If anyone out there is in the mood for an Asian-themed online slot heavily dosed up on elements of the East, they would do well to join us on our journey through Pragmatic Play's online slot 888 Bonanza. The name, for instance, is a dead giveaway as to what potential participants can expect, seeing as the number 8 is an auspicious number in Chinese culture associated with prosperity. Seeing as 888 Bonanza is an online casino game, prosperity is a coveted, though completely random, outcome. When all is going well in 888 Bonanza, it means features such as its pick-me bonus game with four Jackpot Prizes and/or free spins where the low-pay symbols are removed are going well.
If you like the look of Asian slots that flirt on a knife edge between disappointing genericism and respectful tradition, 888 Bonanza might be just the ticket. With a purply red background, wavering red gold lanterns, and thematic patterned designs sprinkled about the place, 888 Bonanza is indeed a bonanza of Asian slot design. There's not much else to say about the audiovisuals other than they create a 'down with it or you're not' situation.
When you're done chilling to the soundtrack, which meanders like a clear water brook over rocks and reeds, it's time to pick a bet. The choices go from 38 c to $/€228 and are linked directly to the bet multiplier prizes displayed about the 5-reel gaming grid. Each reel holds 3 rows, feeding into a 243-ways-to-win pay system. One of 888 Bonanza's high points is its 97.08% RTP, while volatility has been classed as high (4 out of 5).
If the low pay 9-A card ranks don't feel thematic enough, the way they are removed from the grid during free spins should be reassuring. In the base game, though, hitting a way of 5 matching low pays awards 0.66 to 1.32 times the bet (payouts may be rounded due to the awkward bet levels). Manage to land 5 matching high-pay coins, sycees, turtles, boats, or golden phoenix adornments, and the payouts increase to 1.97 to 5.26 times the stake. Wilds exist on all but the leftmost reel, as well, substituting for any regular pay symbol.
Wilds are also needed to trigger one of 888 Bonanza's features, the Jackpot Bonus Game, while the other extra is a free spins round.
Whenever a wild appears on the screen in the base game, there is a chance it randomly triggers the Jackpot Bonus Game. Easy as pie this one: 12 coins appear in a 4x3 grid, and players pick them one at a time to reveal a Jackpot symbol. When 3 of the same Jackpot symbols are visible, the associated prize is paid. This equates to 30x, 50x, 100x, or 1,000x the bet for the Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand Jackpots, respectively.
Manage to land 3, 4, or 5 scatters from left to right on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel triggers 10 free spins plus a payout of 5, 10, or 50 times the bet. During free spins, only wilds, high pays, or scatters are present on the reels. Low pays are removed. Free spins can be retriggered in the same way as they are triggered from the base game, with no set limit.
888 Bonanza is one of those games where, even if it's muted, you can almost imagine a gong clanging in the distance when it loads on the screen. It's also a game that could hardly be more steeped in the Asian theme if it headed to China, achieved near immortality through traditional methods, and resided in downtown Shanghai for generations, adopting every aspect of the local culture and customs. In other words, 888 Bonanza delivers a hardcore helping of an online slot version of Asian culture, which should please certain gamblers on the lookout for this style.
There was something about 888 Bonanza that felt like it had been used before, and not just because much of the imagery which went into its making has been spotted in various other locations. After a bit of digging, yep, it seems that 888 Bonanza is a remake of Caishen's Gold, an Asian-themed slot Pragmatic Play released back in 2017. The main clue was the noticeably large default RTP figure, leading like a trail of breadcrumbs back to the older game. Aside from a few technical alterations (max bet is higher, wilds can land on an extra reel, for example) and, of course, the skin and sounds change, most else has stayed the same, including the absence of max win information. The Grand Jackpot's 1,000x is a win target, but it's not clear if larger totals are possible from regular ways wins. You might assume yes, especially since low pays are cleared from the grid for free spins, but who can say?
If you've been interested enough to make it all the way to the end of the review, it's an indicator that you could well be a gambler who resides in or near 888 Bonanza's target audience. Such is the singular focus 888 Bonanza has, it's a game many may judge whether it's for them or not by a single screenshot rather than digesting a review of the ins and outs.
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