In the African-themed Hyperhold slot Serengeti Gold from Just For The Win, you’ll be whisked away to the verdant plains of Tanzania’s national park. The three ‘Gold’ level slots released thus far all feature generic soundtracks. Wildlife depictions in the Wild West, Ireland, and Africa all use the same tired clichés. Serengeti Gold is one of the lowest jackpots in the bunch, so it would take something spectacular to keep it from being forgotten about because of its lack of creativity in this respect.
Serengeti Gold will not be rescued from indifference by its visuals. Not that they’re terrible, but the bright vista of African grasslands is rather nice. The novelty of it has long since worn off because of how often it has been repeated. Some machines have a special feature that makes them stand out in this region, allowing them to use a tired theme. But Serengeti Gold follows the formula too closely to be even slightly original. The scenery is great, but the game itself is forgettable.
The gaming area consists of 5 reels and 3 rows and has 25 fixed paylines. Jackpot values on the side ladder are underwhelming compared to those of Western Gold and Emerald Gold. A nicely upbeat music is now Serengeti Gold’s only redeeming feature, lending an air of ‘niceness’ to the game’s initial impressions.
Although the maximum win has decreased, Serengeti Gold is still a very risky game with an RTP of 96.1%. Keep an eye out, though, since Serengeti Gold also has two alternative return options, at 94% and 92% respectively, depending on where you live. A winning combination of three or more identical symbols occurs once every 3.7 spins on average.
There are nine symbols in Serengeti Gold, four of which are the low-paying J through A icons, and four of which represent the big five creatures of Africa (the buffalo, rhino, leopard, and elephant). A payoff of between 7.5 and 20 times the total stake is possible for landing a combination of five matching animals. The betting range across all devices is between 10 pence and £/€100 per spin. The lion is the ultimate large cat and the wild emblem in Serengeti Gold. Wilds in a winning line are equivalent in value to the elephant and can substitute for other pay symbols.
Slot Machine Features in Serengeti Gold
Free spins and Hyperhold Respins are the game’s two additional features in Serengeti Gold. When 3 Scatter symbols appear anywhere on reels 1, 3, or 5, the bonus spins round is activated. Free spins and multipliers ranging from 2x to 5x are awarded after a single spin of the wheel. In the bonus game, your normal line wins might be multiplied by a certain amount. When 3 free spins symbols appear, free spins can be retriggered. Extra free spins are always equal to the number of free spins won initially. The factor has not changed.
In conclusion, we will discuss bonus symbols. These are the golden discs with numbers on them, and getting six of them in view during a single spin will earn you three Hyperhold Respins. Only new bonus symbols or empty spaces can appear during the feature, since the triggering bonus symbols remain fixed in place. If a bonus sign appears, it will stay put and the number of Respins will start over at 3. Bonus symbols can award payouts ranging from 1x to 20x the wager, or they can reveal either the Mini Jackpot (30x the wager) or the Major Jackpot (100x the wager). The 2,500x Mega Jackpot is earned if bonus symbols fill all 15 available spots.
The Verdict on Serengeti Gold Slots
When compared to the other two ‘Gold’ games from Just For The Win, Serengeti Gold is the clear loser. If you’re not into leprechauns, the 25,000x top prize at Emerald Gold will help you get over it. Serengeti Gold, on the other hand, offers neither a large prize nor any other reason to get fired up. The picturesque landscape of Tanzania and the upbeat music are the film’s strongest points. If a game needs more than pretty visuals to entice you to play it, then Serengeti Gold falls short.
The Hyperhold function has been passed around among Microgaming’s affiliated studios like a community bag of Lays; each iteration is largely identical to the last. There isn’t any of the creative flair that developers like Relax Gaming and Nolimit City are bringing to their games, so it’s simply a basic hold-and-win mechanic. Instead, Serengeti Gold is content to ride the coattails of mediocrity, providing neither tremendous thrills nor causing any waves.
The trouble with trying to please everyone is that you end up pleasing nobody. Serengeti Gold may not offend or startle anyone, but it also fails to leave much of an impact. The company, which had been making pretty volatile, large win games, has taken a step backward with this release. Okay, so not every gambling novelty is going to blow the socks off of die-hard gamers, but Serengeti Gold might be a hit with those who appreciate the notion of hunting Africa’s big five without leaving the comfort of their couch. Having said that, there isn’t much in Serengeti Gold that screams, “you must play me,” so that could be a bit of an exaggeration.