Oh man, it's a shame that you played the original DD50 version, which had a lot of balance complaints. There's actually a new one available, where starting symbols are more exciting and there's even have a Red/Blue in there, and you only stop the first reel, the other 2 stop shortly after. It made the game way more consistent, with less dud turns, and it's more about building your reels now than timing them. Check it out when you have 5 minutes, just do a single battle with starting symbols - should feel much better.
Still, this video affirms my decision to make that change so I'm glad I watched it.
And sure, you can use the main character as a figurine in the game. Bonus points if she looks angry and is in the process of drinking and/or smoking!