Lion Festival Slot Machine
Celebrate Chinese New Year with Lion Festival, a new slot machine from Blueprint Gaming that belongs to the software company's Jackpot King series of games. The 5-reel video slot has 10 paylines which award wins in both directions, meaning that punters can expect a decent number of winning opportunities as the game spins.
The game is far from being conventional on the bonus gameplay front, with a number of unqiue special features including a Lion Re-spin with stacked wilds and a fortune cat icon that reveals random icons for extra winning potential.
Oriental Spins
As Chinese New Year approaches, more and more Chinese themed slot machines are coming out online. Just a few of the more notable recent releases include Fire Rooster by Habanero and Dancing Dragon Spring Festival by Playson. Lion Festival also pays homage to the annual celebration that takes place on the first full moon after the winter solstice by presenting 5 reels that are filled with iconic props related to the festivities.
Spinners will come across lucky golden coins, red, money punches and golden ingots, also known as Sycee. All of these images promote the notions of well and prosperity that are attached to the coming of the new year in China. The game also features a special lion icon in honour of the electrifying lion dance that takes place during the party. It is believed that the dancing lion and loud drum beats will scare away any evil spirits!
With so many oriental themed slot machines on the market nowadays, players should know exactly what to expect from a visual point of view. So, expect pletny of reds, blacks and golds in the colour scheme and a good amount of Asian style calligraphy to give the game an authentic aesthetic. One thing that sets this particular game apart from other Chinese slots online is the fact that it has a somewhat simple aspect, with two dimensional illustrations used to make the game appear similar to an Anime cartoon.
Wins to the Left, Prizes to the Right
With just 10 paylines on the reels, punters might think that this game is not going to offer a lot of winning opportunities. However, these paylines run in both directions – from left to right as standard and from right to left – meaning that there are essentially 20 different ways to win as the reels spin. Even so, this is far from being a low variance slot machine, with wins offered at a fairly steady pace. The prizes in the paytable aren't particularly mind-blowing either, with the majority of five-in-a-row prizes offering no more than a 100x line bet multiplier. There is one icon that offers some more handsome returns, however, since five matching girl symbols will return a 1,000x line bet prize.
The smallest amount that a punter can wager in the game is 0.20 credits, which makes the slot ideal for low-rolling spinners. High rollers won't be too disappointed with a maximum bet limit of 500.00 credits, making for a top jackpot prize worth 50,000 coins. Not a bad way to start the new year!
The Lion's Share of the Bonus
You can count on most online video slots to come with the standard range of bonus features, including wild wins and free spin triggering scatter icons. Not this slot machine, however, because Lion Festival has found some new and unique ways to reward punters who stick it out with the game.
First of all, the online slot machine has a special icon which depicts a traditional money cat figurine – you know, the ones with the waving paws that you will find at pretty much every Chinese restaurant? This icon appears randomly on the reels in stacks and, whenever it does, all of the lucky kitties will turn into a random game icon to award a series of bonus prizes.
Players should also keep an eye out for the lion symbol as they spin the reels. This decorative image is a staple part of every Chinese New Year celebration, believed to ward away unwanted spirits from the coming year. This icon also has the potential to usher in some extra wins since it will expand to cover the entire reel while acting as a wild symbol to complete line wins for any ordinary icon. What's more, a special Lion Re-Spin will take place, offering yet another chance for players to rack up some wild wins.
Roar-Some Spins
Lion Festival isn't your average video slot machine with an oriental theme. The game has a unique visual aspect, opting to keep it simple with its Anime style aesthetic. Plus, the game also offers something a little bit different in the bonus gameplay department, allowing punters to try something out of the ordinary as they spin the reels this Chinese New Year.
