Joker Bombs: Slot Overview
Maestros of mobile-focused slots, Hacksaw Gaming Joker Bombs was developed by taking it easy on creative brainstorming to produce a game that many might find reminiscent of previous titles. It takes inspiration from the Pragmatic Play portfolio of slot games known for scatter pays. Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus In a similar vein to Pragmatic's past launches, Joker Bombs follows the style of pay-anywhere games, relying on a blend of cascading wins and multiplier symbols to provide achievable, though modest, max wins according to Hacksaw's standards.
Set in a bright, cheerful amusement park, you'll find a Ferris Wheel standing proudly in the background, alongside a speeding roller coaster track and hovering balloons to the left of the 6x5 game grid. It conjures an image reminiscent of Super Silly Fun Land from Despicable Me Despicable Me, where Gru triumphs at a game to win a unicorn toy. Joker Bombs might seem quite relaxed at first, but don’t be fooled—it aims to achieve as much as any other successful Hacksaw creation.
Sure, it might not reach the harsh extremes typical of Hacksaw's most challenging games, though its volatility, rated 3 out of 5, demands respect. The RTP RTP can vary as is common, so it’s wise to keep an eye out for that. The optimal return is at 96.48%, but it can be substantially lower, so it's advisable to verify. The hit frequency averages at about 23.54%, granting wins roughly once every four spins until free spins activate—or there's another possibility to buy them , depending on jurisdiction.
With a wagering range of 20 p/c to $/€100 per spin, similar to Pragmatic Plays slots, victories occur when at least 8 identical symbols appear anywhere on the grid—akin to scatter wins. Five balloon symbols with distinct appearances fill the lower paytable segment, offering rewards up to 5-15 times your bet when 15 or more are seen. Stepping up to the four premium candy-like symbols, they deliver winnings worth 50-200 times the stake when 15+ show up on the reels. Notably, there’s no wild symbol, which could have added depth to the scatter payouts, leaving joker scatters and multiplier bombs amidst the tiles.
Joker Bombs: Slot Features
Throughout the game, joker and bomb symbols emerge as special symbols. The base gameplay involves cascades and bomb multipliers, whereas the free spins feature includes more of these special symbols on the reels in theory.
Cascades
Upon achieving wins, the associated symbols get removed from the reels, letting the remaining symbols drop into the empty spaces. This facilitates additional consecutive wins, with cascades ceasing only when no new wins manifest.
Multiplier Bombs
During each spin, any winning combination's prize is displayed at the top of the screen as an impending win total. Should any bomb symbols land during the spin, their multiplier values are combined. When the cascading/winning sequence concludes, the multiplier values are calculated and applied to the cumulative win. Three bomb types exist:
- Normal Bomb – It comes with an evident multiplier, offering potential values of x2, x3, or x4 to be added to the win multiplier.
- Revealing Bomb – It lands with a mysterious question mark, unveiling x5, x10, x25, or x50. These values boost the win multiplier as well.
- Epic Bomb – It arrives marked with an 'X', displaying values of x2, x3, x4, x5, or x10. This differs from the others by directly multiplying the win multiplier.
Free Spins
Successfully landing at least three jack in the box joker symbols in the base game rewards you with 10 free spins. During this round, there are more multiplier bombs, and the chances of landing higher value ones surpass those in the base game. An additional +5 free spins are granted when three joker symbols land anywhere on the grid.
Bonus Buy
There might be an option to purchase free spins while playing Joker Bombs. If available, this feature costs 100 times the base bet but offers a slightly lowered RTP of 96.46%.
Joker Bombs: Slot Verdict
In the realm of online slots, it's not uncommon to see one developer's work being mirrored by another. Despite Hacksaw Gaming's reputation for innovation, Joker Bombs remarkably resembles another designer's concept. While Hacksaw usually paves its way into unexplored territory with its unique reel dynamics, Joker Bomb stands out as a peculiar outlier. Its lively bubblegum visuals and music amplify a carefree vibe, yet during gameplay, it can shed that laid-back aura.
This translates to Joker Bombs offering a highly unpredictable experience. Even after multiple bonus buys, achieving positive outcomes remained unusually challenging, despite the presence of more special symbols. Perhaps it was just an unlucky streak. Either way, the Epic Bomb seems pivotal: combining it with one or two Normal Bombs yielded better returns from Joker Bombs. Should you maximize the game's potential, the highest win achievable is 5,000 times the bet, which is respectable yet slightly inferior in comparison to Hacksaw’s other recent slots.
Reviewing Joker Bombs as a slot from Hacksaw was rather extraordinary due to its deviation from their typically distinct originality. While there are no glaring issues, and it performs comparably to Sweet Bonanza, offering base game multiplier features like Gates of Olympus, Joker Bombs adds another choice to the relatively limited scatter pay slots market. Overall, Joker Bombs was adequate but didn't stand out as their best effort.
In Short
This slot, reminiscent of Sweet Bonanza, might not revolutionize the genre, but its tested features and quality construction suffice to keep players entertained.
(1 = worst / 10 = best)