Froot Loot Pokie
Different types of fruit (froot?) have long been popular as symbols on Poker machines, but Froot Loot from Microgaming takes this to a whole new level, with enough of them to fill a supermarket or two. Lemons, melons, oranges, cherries, you name it, it’s covering the game, whether that’s a part of the logo picture or across the 3-reels that feature just a single payline in the classic tradition of old-style pokies.
In layout and gameplay, it’s very similar to a number of other games from the same developer, but on the other hand it means that everything is tried and tested, so if the design appeals then the whole game could also become a favourite.
Peeling Open Froot Loot
Vivid colours and sharp images grab the attention of anyone opening up this game, which is laid out with the reels in one corner, a nice picture of the logo across a field surrounded by the fruit, and then a paytable taking up the right side of the screen.
Microgaming have a standard control panel for their 3-reel games, and as it works so well, why change it? So we see + and – buttons that adjust coin sizes from 0.25 to 5.00, a Bet One button that gives players the option to wager with 1, 2 or 3 coins, the Bet Max that takes it straight to the 15.00 maximum stake and finally the Spin button.
Froot Loot
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The paytable is the all-important guide to what players will receive when different combinations of symbols land across the payline, and it’s in 3 columns, which reflects the different values won with 1, 2 or 3 coins. With one exception however, the ratio of stake to wins are exactly the same.
Poor old cherries take up the lowest position on the paytable, with a 2 of them stopping on the line paying out 3x the total amount staked on a spin. A full row of 3 cherries is worth 4x the bet and then the fruit basket symbol has a value of 5x if a single example lands on the line.
Then it’s more individual types of fruit, with lemons being worth 10x, oranges are valued at 15x, plums pay out 20x for a full line and the watermelon has a prize of 30x when landing across it. The fruit bowl makes a second appearance, and when 2 of them land on the line, it’s 50x the bet value heading for a players’ balance.
Rather than add even more types of fruit, Microgaming have decided to include the single, double and triple bar icons which are seen in so many games, and here they pay out 40x, 90x and 150x respectively. There isn’t an Any Bar feature, where combinations of each type can make up a win however, which is unusual and one of the few disappointments in this game.
The final combination is when 3 fruit bowls fill the line. This works slightly differently to other symbols, with a bigger prize for players using 3 coins, but is by far the biggest payer no matter how many are active. A win when playing with 1 coin is 1000x, and with 2 coins it’s 2000x the coin amount, however if all 3 coins are in play, and the fruit bowl stops across the line it jumps to the jackpot of 5000x the coin value.
It would be nice to mention wild symbols helping to make up winning combinations, and maybe even multiplier payouts, but there’s nothing else to Froot Loot other than the basic wins and that boosted jackpot prize.
Freshly Squeezed or Gone Off?
Although it’s a very colourful pokie and certainly looks good, this is a pretty basic game. Having said that, lots of players are looking for just this type, with no distractions from the business of spinning the reels and hopefully collecting prizes along the way.
A 15.00 maximum bet isn’t exactly staggering either, and a significant portion of players will be put off by this, while at the other end of the scale, to qualify for the jackpot prize, they will need to stake a minimum of 0.75.
Those people looking for a bit more will find plenty of Microgaming pokies that are basically similar but with wild substitutions and so on, but anyone who just likes a bit of colour while they are playing should give the reels of Froot Loot a spin.