China River Pokie Review
There are many pokies inspired by China, its traditions and culture, and the reviewed game seems to be one of the earliest examples of the Chinese theme. You will sink into the mysterious atmosphere of that country and get acquainted with the lifestyle of the oriental people and the way they do things. China River is not overburdened with features, in fact, it has a very few of them: a wild, scatters and free spins. But there is something impressive that will certainly appeal to you; these are Mystery Stacked symbols that allow for extremely big wins.
China River has the same structure as many other pokies, i.e., 5 reels and 3 rows. The deep red reels are set against beautiful scenery featuring a blue mountain peak, a red blooming tree, an exotic parrot and a lucid lake on which a boatman is rowing. This idyllic picture is accentuated by colorful symbols that bring the Chinese theme right across the gameplay.
The symbol set incorporates two types of pictures: 1) Playing cards 9 to A, and 2) Themed icons. As for the first category, playing cards pay out small amounts but they tend to come up very often, since the pokie has 30 paylines, and this means you get many opportunities to get one or more payable combos on each round. Pictures that revolve around China include a jade frog, a bronze cauldron, a red lotus and an hieroglyph. Payouts for these pictures are generous, with the highest reward being $1000 for five hieroglyphs lined up from left to right along a payline.
Enjoy frequent wins in China River
The pokie pays out regularly but your income per spin is normally small. In general, China River is a viable choice for gamblers who have a limited bankroll because you will tend to win smaller prizes that recoup your losses and let your bankroll stay much longer than high-variance pokies. That said, China River is an excellent alternative for starters who do not have much money at their disposal.
Bet options
The number of paylines cannot be changed – you always have 30 of them in play. There is one single option that affects a bet size, and this is a line bet. By clicking the related buttons on the user controls section, you can change a line bet between $0.01 and $10, thus, the total bet may vary between $0.30 and $300 per spin. Like many other pokies from Bally Technologies, China River is a superb choice for both low-rollers and high-rollers.
Wild symbol
An exotic parrot will help you cope with an autumn/winter gloom because this symbol acts as wild. It has though some restrictions: Only reels 2, 3, 4 and 5 can be occupied by parrots, and this is one of the reasons of why it cannot form combinations directly. Also worth noting is that wild symbols can replace for scatters, a feature that very few pokies provide.
Stacked Mystery symbols
You might have heard of stacked symbols but you have hardly met the Stacked Mystery Symbols bonus because this is a unique feature, exclusive for Bally Technologies. For each round in normal gameplay, the pokie selects a random regular symbol. The player will see a stacked mystery symbol on every reel, and in case it appears in view, all other copies of the same symbol will turn into the selected picture. The implication is that you get lots of stacked symbols on every spin, thus improving your chances of having a decent cash prize.
Free spins
A textured coin with oriental patterns on it is a bonus symbol that triggers free spins. An important thing to note about it, is that it must land on a payline like any regular symbol, in order to award a bonus. When this happens, you unlock 8, 10 or 15 free spins, for three, four or five coins, respectively. When inside free spins, you do not have to click the Spin button because the reels will move automatically, and each rotation will be free for the taking.
Furthermore, all winning combos are evaluated at two times their normal values. For example, you hit five Lotuses on a payline. Should this happen, you are awarded $1000 instead of $500 as the paytable provides. And should three or more coins be visible again on a payline, the game grants you extra free spins to what is left.
Besides, coins are able to pay out immediately before triggering free spins. If 3, 4 or 5 bonus symbols land on a payline, you are awarded up to $500 if wagering the max acceptable bet.
Bottom line on China River
China River is a 5-reel 30-payline video pokie from Bally Technologies. It features a wild symbol, a feature symbol that activates up to 15 free spins, and an exclusive Stacked Mystery Symbols feature. This-low-variance game will make you happy with frequent wins, the highest of which is $1000. Thanks to the stacked symbols functionality, you are in with a chance to grab some hefty prizes along the way.