According to our count, KokeshiPop is the seventeenth PopWins-powered slot machine to leave the AvatarUX factory. If, like us, you had to look up the meaning of Kokeshi on the internet, here it is in a nutshell. Kokeshi, or Japanese wooden dolls, have been popular with children for over 150 years. Miis, Nintendo’s mascot characters, and LittleBigPlanet, a PlayStation game franchise, both include characters whose absence of limbs and legs is a distinctive trait. They’ve even got their own video slot machine now.
KokeshiPop is a beautifully crafted game that presents a subtle yet pleasing interpretation of Japanese aesthetics and culture. Well, that’s one perspective on it, and while KokeshiPop may be considered an Asian slot, it certainly doesn’t look like most Asian slots. It’s more like a cross between MonkeyPop and Big Bamboo in terms of the game’s delicate origami aesthetic. The main attraction is an expanded game grid set in a bucolic cartoon landscape complete with a pagoda-like building. AvatarUX has also done a great job with the finer points, such as the animations of the symbols and the satisfying illumination of the winning ways when the reels stop.
When the base game begins, each of KokeshiPop’s 5 reels will have 3 symbols on it. There are 486 possible combinations at this size, with wins paid both left to right (beginning with the first reel) and right to left (beginning with the fifth reel) (note that five-of-a-kind wins only pay in one direction). KokeshiPop is a medium-volatility slot that can be played for as little as 20 cents per spin all the way up to £/€40 a spin, and it’s available to play on any device.
There are at least 12 normal pay symbols, and a winning method is formed when matching symbols land on at least three consecutive reels beginning on each side of the grid. The lower values are represented by the standard 10-A card ranks, the middle values by amulets (? ), swords, and cats, and the upper values by three colorful characters and one super-high figure. Low-paying symbols return 1x the wager, medium-paying symbols return 1.5x, high-paying symbols return 2x, and super-paying symbols return 5x. The wild sign, shown as a waving cat, may stand in for any of the standard pay symbols. Free games are the only time you’ll see wilds.
KokeshiPop Slot Game FunctionsThe PopWins mechanism is essential to KokeshiPop. When a winning combination is generated, the two matching symbols are removed from the grid and replaced with two new symbols. Reels may go up to a maximum of 6 symbols high during the main game, and 7 symbols high during free spins. When a win occurs, PopWins will immediately swap out the winning symbols with new ones.
Initial Multiplier
When all reels in the base game reach 6 symbols high, a 5, 10, or 20-times multiplier is rewarded. Each future win from that point on will have its multiplier doubled, however the multiplier will reset between spins. Once all reels have been unlocked, the symbols on the reels will fall off the grid and be replaced with a fresh set.
Bonus Turns
Free games are awarded for landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters during the main game. During these bonus rounds, the reels will expand to a maximum of 7 symbols high from the normal height of 4. The height of the reels will reset in between bonus rounds. In addition, free spins come with a win multiplier that begins at x1. When you get two or more wins on the same spin, the multiplier increases by 1. If the height of all the reels reaches 7, the current win multiplier will be multiplied by a random number between 5 and 20. When the reels are unlocked, all symbols are wiped out and replaced with new ones, plus two additional free games are added to the total. The multiplier will reset to 1 after each free game.
The Roulette Bet
Prior to the start of the free spins, players have the option of spinning a wheel for a chance to win an additional 12 free games. If you guess correctly, you win the next greatest amount of free spins; if you guess incorrectly, you lose and return to the main game.
Deposit Bonus and Ante Bet
When accessible, the “bonus buy” button allows players to immediately enter the bonus game. You may choose between 5 risk-free spins (valued at 60x your wager) or 12 risk-free spins (valued at 240x your wager). Players may also engage the Ante Bet, which raises their wager by 25% and enhances their chances of triggering free spins by a factor of 2.
Slot Judgment in KokeshiPop
There’s no denying that AvatarUX’s creative abilities have grown alongside the PopWins collection. Not that the older slots didn’t have style, but the series’ subsequent releases have gained a polish that makes them a pleasure to the eyes. AvatarUX is actively employing eye-catching artwork, and the latest addition to their portfolio, KokeshiPop, is just one more illustration of this trend. Although Asian-themed slot machines can often appear niche, the utilization of a distinctive aesthetic like that employed here has brought KokeshiPop closer to the mainstream and so increased its potential audience.
What can you anticipate to find in a serving of KokeshiPop? During our evaluations, we found that KokeshiPop was one of the “lighter” PopWins slots, both in terms of its mathematical model and its maximum win (10,000x) than we were expecting. We didn’t feel like KokeshiPop was a slot that really advanced the PopWins concept; rather, it seemed like a sidestep. However, there are some unique features that may pique the curiosity of PopWins experts. A great PopWins sequence can be bolstered by the multiplier that is provided for filling all reels in the base game. The multiplier for free spin wins also doubles during this round. It was quite the offer, appearing to be a cross between Raptor DoubleMax and PopWins. Nonetheless, it was tough to not feel at least a little bit let down by the fact that the win multiplier resets between free spins. Theoretically, though, juicy amounts are achievable due to the fact that multipliers multiply the win multiplier.
Playing KokeshiPop was an enjoyable auditory and visual experience overall. It’s not the best in the series, but it might be an excellent introduction to the PopWins method for those who want to try it out in a friendlier setting than others provide.
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