Great 88 Pokie Review
Great 88 is a 5-reel 30-payline video pokie developed by Betsoft. Its vibrant Chinese theme will touch the hearts of many gamblers who like bonus features and extremely big wins. The mention of “extremely big” is no exaggeration because the highest potential prize in Great 88 reaches a stunning x6000 a total bet or $90,000 at max. You have the chance to win firecracker wilds, free spins, instant cash and a spin of the bonus wheel. This is a delicate, charming pokie with a fine Chinese flavor.
Pokies with a Chinese theme are not rare these days but Great 88 is one of the best in its kind, mainly due to the premium-quality of computer graphics created by Betsoft. The background picture is full of coolness and tranquility. The dimply water in the pond, elegant lanterns, trees with pink blossom and a small dwelling with a concave roof. Each column of symbols is designed as a long blue scroll, and the five columns taken together look like an ancient manuscript featuring a decorative tassel on both sides.
Symbols and bet options
All symbols are associated with the Chinese culture and many of them represent the things that are little known or unknown for people brought up in the Western world. The paytable shows symbols divided into two separate groups. The first category is Standard Symbols that include orange, green and red bamboo chops of undefined purpose (maybe, they are used for room decoration) that have the same payouts (up to $12.5 for five of a kind). Then go red and green tiles with hieroglyphs on each ($25 for five of a kind), a green G medallion ($50) and a red 8 medallion ($100).
The second group of symbols bears the name of “High Value” in the paytable. They are separated from the rest because these pictures are part of a bonus feature that occurs at times. These include some cultural artifacts and figurines with the top three payouts being $2500 for five dragons, $1500 for lions and $1250 for jade toads.
There are two adjustable options in the pokie. A coin denomination is changed in a small range between $0.01 and $0.10, with up to 5 coins accepted per line. This gives the minimum and maximum bets of $0.30 and $15 per spin. All the thirty lines are always in play and you cannot deactivate any.
Wild symbol
The oriental open-handedness is known all over the world, and the lavish wild symbol represented by a bunch of firecrackers is proof that the pokie at any moment will heap gifts on you. Whenever three, four or five wilds land on a payline, you will scoop 440, 4440 or 44,440 coins, accordingly. In real money terms, the highest potential prize is a hefty $22,220. Being the most beneficial imagery, Wilds also perform their usual function of replacing for other symbols.
Lucky Boxes
Red boxes are special feature symbols and they hide big treasures behind. Hitting three of them in any position activates 1 of 5 bonuses and gives you the chance to win x6000 times the total stake. The feature is determined at random.
The lucky boxes may hide either of the high-valued symbols. When dragons or lions contained in the boxes are revealed, they increase your chances for massive wins because they will combine with standard lions or dragons to make a combination.
The lucky boxes may hide bronze coins inside. Each red box reveals 1, 2 or 3 coins. The bonus win is calculated as the total number of bronze coins multiplied by your total bet. Given that the maximum number of these symbols is 15, you can pocket up to $225.
Another feature released by treasure boxes is known as Firecracker Wilds. Should this occur, the red boxes explode and the chain reaction turns one or two adjacent symbols into wilds. As is mentioned above, wilds may produce a top-paying combination. So the Firecracker Wilds is a wonderful chance for you to have a good loot.
If you see jade coins inside the lucky boxes, then you get to enjoy a free spin round. A box may contain 1 to 5 jade coins, each giving one free spin. So you can win 3 to 25 free spins in total.
An ultimate feature with lots of stunning prizes is triggered if the lucky boxes contain a golden boat-shaped ingot known as a sycee. One ingot gives one spin on a lucky wheel. The bonus wheel consists of six sections with the following prizes: two sections with 8 free spins; x5, x10 or x20 the total stake and; one spin on the Mega Win Wheel. Consider yourself a lucky one if the pointer stops at the Mega Win Wheel segment because this is where the tremendous jackpot prize can be won. You are then invited to make a spin on the Mega Win Wheel that features three possible outcomes with different hit probabilities (the higher the prize, the less probability of winning): x100, x750 or x6000 the total stake. Consequently, the maximum possible jackpot available in the bonus runs up to $90,000!
Double Up feature
Any winning spin in base game gives you an option to increase your earnings in a double up feature. You are to guess correctly the outcome of a coin toss. Guessing it right (Heads or Tails) multiplies your winning by x2. Note that you can gamble all or only 50%.
Bottom line on Great 88
This 5-reel 30-payline video slot is themed around China and its culture. The maximum prize up for grabs reaches an astounding $90k at the maximum bet of $15. Features include free spins, instant cash, a high-paying wild and a wheel of fortune with terrific coin prizes.