Jack in the Box Pokies
Microgaming are experts at producing 3-reel, single line pokies and Jack In The Box is a classic example of their range. It’s laid out in a very straightforward style that will be easy for newcomers to master, while experienced punters will like the simple gameplay and a couple of bonus features such as wild multipliers and jackpot wins.
Jack In the Box is of course, themed around the children’s toy that pops out when you least expect it, but is usual with pokies of this nature, there’s not much about the character other than a big image of him below the reels and his appearance as the wild symbol.
Popping Open the Game
There’s nothing superfluous to the design of Jack In The Box. It’s got a restful green backdrop to the game, a basic picture of our friend Jack and the game title below the reels, with a payout table taking up the other side. Add a couple of bits of information about how wild substitutions work and there we have it.
Underneath it all is the standard control panel which Microgaming use across much of their range, and as it works perfectly well, why wouldn’t they stick with a proven layout?
Using the + and – buttons, players are able to adjust the value of a coin from 0.25 to 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00, 10.00, 20.00, 25.00 and 50.00. There’s also the option to play with 1 or 2 coins, so the maximum bet is 100.00, and playing with 2 means that players will qualify for the jackpot payout.
Jack in the Box
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The table on the right of the game carries information about what will be won whenever rows of identical symbols land across the single payline which runs through the centre of the reels. There’s 2 columns of numbers to show the different amounts that will be won for 1 or 2 coins, but with the exception of the jackpot, there’s no difference to the ratio of amount staked and amount won.
Sticking with convention, the cherry symbol is the least valuable, with a single one landing on the line being worth 2x the amount bet, while 2 cherries stopping on the line at once will pay 3x and a full line of cherries is valued at 10x.
This pokie comes with single, double and triple bar symbols and if any combination of them land right across the line, players get a win of 5x the bet. If single bars fill the line, the reward is 15x, double bars are worth 30x and a row of triple bar icons across the reels will pay 50x the amount bet per spin.
Finally, there’s a couple of symbols bespoke to this game, with the closed box being the highest value regular one, paying out 100x the bet amount when filling the line. Jack himself pops up at the top of the table and works as a wild symbol as well. This means that he can act as any other symbol if that will complete a winning line, doubling the base value of the prize if just a single wild appears and quadrupling it when the line consists of 2wilds and any other symbol.
The real highlight of landing the Jack In The Box symbol however, occurs when he fills the line, and this is where playing with 2 coins makes a difference. At a single coin bet, players get a very nice payout of 2000x the bet amount, but if 2 coins have been used, the prize is Jack’s jackpot of 5000x. So that’s an incentive to activate both coins, which can be done for as little at 0.50 a spin for a 2500.00 jackpot or at maximum bet it’s a massive 500,000.00 prize if the right symbols fill the line.
The Verdict
OK, so the gameplay may not be very original, as there are lots of Microgaming pokies that play out in exactly the same way. These games differentiate themselves with their themes and designs, not how they work, so if the style of Jack In The Box appeals, then players should give the reels a spin and enjoy the quick payouts and easy gameplay that they offer.
Of course a huge jackpot prize is also very nice, but even without it, the rewards can be pretty good.