Microgaming released not one, but TWO different slots based on Arthurian legend – “Avalon” and its sequel, appropriately titled “Avalaon 2”. I don’t know, if it were me I think I’d have come up with something a bit better, like “Avalon 2: The Revenge”, or “Avalaon 2: Electric Boogaloo”, or “Avalon 2: Bigger, Longer & Uncut”, but honestly, that’s probably why I don’t make slots. Sure, you may argue that those titles wouldn’t be too appropriate for an Arthurian legend, but to that say… Have you even read an Arthurian legend? Those things are absolutely insane! We’re talking drama that wouldn’t be out of place in a prime time soap opera, magic that can literally do anything at all (except when it can’t, for whatever reason) and so much 18+ material that even Quentin Tarantino would blush! Sure, a lot of it ultimately depends on which version of the tale you end up reading, but the most famous one, and the one that most sources reference, is the 15th century French novel “Le Morte D’Arthur”, by Thomas Malory.

Malory was working from several English sources he could find, mostly poems about the legend of King Arthur, which he translated into French, organized and expanded upon. It seems kind of weird to think about, but a good part of what we know today as the Arthurian myth is essentially fanfiction by some French dude who lived five hundred years ago. While most definitely not the earliest story of King Arthur (that would have to be “Historia Regum Britanniae” by Geoffrey Monmouth), “Le Morte D’Arthur” is the most well-known iteration, as the overwhelming majority of interpretations and retellings of the legend have been based on that. The overwhelming majority of elements that are today considered synonymous with King Arthur, such as Excalibur, the Round Table and Merlin, were popularized in that book.

With that said, however, not everything you know about King Arthur stems from the 15th century book. Certain elements have been streamlined and outright reinvented throughout the years. For example, we all know the story of Excalibur – the sword in the stone that no one but the true King could pull out. Problem is, according to earlier versions of the legend, that’s not Excalibur at all – the sword in the stone and the sword that Arthur used throughout his life are actually completely different. Originally, Arthur pulled a sword from an anvil (and not a stone), and upon passing the test received Excalibur from Nimueh, the Lady of the Lake. Excalibur was later returned to Nimueh by Sir Bedivere (the last survivor of the Round Table still in Arthur’s service – many were released to return the Holy Grail, or for sleeping with the Queen, Lancelot!) right before Arthur passed away, bookending his story.

So how well does Microgaming’s slot manage to capture the Arthurian legend? Honestly, it depends on which one you’re looking at. The first Avalon is… I’m not gonna mince words here, fellas, it’s pretty bad. There’s just the most basic aspects of the Arthurian mythos, the ones everyone knows about, and stuck them on symbols like stickers. The sequel, however, manages to redeem its daddy quite well. We’ve got symbols bearing the faces and names of many different Arthurian characters (even the Black Knight, who is merely mentioned in “Le Morte D’Arthur”, but appears in earlier versions of the Arthurian legend), and the bonus games make explicit references to particular points of the Arthurian myths, such as Nimueh’s return, the quest for the Holy Grail and Arthur’s ascension to Avalon. It’s so much better than the original, and far more faithful to the source material than the majority of slots I’ve played! Who knows, perhaps you can use it to brush up a little bit on your knowledge regarding the Arthurian mythology!