After the success Quickspin has had with theBig Bad Wolf Megawaysmakeover, we expect plenty of similar releases from this studio. First out is Eastern Emeralds Megaways, which is a bigger and somewhat bolder version of the originalEastern Emeralds. There are no drastic changes except the grid though, and 16,807 win ways is admittedly way below average for this engine.
The multiplier wilds that multiply together is still capable of producing very solid payouts, andup to 17,421x is possiblein this version. You can’t really complain, although the number is not too far off what you get in the first game. The bonus round gamble feature is brand new, giving you a chance to win more spins up front, and you still get to choose between 4 different multiplier wild features.
The premium symbols pay between 0.9 and 3 x your stake for 5 of a kind wins, and you’ll benefit from wilds on reels 2 to 5.Wildsstep in for pay symbols to help complete wins, and they come with multipliers equal to the reel number they appear on (x2 to x5 in other words). If multiple wilds are part of the same win, thewild multipliersare multiplied before being applied.
You need3+ Phoenix scattersin view to trigger theBonus Round, and you can choose to gamble for extra spins if you trigger the bonus round with 3 or 4 scatters. This gives you a50/50 chanceof reaching the next tier, but losing means the whole feature is lost.
If you choose to collect, or are successful in your gambling effort, you get to the bonus round selection screen. It comes with the following options:
Needless to say, the volatility increases in reverse proportion with the number of free spins. There is no way to retrigger the bonus round, and non-UK players canpurchase the featurefor90x the stake(96.29 % RTP). You can gamble also if you buy the bonus round, but again, this is optional.
We had a pretty good time testing Eastern Emeralds Megaways from Quickspin, and we have whipped together a brief and edited highlights video for your viewing pleasure as we usually do. You get to see only the best moments from our 200 spins test session, and you can check it all out by hitting the play button below.
Whether or not you will be disappointed from this Megaways makeover depends, as always, on your expectations. If you expected some brand new and innovative elements to be added, you will surely be disappointed. However, if you simply looked forward to an expanded dynamic grid with the same core features, Eastern Emeralds Megaways is bound to thrill.
Multiplying multiplier wilds combined with up to 16,807 ways to win makes anything possible in all stages, and not least in the 4 different bonus rounds. The options provide plenty of flexibility, as you also got in the original, and the max win hovers above17,000xfor all RTP settings (1 in 100 million chance). Overall, a solid, but safe, dynamic grid remake, which was not unexpected for a game like this.
Pros
Cons
Eastern Emeralds- is the original asian-themed installment from Quickspin, and it comes with a regular 5×3 grid with 20 paylines. You get multiplying multiplier wilds in all stages here as well, and they can combine up to x1,680 in the most volatile bonus round option. The max win sits around 16,000x.
Big Bamboo- is a volatile Push Gaming release with an asian nature theme. You get instant cash prizes that can be boosted up to the 50,000x max win via the mystery bamboo feature, and up to 4 low-pay symbols can turn into mystery bamboos in the bonus round.
Sakura Fortune 2- is another oriental-inspired release from Quickspin, and it plays out on a 3-4-4-4-3 grid with 576 paylines. You’ll benefit from the well-known Sakura Wild Respins feature, and locking 3 wilds in place awards an x3 multiplier in the bonus round. The max win is 22,482x your stake.
