If you were to ask people who play at casinos which slot game comes to mind first, most would probably say Starburst. This game, created by NetEnt, has reached a respectable age, but is still played daily at dozens of online casinos.
One big reason for Starburst’s popularity is the free spins that can be earned on the game through casino welcome packages and other promotions. In the following review, we’ll give you all the key facts about this fast-paced game that has become a cult favourite.
Theme, graphics and sounds
Starburst has a strong space theme. The purple-tinted shimmering space flickers in the background of the reels, and the bright and colourful symbols spinning on the reels create a nice contrast, resulting in a functional and memorable overall effect.
The game features a total of 7 glittering symbols, the most valuable being BAR, 7, yellow gem, green gem, orange gem, blue gem and purple gem.In addition to these, there is an expanding colourful wild symbol in the shape of a star.
The sounds of Starburst support its theme and graphics brilliantly. Cosmic fanfare announces line wins, and the tempo ramps up as the wild appears on the screen to add to the excitement of potential big wins.
We think it’s all brilliant and memorable, so it’s no wonder the game has become a classic.
The game’s background is a purple landscape from Earth’s orbit. On top of this image, a striking but clear game board has been built. The neon colours further enhance the theme of the game. All the buttons and fonts are large enough so you can safely leave out your reading glasses. Starburst is a very fast-paced game. It’s great that there aren’t too many moving elements in the background.
Otherwise the result could be a real mess. There are only a few burning fireballs in the background, so it’s easy to keep your focus on the game board. The music playing in the background fits the theme like a glove.
It’s as futuristic sounding as the game itself. We particularly like the sound effect that you hear when you spin the reels.
Of course, many aspects of the sounds and look are a matter of taste. If you don’t like the soundscape, you can click off the sounds in the bottom left-hand corner and play your own music from Spotify, for example.
Symbols
The game contains seven symbols, which give the player different sizes of coin wins. The symbols are ranked in order from most valuable to least valuable.
These symbols will give the player different payouts depending on the stake on 10 different paylines. Winnings can come in both directions, from right to left or left to right.
Wild
The wild symbol in the game is Starburst’s own symbol. The colourful star substitutes for any symbol on the paylines.Wilds can appear on reels 2, 3 and 4. When they appear on the reels, the wilds spread out to cover the entire reel.
Wilds can also be used to win extra spins. When a wild appears on reels 2, 3 or 4, it will substitute for any symbol, but will also give the player one additional spin.
At best, a player can get three extra spins. You’ll be amazed at the payouts these symbols can bring to players!
Why is Starburst so popular?
Starburst is not the newest, most versatile or even the most flashy slot on the market. So why on earth is it dubbed one of the most played games on the net and why is it played?
First of all, Starburst is a very generous free spins slot in casinos. A large number of casinos offer free spins on Starburst as part of their deposit bonuses and sign-up bonuses. The reason for this is that many of the players who open an account have never played at an online casino before. So it would be foolish to give out free spins on a game that is very complex. It would take players an inordinate amount of time to learn how the game works, and the free spins would be of little benefit to them.
Another reason is that Starburst can be played with very low stakes. At the lowest level, a player is only charged €0.10 for a single spin. So the number of spins is really big even at lower stakes.
RTP, bet sizes and volatility
Starburst claims a return rate of 96.1%, which is a very normal return rate for a slot.On average, slots return rates hover right around 96%.
In terms of stakes, the game is great for both low stakes fun players and higher stakes spinners. The minimum bet in Starburst is ten cents and the maximum is up to €100.
Starburst is a low-volatility game, which means that smaller wins are coming at a steady pace. So you may have to wait a long time for the biggest pots.
However, the jackpots are not always small, with Starburst offering a maximum payout of up to 50,000 coins.
The low volatility of Starburst makes it an excellent choice for bonus wagering, for example.
Winnings
Starburst offers players a maximum payout of 500x, so for the lucky gambler with a maximum bet of €100, a whopping €50,000 top prize is on the cards if Starburst is in your favour.
The most sought-after symbol in the game is of course the Starburst Wild, which appears on the second, third and fourth reels in the best case scenario. In addition to the Wild diamonds, other desirable symbols for the player include the golden BAR symbol and the number 7, familiar from various retro games.
The Bar and the Seven are the only special symbols besides the basic symbols that pay quite nicely when hit. For example, a straight line of five Bars will pay 250 coins and the same number of Sevens will add 120 coins to the bankroll. By far the most interesting feature of Starburst’s paylines is the fact that they work both ways in this game.
So you can collect winning combinations either from left to right or vice versa, from right to left.
Verdict
Back in 2012, Starburst has maintained its popularity throughout the decade and there’s a reason for that.First and foremost, the game is easy to follow for the player. It’s an important feature to keep the player on track for potential wins, even big ones. The graphics are superb and the sound effects support the theme perfectly, providing an entertaining gaming experience time after time.
Starburst stands out well from the basic slots with an expanding wild symbol, as well as paylines that offer wins in both directions. With low volatility, wins fall nicely often, which always keeps the player hooked.
The expanding wild symbol provides its own excitement by appearing on the reels time and time again with a nice frequency, allowing for astronomical payouts.
We think this classic NetEnt game is loved by many for good reason, and there’s not much to complain about. It might even be the best slot game of all time!
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