Outback Downunder Slot
Outback Downunder video slot is a mobile optimised 5 x 3 reel game that has 243 ways to win that are adjustable. With software by Novomatic, the search is on for opals in the outback of Australia. As a recent addition to online casinos, this trip down under is an expedition to remote dry lands where kangaroos roam free, not that you’ll see any in this game other than a road warning sign or two which prove to be extremely helpful. There is a dingo, croc and a frill necked lizard to see, plus a guide sporting a crocodile tooth hat who clearly knows his way around the bush.
The background to the game area is a typical looking outback scene with eucalyptus trees, minus the koalas, and bush grass. The design has not gone for realism, but instead uses well drawn illustrations to represent the country and iconic images. The reel grid has 15 tiles of symbols ready to spin into life once a bet has been placed. It's a betting range that is more geared to suit high rollers, although through the adjustment of the 243 paylines by the bet multiplier makes lower betting possible with a range of 0.50 to 100.00.
Classic Symbols
Many pokie games have symbols from a pack of playing cards to make up the lower paying group in the pay table. In Outback Downunder, these are the higher ranking cards given a sleek makeover with the design. The 3 animals already mentioned of dingo, crocodile and frill necked lizard also make the symbols. The dingo is illustrated against a lightning sky at sunset. The crocodile is thrashing about in a billabong, and the lizard is displaying his frills that give him the name, and given a sandy desert background setting. The guide is the high paying of the bunch when it comes to the pay table.
As the game is in the wilds of the outback, the wild symbol is the map of Australia. During the base game, it just performs a replacing role for enhancing wins. When the free games feature is triggered by collecting the 3 opal scatter symbols, 15 spins play for no extra bet cost and the wild awards multipliers for payline wins of x2, 3 or 5. Players also get the opportunity to gamble wins by choosing the colour of a card to be red or black, in a double or nothing game.
On the Road
The kangaroo warning sign symbol can spark a bonus feature that has the potential to really payout well. If these scatters fall on their designated 1st and 2nd reels, the 2 reels stick and the other 3 get locked down. Each of these 3 reels can have a respin dependent upon if the previous reel has a multiplier. Spin reel 3 and if it lands a 2x or 3x multiplier, it unlocks reel 4. If 3x or 5x falls, reel 5 is unlocked. If 10x or 15x falls, it will multiply the current bet value by the amount shown.
There is an auto play button available to the game to spin without having to click anything for a while. This doesn’t allow the gamble feature to play, and it's also possible to run away with the balance at an alarming rate if not paying close enough attention as there’s no custom settings. The only way to stop it once it has started is by selecting it again. The keyboard space bar can also activate spin if playing on a computer and this is easier to click again to make the reels stop much faster, much like a turbo button would.
Wild and Free
The free Untamed Wolf Pack slot uses realism to display a stunning landscape that is home to the animals in this slot with stunning clarity. It's a 243 ways to win themed slot but it could also easily fall into an animal themed slot just as Outback Downunder could. It's a great game that is part of an Untamed series of different games from Microgaming, with added features to help win big with up to 180,000 to play for.
There are running wilds, collect a wild and a lucky nudge free spins feature. The gamble game is a unique one called the ‘your gamble feature’ that allows 50% of the bet to be saved and a button to adjust the gambling odds. It's always a very refreshing change when developers bother to incorporate a feature to gamble into the themes design, rather than tacking on a standard look.
Australia, the Land of Plenty
If a trip to Australia is what you are looking for to win some real cash, then quite possibly Outback Downunder is the pokie for you. It has an extremely high limit bet range and seems to play with medium to high variance. It's not unpleasant to look at, but unless you have a large credit balance, looking at it is probably all you will do.
The concept of reel respins aren’t new, but we liked the special way they featured in Outback Downunder with the kangaroo signs. The gamble feature could have been a lot better, especially when compared to some of the other games like Untamed Wolf pack. It does have a decent pay table, but playing the low stakes with a lot less pay ways, makes it very difficult to pull in those wins to any great effect.
