Pop Rocks
Pop Rocks is the first game in a series which include the PopWins mechanic added to the Yggdrasil pokies stable, and fans of Medallion Megaways are sure to love this format, in which sparkling gems bear mysterious powers which pop, then multiply and expand.
The game is simple to play - just press the spin button to begin, or press auto-play for the game to play itself, from two to unlimited spins, until you choose to take back control if you trigger a bonus feature. You can play at normal or fast speed, and select your bet size, from 0.10 to 30 on the bet level interface.
You’ll start the game with five reels and three rows, providing 486 win-ways. Winning combinations of symbols must land on adjacent reels starting from reel one. In the PopWins feature, two fresh symbols will replace winning symbols, expanding the reels up to seven rows, to give you the maximum 33,614 ways to win. As Pop Rocks is a high volatility pokies game, the Pops can add more lucrative symbols, increasing win potential up to the maximum 72,188x your stake.
There is a multiplier feature which expands by one for every seven symbols popped. The multiplier resets when there are no more wins.
When all reels reach their seven-high maximum, the Unlock Wild is triggered, and one wild is immediately awarded in a random spot. The multiplier increases by x2 instead of x1 for every seventh pop. Now only one new symbol will appear for every pop.
Payout and RTP
You will find the corresponding symbol payout rates in the paytable.
Note that Superhigh and High symbols do not feature on the spinning reels and only appear from Pops.
1. There is one Superhigh symbol - Five = 100x bet, Four = 8x bet, Three = 3.2x bet.
2. There are four High symbols - Five = 10x bet, Four = 3.2x bet, Three = 1.6x bet.
3. There are four Medium symbols - Five = 4x to 2x bet, Four = 1.6x to 1x bet, Three = 0.8x to 0.4x bet
4. There are four Low symbol - Five = 0.8x to 0.6x bet, Four = 0.4x to 0.28x bet, Three = 0.16 to 0.08.
If any of the reels contain more than one of the winning symbols, your win will be multiplied. To calculate the multiplier, check each reel for the symbol. For example, if reel one contains two, the second two and the third three, then your multiplier is 2x2x3=12x. All this means a high RTP of 96.8%, giving it the edge over most other games.
Graphics and Soundtrack
The Pop Rocks pokie has a mystical theme, and it boasts an epic and dramatic soundtrack, and its visuals are crisp.
It has a mysterious feel and the low value icons are Asian-styled playing card royals.
Gemstones make up the medium range symbols, with the red providing the best rewards.
Then there are the highest value symbols, which are generated by pops and boast cool designs. The wild symbol can substitute for any other symbol. The benefit of this high-quality design and HTML5 technology is that Pop Rocks looks great across all devices.
Verdict
If you like to be at the cutting edge of new games, then Pop Rocks could be your cup of tea. This new pokie comes with the PopWins mechanic which is one of the new buzzwords in the online gaming industry. Pop Rocks is one of the most exciting newcomers to the online casino market, with some unique and exciting features.
The start game features five reels and 486 win ways. The PopWins mechanism means that this can increase up to a staggering 33,614 ways to win. This feature is not currently widely available, and is sure to attract players. This also means that the maximum jackpot can be 72,188x your stake, one of the highest in the pokie market.
The RTP rate is also impressive at 96.80%. Add the Multiplier feature and a Bonus Mode and you can see why Pop Rocks is attracting players in droves. The betting range of 0.10 to 30 means that both penny players and high-rollers will be interested in Pop Rocks, especially when they realise the high volatility of the game and a maximum win of 72,188x makes big returns possible for maximum bets.
The hit rate of 22% is the downside, although a win every five spins is still not too bad.
This can open up payouts of up to 250x the stake and these higher symbols can also make up their own combinations. Five symbols can result in a boost of 2,500x your bet. If these numbers sound mind-boggling. let’s take a look at the multiplier bonus. This is activated after seven pops have been collected, each adding 1x to the value - and what is more, there is no limit to the multiplier.
Finally, there is the Bonus Mode, which offers seven symbols on all reels, maxing out the grid and opportunities. During this feature, the wilds will be given randomly and the multiplier rises to 2x.
Although the jackpots are impressive, it is the design and features of this game which make it stand out.