Lucky Panda Slot Machine
The sight of giant pandas munching on bamboo within the confines of a zoo is one thing, but just imagine how incredible it would be to watch the black and white bears roam their natural habitat in south central China. Well, you can do exactly that thanks to Lucky Panda by August Gaming, so get ready for a breathtaking journey through the Minshan and Qinling mountains. It’s the dense bamboo forests in these mountains that are home to most of the remaining giant pandas in the wild.
Poaching and the destruction of their habitat have led to a rapid decline in the population of giant pandas over the last few decades. However, superb conservation work by the Chinese has resulted in the giant panda recently being removed from the endangered species list. You’ll be glad to know that an embarrassment of giant pandas (meaning a group of them) is common in the Lucky Panda video slot, as they deliver payouts worth up to 300x your line bet.
Explore the Dense Bamboo Forests
Combining nature with Chinese luck, Lucky Panda is a 5-reeled slot with four rows of bright and bold 2D symbols. In terms of visuals, we would have preferred the reels to be framed by thick bamboo sticks to emphasize the natural surroundings of the Chinese mountains. Instead, the creative team at August Gaming opted for a golden frame to symbolize the riches you could accumulate as you trek through the bamboo forests.
More effort could have gone into designing the mist-filled background, but as we know, graphics aren’t the strongest aspect of August Gaming slots. We can never fault August Gaming when it comes to their unique soundscapes, though. Once again, they’ve included an oriental tune that is sure to captivate your attention.
If you’re a fan of online slots that offer 1,024 ways to win, you’ll have another reason to play Lucky Panda on mobile, desktop or tablet. Such a structure usually means the minimum stake will be a hefty one, but Lucky Panda makes watching the bamboo-eating bears accessible to players of all bankroll levels. There are 12 betting options to choose from, ranging from the low limit of just 0.50 credits up to the max bet of 50 credits per spin.
Panda Payouts
If luck is on your side, you could cause pandemonium at the online casino you choose to play Lucky Panda at. We’ve already touched on the top prize of 300x your line bet on offer for lining up five giant pandas on a payline, but there are plenty of other ways to win big as you explore their habitat. Playing card symbols are a firm fixture on the pay table of free online slots developed by August Gaming, and they’ve been included once again in Lucky Panda. You’ll find Aces through to 9s on the reels, with prizes of up to 100x on offer for lining up sets of each. It’s just a shame that no effort was made to design these to fit in with the bamboo forest setting.
You’ll be twirling beautiful oil-paper umbrellas in delight whenever you get your hands on them, as up to 120x is on offer for locating them. Lotus flowers and golden koi are also represented on the reels, with lines of either paying up to 150x. Chinese pagodas are also dotted around the bamboo forest. Not only do these provide stunning views, but they also represent the wild symbol in Lucky Panda. These pagodas can only appear on the second, third and fourth reels, possessing the power to substitute for all the symbols that we’ve just discussed.
Exchange Fortune Coins for Free Games
Ancient Chinese coins, more commonly known as fortune coins, represent the scatter symbol in this free Lucky Panda slots game. These coins are a symbol of wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture, famous for the distinctive square hole in their center, and they can help make you richer as you spin the reels.
These fortune coins can only appear on the second, third and fourth reels. For the opportunity to play for free by triggering the free games feature, you’ll need at least three coins to roll onto the reels simultaneously. The number of free games you secure will be determined by the number of scatter symbols that appear, with 10, 15 or 25 free games and 50x, 10x or 3x your stake awarded for landing three, four or five scatters respectively.
As if that wasn’t enough to make you wealthier, there are several more perks associated with free games in Lucky Panda. These include the possibility of all wins being multiplied by either 2x, 3x or 5x. It’s also possible to retrigger the free games feature. Even if you fall short of the three scatters required to retrigger the feature by only landing two, you’ll be awarded 2 additional free games. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to accumulate extra free games as we conducted this review of Lucky Panda, so prepare for a long stay in the bamboo forest if the coins fall your way.
Seeking a Cuteness Overload?
Continual habitat destruction has led to the giant panda becoming one of the world’s most threatened animals, but there is no shortage of them at online casinos. The beloved animals are a favorite among players and software providers, which explains why so many panda-themed slots exist. Here are a couple of our favorite online slots based on the cute critters for you to check out once you’ve grown tired of exploring the bamboo forests in Lucky Panda.
A bamboo grove is the setting for Fortune Panda, a 5-reeled slot from GameArt that offers 50 fixed paylines. Visually, we love how the reels have been framed in bamboo. Plus, the realism of the animations that play whenever you form a winning combination is simply stunning. Bonus features are another reason to give it a try, especially the free spins feature which boasts locking wilds.
If you’re not afraid of high-volatility slots, you’ve got to check out Panda’s Fortune by Pragmatic Play. It’s a visually stunning 5-reeled slot that sees bonsai trees, butterflies, koi, fortune frogs and guardian lions join the adorable giant pandas on the reels. Again, this is a feature-packed slot, boasting wild symbols, scatter symbols and free spins. However, it’s the opportunity to scoop one of three jackpots that is the main attraction.
Fluffy and Fun!
Giant pandas have an extremely powerful bite, but you’ll have nothing to fear when you venture deep into the bamboo forests of Lucky Panda. Rather than sink their razor-sharp teeth and claws into you, the cuddly black and white bears will help you accumulate riches beyond your wildest dreams.
The striking design of Lucky Panda makes a great first impression, and there is plenty more to like once you start spinning the reels. The structure is simply superb, offering plenty of ways to win while keeping stakes to a minimum. However, the free games feature is the main draw thanks to the multiplier bonuses and retriggering capabilities. In our opinion, Lucky Panda is one of the best online slot machines that August Gaming has released to date – so give it a few spins today.
