Starburst Slot Review
Starburst from Net Entertainment is perhaps one of the most popular games online. It features on numerous slots, bingo and casino brands and it is frequently used as the featured game in welcome offers such as bonus spins. For example, Jumpman Slot brands offer players the chance to win up to 500 spins on Starburst via The Mega Reel bonus round. But what makes this gem filled, space themed, 10 multiline slot so popular? And how has stood the test of time against increasing competition with more features and lines?
Launched in 2012, Starburst at first glance was nothing more than another futuristic styled slot filled with gem stones. The graphics weren't exactly cutting edge, although what was over a decade ago? That said, compared to Fluffy Favourites it's like putting an iMac (Starburst) next to a ZX Spectrum (Fluffy). The slot opens on a purple space background with little yellow asteroids floating around. A planet surface with a bright star creating a rim light effect can be spotted in the bottom left. However the main part of Starburst is the brightly coloured gems that fill the screen. Numbers can be seen on either side of reels 1 and 5 and this is where - and possibly why - Starburst stood out. Although it has just 5 reels and 10 paylines, those paylines pay from left to right as well as right to left. Thereby giving players more chances to win. Gameplay is accompanied with some appropriate spacey music straight out of an 80s synth.
Hot To Play Starburst
To wager on Starburst you need to set your coin value, 1p, 2p, 5p or 10p and 20p plus a level value which ranges from 1 to 10. This basically multiplies the coin value to give you your total wager. So the minimum play is 10p (1p coin, level 1, 10 paylines) whilst the maximum is £20 (20p coin, level 10, 10 paylines). In the old days there used to be autoplay options but these have now gone due to UKGC rules. Once you've selected your wager then it's simply a case of spinning the reels. On the reels are a bunch of gem symbols represented by yellow, green, purple, orange and blue. These are joined by traditional fruit machine symbols of Bar and Lucky 7. The latter are the highest paying symbols and pay out x250 and 120 respectively for five of a kind. The purple and blue gems represent the lower paying symbols and these payout x25 for five of kind.
Starburst Wilds
The main feature of Starburst is the Starburst Wilds. These wild symbols, represented by a big colourful star cluster, can appear on reels 2, 3 and 4 during any spin. When they appear the wilds expand over the whole column and a re-spin is activated. The maximum number of re-spins is 3. Note that this is the only real bonus round on Starburst. You won't find free spins, progressive jackpots or scatter features during play. Now usually this would be a pretty OK feature but remember Starburst pays from both sides so whilst you may not win from the usual left to right you may still pick up wins from right to left. When winning lines do appear these are greeted with some loud sound effects and occasionally words like combo and mega combo.
Our Verdict
The fact that Starburst remains one of the top online slots after so many years says a lot about it's merit. Despite having just 10 paylines, the left to right and right to left wins plus combos make it an exciting slot to play. The Starburst Wilds with respins add an extra dimension. Wagering at 10p for the chance to win up to 50,000 coins is also a bonus. Simplicity is the key to Starburst and NetEnt have hit the winning formula. Many others have tried to emulate the success of Starburst. Even Net Entertainment launched a follow-up, BerryBurst, during 2018 but nothing really comes close to the quality of the original classic game. There's even a Slingo version of the game but we're not sure that comes close to the original either. Starburst is regared as a medium volatility slot. We found that wins were fairly regular but were a decent size when they occurred. In short, Starburst is one of our favourite slots to play online - we think it might becomes yours as well.
Where To Play Starburst Slot
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