Sushi Express Slot
Amaya Gaming looked eastward for inspiration when they designed the Sushi Express, which is one of the more accurately rendered Asian-created online video slots. If you are a foodie, this slot is going to satisfy your appetite (or make you crave sushi). Sushi Express is 5-reel slot and features 30 fixed paylines, a progressive jackpot, and a two-part bonus event.
Fancy a California Roll?
This game uses well-designed cartoon animation with symbols portraying Soy Sauce, Sushi, Gunkanmaki, Mazikushi, Nigirizushi, Temarizushi, Wasabi, Noodles, Tuna, Shrimp, Crabs, Puffer Fish, and there’s even a slot-size Octopus Chef who dances behind the reels between spins. At the bottom of the screen is an animated Yo Sushi conveyor, which runs constantly throughout gameplay. If some online slot players find these animations to be a bit distracting, the kung fu sound effects and oriental twang won’t help the situation.
Features are a bit Fishy
Outside of the two-part bonus event (detailed in the section below), Sushi Express may look more active than it really is. The Octopus Chef is the wild sign, and players will either particularly love or hate the way he comes to life (chopping the fish) whenever he is involved in a winning combination. The Octopus Chef also doubles as the highest paying symbol and 5 of him in a line will see 1,000X per line bet multiplier applied. This translates to 10,000 coins if the maximum 10.00 coins per line is wagered.
Making up for lacking scatter pays is the Progressive Jackpot that racks up above the reels (labeled “Tips”), though it doesn’t increase when your bet does like other single-game progressive pots offered in a handful of Amaya slots. This may be appealing to some lower-limit slot players because winning this payout isn’t dependant on maxed out bets. Furthermore, this jackpot can only be won by making the right pick at the end of the Sushi Bonus round, so it’s some may feel it’s a bit more interactive than random. However, the bonus, much less the progressive jackpot, hit all that often.
Pick your Own Sushi for some Big Wins and Free Spins
The Bonus symbol graphic features two golden and represents the scatter icon (though no scatter pays are apparent) and only appears on the 3 middle reels. When 3 Bonus signs appear anywhere on reels 2, 3, and 4 the Sushi Bonus will trigger. This is a two-part bonus. In the first component of this interactive feature, the engaging player is asked to pick sushi pieces off the conveyor. These pieces will reward either free games or credit payouts. This first stage will come to an end when the 'Collect' symbol is revealed.
The second stage is the Free Spins round. Here you will play through your collected free spins, but the reels are bit different in this mode. All symbols will fade on each spin, leaving you with only the Soy Sauce and Sushi symbols; pick either to reveal a credit prize or a 'Plus One Pick' icon which allow for one more Soy Sauce or Sushi symbol pick. Additionally, this is your opportunity to win the Tip Jar Progressive Jackpot if you make the right pick.
Raw Limits
Limits range from 0.30 on all paylines, up to 300.00 on all 30 paylines. Paylines are not adjustable, but there are many bet level options to choose from within the range of min and max bets, making Sushi Express a very versatile real money slot that proves suitable for any level bettor from penny bettors to high rollers. Of course, payouts coincide with bets (i.e. the higher you bet, the higher you’ll win and vice versa).
In Closing
The bonus round does not trigger as often as most players would prefer, but there are some good payouts to be won in base play, courtesy of the wild Octopus Chef. If you can appreciate the time and effort that went into the design of this slot, including the graphics, sounds, and overall layout, you will agree that it gets an 8/10, especially when it is compared side by side with other Amaya slots that just don't make the grade.
If you are hungry for more food-themed slots, in particular sushi slots, try Betsoft’s 3D Sushi Bar online video slot, which is a bit more sophisticated than Sushi Express. The Little Master (also by Amaya) is also a charming Asian-themed slot that's also worth the time if you’re into slot concepts like these.
