Candy Bingo 3D
When it’s time to revamp a film franchise, bring in a new generation of fans, or just make an otherwise ordinary film into a spectacle for the eyes, directors inevitably turn to one gimmick: 3D. Of course, it’s not always just a cheap trick to get more bodies into the theater: 3D graphics can sometimes add a lot to the experience, especially when they are done with care as a way to enhance an already great product, instead of trying to make the flashy effects be the entire reason for buying a ticket.
The power of 3D has also been a factor at online casinos in recent years. Increasingly, software developers have created more of their games – particularly slot machines – with three-dimensional graphics in order to help them stand out from the crowd.
Sometimes, this initiative extends beyond slot machines and into other titles as well. That’s the case with Candy Bingo 3D, a game developed by Patagonia Entertainment. In most ways, this game is very similar to the original Candy Bingo game that is still offered at many casino sites. But this version throws in revamped, 3D graphic in order to become a feast for the eyes, and changes just enough to make it a slightly distinct game from the less flashy version.
A Sweet Package
The first thing you’ll notice when you load up Candy Bingo 3D is that the graphics feel like they pop off the page a bit. However, this isn’t the kind of imagery that requires special glasses to view, nor is it even similar to the complex animations found in Betsoft slot machines. Instead, these are just colorful, attractive graphics presented with a healthy dose of perspective that makes them appear layered on the screen. Compared to the original version of this game, the graphics are spectacular, far surpassing the older title in detail and quality.
In this game, players will be presented with four miniature bingo cards, each of which has just 15 numbers divided into three rows of five spots each. These numbers range from 1-90, with the lower numbers on the left and the higher on the right. At the start of each round, players must pay for these cards, with a range of potential bet denominations available to choose from. No matter what, however, your bet on all four of these tickets will be the same.
When you’re ready to start the game, you can hit the spin button. At that point, pieces of candy – each with a number on it – will begin falling from the top of the screen. Each time a number is drawn, it will be marked off anywhere it might appear on your cards. In this segment of the game, a total of 34 numbers will be drawn, after which the game will pause.
This seems like a good place to begin talking about the prices you can potentially win each time you play. The object of the game is to complete as many full lines as possible on each of your cards. The prizes you’ll win increase exponentially as your card fills up: two lines pays much more than one, while filling the whole card will pay out truly enormous rewards. The payout structure is as follows:
- One Line: 3x
- Two Lines: 25x
- Full House: 1,000x
You will only win the largest prize on each individual card; however, you can win on multiple tickets during the same round. In addition, there are other patterns that can trigger a bonus round, and it is even possible to win a jackpot. We’ll cover these possibilities in the next section.
Once your 34 balls have been revealed, you’ll have two options. One is to end the game now by hitting the exit button. If you do this, your prizes will be awarded, and you’ll be able to start the whole process over again. However, there is also an extra ball option that you can utilize if you want to get one or more additional chances to score prizes on the current round.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see a “credits” graphic that tells you just how much your extra ball will cost you. This price will vary depending on how much you played for, as well as the current status of your tickets. If you’re taking one more shot at completing a single line, the cost will be very small; try to fill out a card, on the other hand, and you’ll be paying a lot for the opportunity.
In total, you may take the extra ball option up to ten times. You’ll always trigger it one at a time, however: after each new number, you’ll again have the chance to either end play or take one more. After the 10th and final ball (the 44th in total), you’ll be forced to stop no matter what.
There are a couple of other options worth talking about before we move on. If you want to quickly bet as much as possible on your next game, the “max bet” button will take care of that for you. If you’d like to change up your cards, the new tickets button will randomly generate four new ones, giving you new numbers to shoot for in your upcoming game. Autoplay and turbo features are also available for those who enjoy faster action, and the sound (while cute) can be turned off if you’ve had enough of it.
A Bonus Treat
Beyond the normal gameplay, it is also possible to trigger a second-screen bonus round if you can make the right patterns. There are three different patterns that give you the chance to get into this special feature: a full ring covering the outer edge of a card, a square around the center, or a near full-house, missing only the leftmost and rightmost spots on the center row. Each of these configurations will take you into a different bonus feature.
Choose A Candy: In this special game, you’ll be tasked with selecting from a menu of nine candies that look like they’ve been plucked out of a classic chocolate sampler. Each time you choose one, a friendly elf will help reveal an instant credit prize. You can then move on to the next piece, hoping to reveal more prizes. The game continues until you unfortunately reveal one that does not have a prize. At that point, another elf will fly on the screen, ending the game but awarding your accumulated credits from the feature.
Choose a Cupcake: This version will have you choose one of three delectable cupcakes, each of which reveals a different instant prize. In this case, however, you only pick one: the prize is revealed, and then the game ends.
Lucky Wheel: This is the same bonus round found in the original Candy Bingo game. You’ll have three spins on a wheel that features different types of candies, each of which is attached to a different credits prize. The three spins accumulate, and then the total will be added to your account balance.
In addition, there’s also a jackpot that can be won in this game. The current progressive jackpot size is listed near the top-left of the screen during play, and is only available if you are betting at least three credits per card. In order to win the jackpot, a player must complete a full house on any card without taking any extra balls on that round. The jackpot prize is then added to any other winnings you’ve earned on that play.
Extra Chances Come at Steep Price
While this game is almost entirely based on luck, there is one point at which some interesting decisions have to be made. When the game offers you the chance to buy an extra ball, should you take it, or should you simply stick with what you’ve earned so far?
If the cost of every extra purchase was the same, then this would be an easy problem: you’d take the additional balls when they could earn you one of the top prizes, and otherwise turn them down. Unfortunately, the pricing scales depending on just how much you stand to win if you’re lucky enough to hit the right number. This price always seems to be just a bit too much to justify the cost, meaning we have to recommend turning down this option unless you run into an unusual situation where you’re getting an outstanding deal.
Incidentally, this version of the game doesn’t provide a return to player figure in its documentation. However, we imagine it is similar to the original Candy Bingo, which boasted an 85% RTP – low compared to many online gambling options, but not atypical for a specialty game of this type.
Bigger and Bolder
Candy Bingo 3D isn’t all that different from the 2D version of the same game, as the gameplay options are largely similar. The one notable difference is the introduction of three bonus rounds instead of just the one we saw in the simpler alternative, and while this isn’t a major change, it does add some variety to the gameplay, which is always welcome in a relatively simple game like this.
The real difference between the two comes in presentation. There’s simply no comparison between the graphics in the two versions, with the 3D game blowing away the original in detail and quality. With most other features being identical (or close to it), we have to recommend Candy Bingo 3D, as the improved appearance and art are a nice upgrade that come with virtually no downsides for players. If you’re concerned about loading times – a possibility if you’re playing on a mobile device – then stick to the 2D interface; otherwise, this is the better of the two options.
