What do you picture when you close your eyes and think of a casino? For most, it’s James Bond swirling a martini in the glittering opulence of the Monte Carlo Casino, while surrounded by villains in suits and femme fatales. It might be the bright lights of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But some of us retro gamers remember those times when casinos came in different formats and from unexpected sources. Here are a few of the most unexpected casino games that have graced our screens.

The Slot Games in Super Mario Bros 2

Every retro gamer knows and loves Mario and Luigi like family, which is why most of us have already played their unique addition to gambling video game history. At the end of every level in Super Mario Bros 2, you are confronted with a slot machine, like the ones in a real gambling environment such as Aspers online casino, to be played if you want to proceed.

There are many different tactics employed by gamers to win, and our favorite is to wait until we line up a cherry and then wait for another split-second before hitting the button again. A disclaimer needs to be added here that this only works sometimes and we have a suspicious feeling that the game can’t be mastered quite so easily. No matter what your approach to the slots in Mario Bros 2, you’ll no doubt find it a super fun way to break up the levels. Mario is still a hugely successful property for Nintendo with a trailer recently released at E3 for the latest game.

Casino Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Ordinarily, we picture Sonic the Hedgehog whizzing around the usual ramps and loops, although the film set to come out next year will show him in a different environment. But once in a while, he takes a break, like the time he entered Casino Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. If you want to relive this retro gaming anomaly, you have to fight your way through a few underwater scenes first. What you’ll find on the other side is a place that looks like Vegas. Only, it’s a Sonic the Hedgehog version of the iconic casino city, in which Sonic pings around like a pinball in a variety of different guises.

The Blackjack Mini-Game in Leisure Suit Larry

We haven’t forgotten PC gamers with this list, and our final unexpected gambling game arrived from Sierra. The classic adventure game company came out with an unusual hero in the form of Leisure Suit Larry and offered a blackjack game within the first and arguably best title in the franchise: Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards. It’s even possible to cheat in this little gem of a game, but you didn’t hear that from us!

This fun additional element was so successful that gambling was included in Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded, an adventure game that featured blackjack and a slot machine in the casino.

The Adventure Continues

Of course, we’re just scratching the surface here. There are plenty of unexpected casino games throughout gaming history. The best thing to do if you want to experience some casino fun is to do your research on a site like ours and play as many retro games as possible. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Enjoy finding those hidden gems!

Carl Williams

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