It’s always a huge deal when Aussie developer Big Time Gaming pull back the curtain on a new release. You may want to pay extra attention, for this release might very well be the biggest thing Star Clusters Megaclusters since the introduction of Megaways. Most would probably agree, Big Time Gaming have built a reputation for innovative brilliance, and players have come to expect (if not demand) something special each time.
Big Time Gaming get respect for not being one to coast on prior success. Heck, the team could probably sit back and let the royalty cheques from Megaways licenses roll in. Instead, the team has been busy in their studio cooking up new ways to entertain a gambling crowd voracious for novelty. Well, hold on folks, because not only do we get the first-ever cluster pays slot from Big Time Gaming. But a brand new game engine called Megaclusters driving the action.
Overview
The first view of the game reveals a new. Yet familiar design full of jewels along with a classic menu area to set options. The simple background gives the game a cosmic flying-through-the-warp-at light-speed effect. If you’ve ever seen the old sci-fi comedy Spaceballs. It’s a lot like when the baddies pass from light speed to hit ludicrous speed.
The audio requires a special shout out too as it was something of a passion project for CEO Nik Robinson who busted out the Moog synth to create the music whilst layering a bunch of fun samples over the top. Keep an ear out for references to Street Fighter, Pac Man, Metal Gear, Bonanza, and a couple of casino streamers, among others. Make sure your headphones or speakers can handle bass to get the most out of the house/psytrance track that assists the visuals in creating quite a sensory feast.
Booting up the game brings on a 4×4 grid. This appears to be set within some sort of classy looking retro device. This is purely a cluster pays slot (albeit with a twist as you will see). This means there are no paylines to keep track of. Instead, winners occur when 5 matching symbols connect either vertically or horizontally.
Star Clusters Megaclusters: Features
When a winner hits, that’s when the Megaclusters mechanic kicks in, and it’s as simple as it is genius. Each symbol that forms part of a winning combo will split into 4 smaller symbols to create even more Megaclusters.
When wins occur with these smaller symbols are removed to let new ones fall into the spaces until no more winning combinations appear. All of this means that in the base game. Each of the 16 tiles on the 4×4 grid can break up into 4 smaller tiles when part of a win. Subsequently bringing the total number of Megacluster up to a maximum of 64.
The show piece is a round of Free Spins. These are triggered when 5 or more consecutive reactions occur in the base game. 2 free spins are awarded +1 spin for any extra reaction past the 5th. Moreover, any Gold Wild Multiplier attained in the base game is carried over from the triggering spins to the free spins.
The free spins round is played on an expanded 8×8 grid. As in the base game, should a cluster form, each of the winning symbols splits into 4 smaller ones. This means that the grid can technically reach 16×16 in size, filling with 256 Megaclusters should it max out. Gold Wilds act as they do in the base game. And when the Gold Wild Multiplier reaches a multiplier of x10, +2 free spins are awarded – with no limits.
