighters, while high-paying premiums depict four distinct cartoon MMA fighters—Billy “The Patriot” Ray Hogg (a vegan gorilla Texan), Tyrone “Mr Tea” Jones (a tea-obsessed Brit), Fernando “Handsome” Gonzalez (a title-hungry Mexican), and Hugo “Viking” Slotsson (an anemic, weak-jawed Viking descendant). The premium-of-premium is Bruce Buffer himself, paying 12.5x the stake for six-of-a-kind.

It’s Time slot – base game

Animations are lively and thematic, with fighter symbols flexing or posing upon wins, electrical surges highlighting the Hot Spot, and explosive effects during respins. The user interface is intuitive, with a control panel below the reels for bet adjustment, spin, and autoplay options. Intense rock-infused music builds tension, punctuated by announcer voiceovers of “It’s Time!” and crowd roars, creating an immersive, high-energy soundscape. While the childish, retro design may appeal to arcade nostalgics, it could feel simplistic or less polished compared to modern hyper-realistic slots, prioritizing fun over photorealism.

Gameplay Mechanics

It’s Time employs a 6-reel, 4-row setup with 40 fixed paylines, where wins form by landing three or more matching symbols from left to right on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel. Bets range from €0.10 to €100 per spin, accommodating casual players and high rollers alike. The game operates at high volatility (rated 10/10), with a hit frequency of 19.29%, meaning approximately one in five spins yields a win, but payouts can be infrequent yet significant.

Standard symbols pay according to their value, with premiums offering the highest rewards—Bruce Buffer at the top with 12.5x for six across a payline. Wild symbols substitute for all paying symbols except during bonus triggers and appear naturally or via features. The base game flows with standard spins, but excitement builds through the randomly activated Hot Spot: a 2×2 central area (reels 2-3, rows 2-3) highlighted by electrical currents. If four identical fighter symbols land entirely within it, they lock as Wilds, transforming any additional high-paying fighter symbols into Wilds too, and trigger one respin. This can chain into larger wins, offering up to 500x in the base game. Paylines are fixed, so all 40 are always active, promoting consistent winning opportunities despite the grid’s modest size compared to ways-to-win mechanics.

Bonus Features

It’s Time shines with its layered bonus mechanics, emphasizing respins, sticky symbols, and competitive fighter battles for amplified payouts. The Hot Spot is the base game’s staple, randomly igniting on any non-bonus spin to spotlight the central 2×2 zone. Landing four matching fighters there converts them to sticky Wilds, turns all other high pays to Wilds, and grants a respin—potentially yielding quick 500x hits.

The Fighter Bonus activates when two different full fighter stacks land on reel 1 and reel 6 simultaneously. It awards 5 respins (non-resettable) with only the two triggering fighters and action symbols appearing. Fighters that land stick in place. Action symbols aid dominance:

• Energy Drink: Applies or upgrades a win multiplier (up to 5x).
• Slam Dunk Diagonal: Converts itself and four diagonal positions to the affiliated fighter.
• Left Hook: Transforms itself and up to two left-adjacent symbols.
• Right Hook: Transforms itself and up to two right-adjacent symbols.

It’s Time slot – hot spot feature

After 5 spins, the fighter occupying the most positions wins, converting all opponents to itself for a payout boosted by any multiplier over 1x. Billy Ray Hogg offers the highest potential at 2,000x.

The premium Buffer Bonus triggers via full stacks of Bruce Buffer on reels 1 and 6, granting 3 respins (reset on new Bruces) with only Buffer symbols and actions sticking. It mirrors Fighter Bonus actions but exclusively for Buffer, escalating to a full-screen 2,500x (with 5x multi) or ending on counter depletion.

These features interlink seamlessly, with Hot Spot bridging base to bonuses, creating volatile chains where action symbols dictate supremacy, heightening engagement through strategic symbol battles.

Betting Options and Payouts

Bets span €0.10 to €100, with flexible coin values suiting various bankrolls. The RTP stands at an above-average 96.74%, returning €96.74 per €100 wagered long-term. High volatility ensures prolonged dry spells punctuated by explosive payouts, aligned with the 19.29% hit rate. Maximum win caps at 2,500x the stake (€250,000 at max bet), primarily via Buffer Bonus full screens. Payouts scale linearly with bet size across 40 paylines, favoring premium clusters in features. No progressive jackpots or buy options noted, emphasizing organic triggers. Probability data for max win or bonus frequency is unavailable, but high vol suits risk-tolerant players chasing feature-driven peaks.

Conclusion

It’s Time excels in delivering a feature-rich, thematic punch with its innovative Hot Spot, competitive Fighter Bonus, and lucrative Buffer Bonus, bolstered by a solid 96.74% RTP and 2,500x max win potential in a high-volatility package. Strengths include engaging MMA branding, personality-driven fighters, respin mechanics with sticky/action symbols for thrilling battles, and arcade nostalgia amplified by animations and sound. Weaknesses encompass a potentially overwhelming feature density requiring rule familiarity, retro graphics that may date quickly, and reliance on specific stack triggers amid high variance droughts. Players can test the slot risk-free using the built-in demo available on this page. Overall, it offers solid entertainment for feature enthusiasts and MMA fans, though simpler tastes may prefer less cluttered alternatives.