Fireworks Fever Slots
Fireworks Fever is a unique slot game that’s played out on a 9x9 grid of symbols which disappear when they are part of a winning line, leaving space for new ones to drop into. While this cascading reels feature is nothing new, what’s different is that longer lines of matching symbols can see whole rows vanishing, or even all symbols on the grid exploding, for a completely new set to appear. On top of this, players collect Pachinko balls with each win and these are then used in a bonus round where the winnings can really cause fireworks, while there’s even a progressive jackpot that can be won in an instant.
It’s been released by Tokyo-based casino games developer Gamatron, which in common with most of their games, means it has a very distinct Japanese style to it. The symbols are a fun blend of stylised ninjas, Japanese writing and decorative bombs, and of course, Pachinko is a national obsession in the country, where huge arcades are dedicated to this ball-dropping pinboard game.
One of these arcades makes up the background image to Fireworks Fever, although it’s a fairly blurred out image that looks like it was painted by Van Gough. Highly unlikely, but you get the idea. Because there’s so many symbols on the reels, the mobile optimised version loses this backdrop, just to make things a bit clearer on the smaller screens of iPhones, iPads and Android devices, but none of the rewarding gameplay or features are lost, and there’s a high return to players of 95% across all platforms.
Entering the grid
This is in effect, a 9-reel game where each reel is 9 symbols high, although there are no conventional paylines and winning combinations will be made up of 3, 4, or 5 matching symbols anywhere on the grid, in horizontal or vertical lines. Different symbols are worth different amounts, ranging from some orange writing that’s worth 0.2x the stake when 3 appear, through to a purple bomb that’s worth 100x the bet.
What happens when winning lines are seen depends on how many symbols are together. If a row of 3 matching symbols is seen, they will vanish, leaving gaps on the grid for new symbols to drop down in to and the process repeats if any more matching rows are in the new mix. But if any rows of 4 matching symbols are landed players are given a Super symbol, which is a stick of dynamite that blows up an entire row or column, while also awarding a 5x the bet as an instant prize. The reels cascade again and new wins can be created.
If 5 matching symbols are connected in a horizontal or vertical line, then a Mega symbol appears, and this large bomb blasts away all 81 symbols on the grid, for a totally new set to appear, plus there’s a real cash award of 10x the bet. In any spin, it’s quite possible to get more than one set of matching symbols, and each will disappear, while also paying out multiple wins in a single game.
Pachinko Fever
At the top of the grid, there’s two numbers that should be of particular interest. One of them is the rising value of a progressive jackpot, which is instantly awarded when 3 jackpot symbols appear in a row, and the other is the number of Pachinko balls waiting to be played in a bonus game. Each winning combination adds to the number of balls and the round is triggered when a traditional paper lantern with a grimacing red face on it is seen in a row.
This a two-stage feature that starts off with players firing steel-effect Pachinko balls into the game, where they bounce around off the nails and lands into prize cups at the bottom or miss the cups and fall out f or no award. Each ball landing in a cup awards credits on a 3-reel 1-payline slot machine and once all of them have been through the Pachinko game, these reels spin until there are no more credits left. It’s a simple slot where landing a win-line is pretty easy, so once the bonus round has been triggered, claiming some coins is almost, but not quite, guaranteed.
Great animations and some fun sound effects accompany the bonus feature, and it’s sure to help make this game appeal to Pachinko fans in Japan and across the world.
Betting Options
This isn’t going to be a game for high rollers however, as the maximum stake is just 30.00 per spin. Casual gamers will be able to spin the reels for as little as 0.10, although there’s also the option to try out free Fireworks Fever video slots at Gamatron-powered online casinos if you’re happy to play without any chance of landing real winnings.
There’s the further option to spin the reels on autopilot, so you don’t have to click each time, and you can pre-determine any win or loss limits beforehand. Unusually for a Gamatron game, there’s no quick spin button, but the gameplay is fairly fast anyway.
A Passion for Pachinko?
As Pachinko is so popular, it’s perhaps no surprise to see a number of online casino games based on it, with the Pachinko 3D casino game from Patagonia Entertainment being one of the most popular. This unique fusion of Patchinko and Bingo sees cards marked off with each ball landing in lettered cups, while free spins, a jackpot and the option to purchase more balls if you are close to completing a Bingo card are just some of the attractions of this fun game.
A classic Pachinko game is also available at online casinos, where you simply purchase balls, send them through the game, and either collect more balls when they land in certain cups, or trigger a 3-reel slot. Winnings in the base game can be added to wins from the slot machine and like Fireworks Fever, there’s a high return to player percentage of over 95%.
The Verdict on Fireworks Fever
This is a very unusual slot game, but one that works exceptionally well, in both the base rounds on the 9x9 grid and during the bonus features. It’s certainly not your average slot machine, and nor is it trying to be, as Gamatron have delivered a game in their own distinctive style that brings a taste of Japan to the rest of the world.
An all ways pays format, where it doesn’t matter where win-lines start or finish, should see plenty of winning spins and quite often, several combinations appearing at once, all of which vanish and potentially sees new winning lines landing in place.
It can be a little tricky to see what’s going on when 81 symbols are tumbling down the reels and exploding all over the place, but this is still a game that we won’t hesitate to recommend and that manages to bring something different to the online and mobile casino market, for which Gamatron are to be congratulated.
