Surfing is often considered more than just a sport; it’s a way of life, a philosophy. This sentiment is beautifully captured in Wild Waves Megaways, where you’ll be introduced to a laid-back Rastafarian surfer. This slot marks the second release by OneTouch utilizing the coveted Megaways license, following their debut game, Wild Coyote Megaways. While the serene beach backdrop and surfer theme cater to a distinct audience, it’s important to note that the game’s features and mathematical model have remained consistent.
To some, this lack of novelty might be slightly disappointing. However, considering the scarcity of quality surfer-themed games in the market, Wild Waves Megaways is a much-needed addition. Moreover, it brings a respectable array of bonus features to the table. Occasionally, you’ll encounter full-reel multiplier wilds, always boasting a x6 multiplier in the progressive win multiplier bonus round. With the potential to win up to 10,000 times your initial wager, Wild Waves Megaways is a slot well worth exploring, especially if you’ve ever daydreamed about the surf and sun-soaked lifestyle.
Theme
While exploring the theme and storyline of Wild Waves Megaways, it’s unfortunate to report that the picturesque surfing beach backdrop remains static throughout the game. However, there is a welcome change of scenery when you enter the bonus round, providing a bit more visual diversity.
It’s worth noting that many players might feel that a Rastafarian soundtrack would have been a more fitting choice for this game, given its laid-back surfer vibe, as the simple synth-based tune in Wild Waves Megaways falls somewhat short of capturing the true essence of the theme.
Volatility, wins and RTP
When it comes to the game’s statistics, Wild Waves Megaways offers a solid but not exceptional RTP of 95.95%. It’s worth noting that this game allows for customizable RTP ranges. In terms of volatility, Wild Waves Megaways is classified as a high-volatility slot, meaning that players should be prepared for a potentially turbulent experience with their bankroll.
The maximum win achievable in Wild Waves Megaways is capped at 10,000 times your initial stake, a figure that is quite common for Megaways slots in the current landscape of online casino games.
Players can engage with Wild Waves Megaways using a variety of bet levels, ranging from a minimum of £0.2 to a maximum of £100 per spin. This flexible betting range is likely to cater to the preferences of a wide range of players. The game utilizes a dynamic grid that can generate up to an impressive 117,649 potential ways to win. Each vertical reel can display between 2 and 7 symbols, and there’s an additional position above reels 2 to 5 on the top horizontal reel.
To secure a win, players need to land matching symbols on a minimum of 3 adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel. However, it’s noteworthy that the top-tier surfer dude symbol offers payouts even for just 2 of a kind.
Bonus features
Wild Waves Megaways offers a fairly conventional collection of bonus features, with the added twist of the Shark Danger symbol to add some excitement.
Cascading wins
One of the core features is the Cascading Wins mechanic, which triggers after each winning combination. When a win occurs, the symbols involved are removed from the grid, creating space for new and existing symbols to cascade down and fill the empty positions. This cascading process can continue indefinitely as long as new wins keep forming, potentially leading to consecutive payouts.
The Shark Danger symbol
The Shark Danger symbol is easy to identify when it appears, and it exclusively occupies the top tracker reel. When it lands, it transforms the reel directly beneath it into a complete wild reel. This stacked wild reel also includes a random multiplier, which can reach up to x6 during the base game.
Wild
The standard Wild symbol is limited to the top horizontal reel and serves as a substitute for any regular pay symbol to enhance potential wins. Additionally, special wilds can activate during gameplay.
Mystery symbols
Mystery Symbols, represented by yellow warning signs resembling naval mines, have the potential to appear anywhere in the game, regardless of the stage. When these mystery symbols land, they transform into a randomly selected regular pay symbol. However, in our experience, this feature did not activate frequently.
Free spins feature
- Free Spins Activation: To trigger the Wild Waves Megaways Bonus Round, you need to land 4 or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. These scatters can appear on the same spin or during a cascading sequence.
- Free Spins Quantity: The number of free spins you receive depends on the number of triggering scatters. You can win 10, 12, 14, or 16 free spins from 4, 5, 6, or 7 scatters, respectively. Additionally, landing 3 scatters on the top reel during the feature awards +4 extra spins.
- Wild Transformation: Symbols on the top tracker reel that match symbols on the reels directly below will transform both instances into wild symbols during the free spins.
- Shark Danger Multiplier: The Shark Danger symbol guarantees a x6 multiplier for any full reel wild it spawns during the bonus round.
- Progressive Win Multiplier: The progressive win multiplier begins at x1 and increases by +1 with each cascading win during the free spins. It never resets and has no upper limit throughout the feature.
Bonus buy
Players have the option to access the primary highlight of the game using the Wild Waves Megaways bonus purchase feature. This will require an expenditure of 100 times the initial bet, and in return, you will receive a guarantee of obtaining a minimum of 4 triggering scatter symbols on the subsequent spin. It’s worth noting that the natural occurrence of the bonus round, based on our observations and statistics, is quite infrequent, occurring only once in every 442 spins, which is considerably lower than the typical average rate.
Verdict
We had a good time with OneTouch’s first Megaways game, Wild Coyote Megaways, particularly because of the familiar yet unbranded appearance of Wile E. Coyote and the speedy roadrunners. However, it’s somewhat disappointing that they’ve chosen to follow up this promising debut with a game that essentially feels like a reskin. Although Wild Waves Megaways online slot does introduce a somewhat original and enjoyable Rastafari surfer theme, most other aspects of the game remain unchanged.
During our testing, the mystery symbol was elusive, but we did encounter various forms of wild symbols frequently. The unexpected appearance of the shark danger symbol can lead to more significant payouts, especially during the bonus round where a guaranteed x6 multiplier awaits. The wild transformation feature also proves useful during free spins, and the win multiplier continues to increase.
While the game offers a respectable 10,000x potential win, we hope that OneTouch explores more creative features in their future releases. Maybe then their releases get to our best slots lists!
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