Gung Pow Pokie Machine
Chinese fireworks are the theme for the Gung Pow pokie that comes from the respected Microgaming developer. Any game with a Chinese influenced design is fairly certain to be a hit, which is probably why online casinos are awash with them, and the rich colours of this one, alongside bonus spins, wild substitutions, a gamble game and the popular 243 Ways to Win layout pretty much guarantee success.
Let the Fireworks Begin
Deep shades of red, which is a lucky colour in many countries, dominate the background of Gung Pow and as the reels are a very similar colour, it looks like the symbols are floating above it all. The game title which looks backlit by exploding fireworks is above them, and below players will find a control panel that lets them choose the size of their wagers.
The amount staked can be adjusted from as little as 0.25 per spin, right up to 125.00, with all possible positions covered thanks to the 243 Ways to Win system. What this does is replaces conventional paylines with a format that creates winning combinations whenever matching symbols land on adjacent reels running from the left side.
The effect of this is lots of smaller prizes rather than less frequent but bigger payouts which probably suits the majority of players who don’t like spinning the reels over and over for no return.
Clicking to view the paytable takes them to the details of how much gets paid for each winning combination, as well as information about the bonus features. It’s headlined by the 90,000-coin jackpot that can be won during the free spins round, but heading back down to earth we see the regular payouts that are more likely to be seen.
Gung Pow
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The table will show as how much will be paid out, with the lowest value playing card symbol being worth from as little as 0.08 to as much as 4.00 when staking 1.00, while the A pays from 0.32 to 8.00 depending on how many land on adjacent reels at the same bet amount.
Moving up the scale are some picture symbols including several types of fireworks, a red paper lantern and coloured envelopes which are a traditional Chinese gift and which in this case has a value of between 0.48 and 120.00 for the same 1.00 stake.
Bonus features come when the special wild and scatter symbols fall into place. The wild is simply the Gung Pow logo and while it has no value of its own, it can help to bring in additional winning spins by acting as other symbols when it lands on reels 2 and 4.
A lucky coin is the scatter symbol, paying out multiples of the total bet when landing in at least 2 positions anywhere on the reels. A prize equal to the bet is won when just 2 scatters appear, 3 scatters equals a 2x payout, 4 are worth 10x and 5 pays 100x the total bet.
Any 3 or more will also trigger a free spins game, with 15 spins awarded, during which any winnings will be tripled in value. The spins can even be retriggered by another 3 scatters, with the new games being added on to the end of any still left to run.
The only other feature here is the standard gamble game that so many Microgaming pokies have. For the chance to double any win, players simply need to decide if a playing card will be a red suit or black. If they are right, the win can either be collected or gambled again, but a wrong guess along the way loses the triggering bet as well as anything won so far in the gamble round.
A Fire-Cracker or a Damp Squib?
Gung Pow is a striking-looking game, with the lucky red colour dominating proceedings. Oriental celebrations will hopefully bring luck to the players as well, with lots of prizes from the 243 Ways to Win, and a richly rewarding free spins game.
It’s a shame the wild symbol doesn’t have any value of its own, and the high card symbols tend to fill up much of the reels, but neither of these are big issues, so players should find this a pleasing game that’s easy to learn.