The new Starburst XXXtreme hits the online casinos, but can it live up to the original? (Image from games.netent.com)
Starburst has been dazzling us for years, but now, Starburst XXXtreme hits the online casinos in the hope of carrying on that success!
Starburst is renowned for being one of the most popular video slots of all time, and now NetEnt has finally decided to give us what we have been waiting for, a sequel to one of the most successful slots at the online casinos!
It might not seem like it, but NetEnt released Starburst way back in 2013, and while the slot still tops popularity lists, it has become a little dated. The modern trend is for developers to produce highly volatile slots that offer bigger payouts, and this has affected the popularity of older low variance titles such as Starburst. NetEnt has moved to address this in Starburst XXXtreme by cranking up the volatility and changing the math model behind the game.
When you power up Starbust XXXtreme, you will instantly notice the similarities. Graphically, the game looks very much like the original. However, once you start to poke around, you begin to notice that there have been some big changes! The game has a different reel format, has changed how winning contributions are created, and you now have the buyable XXXtreme feature to look forward to.
If you regularly read our news, you will know that there has been a slew of new casino content hitting the shelves in recent weeks. There has been some big titles too! Microgaming’s Immortal Romance Mega Moolah and the Tiki Infinity Reels video slot from Reel Play and Yggdrasil are two big examples!
What Has Changed in Starburst XXXtreme?
Well, as mentioned, this new version of Starburst now offers high volatility. This means wins are less frequent but generally bigger once they land. Slot trends suggest that this is what the modern video slots player prefers, so NetEnt has made this title a lot more volatile when compared to the low variance original.
As for the biggest change you will notice when powering up this slot, this is the addition of the XXXtreme feature. This allows you to buy XXXtreme spins that offer you the chance to land 1 or 2 guaranteed Starburst Wilds on each spin. We will delve into this feature a bit later, but it is fair to say that it definitely ramps up the gameplay!
Another telling difference is the reel format. The sequel has lost a payline. Rather than the 10-fixed paylines you enjoyed from the original, you now have 9 paylines. Plus, wins are now created from left to right only, and not using the pays both ways model you got used to on the first Starburst slot. You must land matching symbols on an active payline starting from the leftmost reel. To offset those changes, NetEnt has added the XXXtreme feature and added multipliers to the games main bonus feature (more on that later).
Apart from those big changes, everything else is practically the same. The symbols and the graphics are basically the same. Visually, the game has been upgraded, but it is not as noticeable as you might think.
[BLAST OFF] It's time to strap in and experience an out-of-this-world adventure with gem bursting wilds and crazy wins!🌍💫 Starburst has never been so XXXTREME‼️#starburstxxxtreme #officiallaunch #netent #slots
— NetEnt (@NetEntOfficial) July 15, 2021
Available now👉 https://t.co/ERZk2Npt5C
🔞https://t.co/dxbHXDTj8H pic.twitter.com/blkA6USnHQ
New Bonus Features as Starburst XXXtreme Hits the Online Casinos!
Once again, NetEnt has built this title around the original Starburst Wilds that played such a huge part in the first title. However, they have changed things up by adding multipliers! This makes the Starburst Wilds bonus feature so much more lucrative. Sit back and relax as we take you through each of the features, including the Starburst Wilds that you will want to see on your reels as often as possible.
Starburst Wilds Feature
Starburst Wilds were responsible for some impressive payouts on the original, but now they have been ramped up even further for the sequel. These symbols can land on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th reels only. Once they do, they not only substitute for other symbols but will also expand to cover their entire reels and lock in place for a respin of the remaining reels. Land another on the respin, and that too will lock in place for another respin. Sounds the same as the original, right? Well, it is, but now the Starburst Wilds are assigned random multipliers. They could add a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, 25x, 50x, 100x, or even 150x to the wins they help to create! Better yet, if you have more than one wild, the multipliers are added together!
Random Wilds Feature
This feature triggers randomly and could see between 1 and 3 Starburst Wild Symbols land on the three middle reels. This will automatically trigger the Starburst Wilds feature we spoke about above. With the multipliers and respins, you can imagine the sort of payouts that can be earned using the Starburst Wild symbols!
| Symbol | 5-Symbol Payout |
|---|---|
| Bar | 50x |
| Red 7 | 20x |
| Yellow Gem | 6x |
| Green Gem | 5x |
| Red Gem | 4x |
| Blue Gem | 3x |
| Purple Gem | 3x |
XXXtreme Feature
To give yourself a guarantee of landing those lucrative Starburst Wilds, you can just purchase them by activating the XXXtreme feature. Clicking this will let you buy guaranteed Starburst Wilds in return for an increase of your betting stake. You can opt to buy 1 guaranteed wild symbol for 10 times your normal bet, or 2 guaranteed wilds for 95x your normal bet. Purchasing these will ensure that you trigger the Starburst Wild feature on every spin, but you need to hope that the win is enough to offset the cost of the spin!
So what do we think?
Well, the features have definitely improved the potential of landing sizable wins. Through a combination of wilds, multipliers, and respins, it’s technically possible to land wins as high as 200,000x the bet! As for the XXXtreme feature, this is a high rollers dream. For a guarantee of landing those fabled Starburst Wilds and triggering the expanding wilds and respins with multipliers, you can simply purchase them for a much larger spin bet!
Overall, we love what NetEnt has done here. They have kept many of the core features that made the original so popular, but have also made some significant changes to the game! it is like an XXXtreme version of Starburst…oh wait.
Slot Specs: Starburst XXXtreme is 5-reel, 9-payline video slot that is classed as high variance. You can spin the reels for a minimum of 0.10 or a maximum of 50.00. netEnt has listed the RTP as 96.26%, which is pretty decent for such a highly volotile slot!
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