Starburst Slot Review
NetEnt‘s cosmic video slot Starburst first appeared in 2012. Since then it has endured many years of success, first on the PC and later on after being modified for mobile betting. Was the game’s success always written in the stars? In this Starburst slot review we’ll examine exactly why the game remains popular even after so many years. We’ll take a look at the features of the game, including the bonus modes and technical elements that make Starburst unique before summing the game up. Will Starburst shoot for the moon? Or will it crash and burn on descent? Read on to find out.
Starburst Theme and Symbols
As mentioned above, Starburst Online features an intergalactic theme. This is reinforced by some of the in-game symbols. These are gemstones in various colours as well as a number 7 and a Bar icon which are set against planets that are orbited by stars. Finally, there is the Starburst icon that gives the game its name. This symbol is a multi-coloured-8-pointed star which expands across reels 2, 3 and 4. It substitutes for all other symbols, offering the potential for big wins if the reels fall in your favour.
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Sounds of Space
The cosmic theme is further developed through the use of exciting sound effects which resemble rockets taking off as well as mechanical sounds when reels don’t spin a winning combination. Then there’s the soundtrack. It’s the kind of electronic synthesised soundtrack you’d expect to find in an 80s sci-fi movie rather than a classic slot game, but it doesn’t feel out of place at any point.
It’s clear that NetEnt has spent a lot of time developing the space theme to its maximum. The result is a cosmic game that transports you into the furthest corners of deep space without even having to leave the safety and comfort of your living room.
How to play Starburst
The Starburst Online Slot is made up of five reels with three icons on each reel. There are 10 paylines in total. Before you begin play you have the option of adjusting your coin value using the buttons below the reels. The default coin values range from 0.01 coin to $1 with 10 coin levels. This means you can adjust your gameplay so it costs between 0.01 to $100 per spin.
Once you’ve decided on your bet limit you can start. Click the play button on the bottom of the screen and the reels will spin. Or if you prefer you can opt for autoplay. Your phone or PC will then do all the hard work for you. The idea of the game is to get a combination of three or more symbols on the same payline.
Unlike other slots, though, the combinations can run from left to right or right to left, increasing the potential number of winning combinations. NetEnt calls this their ‘Win Both Ways’ feature, which we admit sounds catchier than left to right or right to left wins. Try the game for yourself using a free play version before playing the Starburst Real Play game. You’ll see what a difference the double wins make.
Adding even more potential wins is the starburst icon. The starburst icon appears on either row 2, 3 or 4 from the top to the bottom of the reel. It acts as a wild icon replacing any other icon in a potential winning combination. The starburst icons can also expand to cover 2 or 3 reels at random for larger wins.
Lastly, the starburst icon can also trigger respins. These are capped at 3 per starburst icon. While this may not seem very high for a free spin round, it is worth noting that this occurs in conjunction with the two-way combination payout and the expanding wild option.
Starburst RTP
Starburst Online Slot has a respectable RTP of 96.1% which is above the 96% we recommend for good Online Slots returns. While it is worth noting that the higher an RTP the better, the figure does not represent the return to each player, it is an average return based on a fixed number of spins and a fixed number of players. As such, your own personal in-game RTP percentage may vary considerably from the figure shown above.
With this said, it is interesting that the RTP is so high when the game has just 10 paylines. We think part of the reason for the game’s success is its ability to pay out on combinations from left to right and right to left. This increases the chances to win considerably, making it a better choice against many Online Slots.
Starburst Volatility
A slot game’s volatility describes the likelihood of wins and the size of wins in relation to other games. The volatility of Starburst is medium, meaning that it has a reasonable number of wins and these are both large and small. A high volatility game will have less, but more valuable wins whereas a low volatility game will have more wins of lower value.
Medium volatility slots like Starburst represent good value for money across a number of budgets, whether large or small providing the player adjusts their coin value according to their bankroll. High volatility slots suit those with larger budgets who can afford to take numerous losses before receiving a potential win. Low volatility slots are suited for those who like low risk games that pay out often.
If you have a small budget these allow you to play for a longer period of time thanks to the regular wins that top up the bankroll.
Bonus features, Wilds and Free Spins
There are no additional bonus rounds on the Starburst slot. However, the unusual features that make the game unique more than makes up for this. Starburst is one of the few online games we’ve found that allows combo wins from left to right or right to left. It also has an in-game expanding wild feature which also triggers respins. These respins can be repeated up to three times, giving a player a potential for large wins. Particularly when combined with expanding wilds, too.
We’re not sure if NetEnt is considering re-designing Starburst in the future, but if they did it would be nice to keep both of these features in the game. They are occasionally imitated, but few can compete with the original innovator.
Starburst Strategies, Tips and Tricks
Starburst is an unusual game in many ways, but at its heart it is a medium volatility slot that suits most. As a medium volatility slot it’s a good idea to decide on a budget before betting. This way you’ll be able to adjust your coin value to maximise the number of spins you get from the slot on the Starburst Real Money game. By allowing yourself lots of spins you give yourself a better chance of getting somewhere near the estimated RTP. And also give yourself more chances of hitting the expanding wild feature which occurs in the game.
Extending Your Bankroll
Another way of extending your gameplay is to stretch your bankroll. To do this we recommend searching the internet to see which online casinos offer the Starburst slot.
Once you’ve compiled a small list, check out the individual promotions page and sign up bonuses for each of the casinos. You’re looking for a casino that has a good reputation and offers a bonus that will enable you to increase the number of spins you can have on Starburst.
As with all promotions, we recommend that you check out the individual bonus terms and conditions before registration to ensure that the deal is right for you.
Starburst Slot Review – Our Thoughts
It’s not often we get to review an online slot that’s considered an industry classic, but Starburst still remains as popular today as the day it was created. This is in part down to the unique play experience which allows you to win on combinations running both left and right. This opens up a world of winning possibilities that few others in the industry have caught up to yet.
While it’s fair to say the game is short on in-game bonus rounds and other gimmicks, its expanding wilds feature remains popular. As does its respin feature which uses the best of creative economy by operating from the same icon. We feel, though, that one of the main selling points of the game is its volatility.
The game is not only suitable to all budgets because of its vast coin value range, but also because it allows players to stack up wins little and often. This ensures that those with smaller budgets are not left out in the cold. Overall, in concluding our Starburst slot review, we can see why the game has remained popular for almost a decade.
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