Jungle Jim El Dorado slot review

When you have reviewed as many slots as I have, you quickly begin to notice the similarities between slot games. Sometimes a developer will make a slot that has huge appeal and you can bet your bottom dollar that other developers will be rushing to put something out similar.

And so, it was with Gonzo's Quest, Net Entertainment's conquistador-themed slot that proved to be a popular hit with gamers. Microgaming developed their own game in response to that, a second outing for the erstwhile hero Jungle Jim who this time would be on his way to El Dorado.

Now, I have absolutely no problem with this. Many companies have copied Microgaming slot ideas before now (Microgaming invented the 243 Ways to Win slot, among many other inventions) but what is interesting to see is whether any subsequent games have the same appeal as the original.

So with that in mind, we are now going to take a closer look at intrepid hero Jungle Jim El Dorado slot and discover exactly what the game entails, including its famous Rolling Reels bonus, the other main features in the game and how it stands up as a standalone slot.

Overview

• Game: Jungle Jim El Dorado
• Developer: Microgaming
• Reels: 5x3
• Pay Lines: 25 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.25
• Maximum Bet: 25.00
• Jackpot: 92,000
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: Medium

Presentation

The presentation of the Jungle Jim El Dorado slot is excellent and the graphics are of an outstanding quality, better I would say than you find on Gonzo's Quest. The set up is very similar to that slot with a 5x3 reel set, although there are no reels as such, the symbols just drop into position from above on each spin. Jungle Jim is at the front left of the reels and interacts with you in several different ways when you load the game up, which is a very nice touch.

The setting is a jungle and temple and the way this has been realised is very nice indeed. The sound and effects are also excellent and the animations are crisp and smooth. This is a very beautiful looking slot that has a cartoon-like quality about it. I also like how bright and vivid the symbols are on the reels and they also have a 3D quality which makes them look eye-catching.

What is on the reels?

When it comes to the symbols on the reels, there are just eight standard symbols on the reels. There are four precious stone symbols and these are all different colours, ranging in value from the blue, green, orange and to the red which is the highest value of the three.

The four higher value symbols range in. value quite considerably. The flute is the lowest value of the four, with the sceptre worth more. The idol is the second largest prize while the treasure chest filled with gold is by far the largest prize on offer offering up to 600 coins across a pay line for a win.

There are two other symbols on the reels, the Wild and Scatter symbols which link in with the main bonus elements of the game.

Wild features

The Jungle Jim logo is the Wild symbol on the reels and this substitutes for all symbols on the reels except for the Scatter symbol. This symbol is key in landing wins in the game as often it will be the Wild symbol that bridges a gap between symbols to land the win.

Unfortunately, there are no wins for Wilds across the reels as it is used purely as a substitute symbol in the slot and nor does it have any multiplier or Stacked elements either.

Free Spins features

The Free Spins bonus is triggered when you land three or more of the Scatter symbol, which looks like some form of ancient calendar, across the reels. When you do, you receive a cash prize of 25.00 and you then trigger 10 Free Spins. The good news is that you can retrigger your Free Spins bonus from within the bonus round itself to offer you more opportunity to land a win.

The Rolling Reels and Multiplier Trail element (explained below) are also in action in the Free Spins round and during this bonus, the six of the Free Spins Multiplier on the Multiplier Trail increases by three from the base game, offering between 3x and 15x the standard win, if you can trigger successive Rolling Reels wins.

Best feature of the Jungle Jim El Dorado slot

There's no doubt that the best feature of the Jungle Jim El Dorado slot is the Rolling Reels feature. This feature is active in all parts of the game but it is especially useful in the base game, where it can be responsible for some great value bonus wins.

When you trigger a win in the base game, or free spins, the symbols will flash and disappear and be replaced with symbols dropping down from above. This can trigger additional wins from the same spin and if it does, these symbols will also disappear when they pay out. Furthermore, for each Rolling Reels win triggered, you will move the Multiplier Trail bonus along one which increases the potential value of each win.

In the base game, this runs from 1x to 5x for Rolling Reels wins, but in Free Spins (as we have seen), this is increased by 3x for each spin (so from 3x to 15x). These wins can therefore be some of the biggest in the game, if you get lucky on the Rolling Reels bonus.

Conclusion

If you have played Gonzo's Quest then you will find a lot of similarities between the two games but I think there is equal enjoyment to be had playing Jungle Jim El Dorado. The quality of the graphics and animations is excellent, the bonus features are well thought out and the size of potential wins is excellent. If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then Microgaming have paid the original game a huge compliment with their fabulous version of the slot, which is an excellent game in its own right.

You can play the Jungle Jim El Dorado slot at any of our Mega Moolah casinos.