Crocodopolis Pokies
There are many themes that turn up across several different pokies, but ancient Egypt is, for some reason, arguably the most popular, with Irish culture being the other contender. Quite why this is remains a mystery, but NextGen Gaming have added Crocodopolis, with typical images of Gods and hieroglyphics to their range, so the market must still be there for it.
It’s got the classic 5-reel and 25 payline layout that seems to have been around since before the pyramids were built, but Crocodopolis still manages to have a surprise in store for players who think they’ve seen it all in Egyptian-themed pokies.
There’s free spins, scatter wins, expanding wilds and multiplier payouts, along with the unique Slide A Wild feature that makes this game stand out from the crowd.
Opening up Crocodopolis reveals a desert background, with scorpions scuttling across it, as well as camels and palm trees, while the reels themselves seem a bit small in the middle of the screen. Symbols include the normal 9, 10, J, Q, K and A, all designed to look vaguely Egyptian, plus there’s an Ankh, papyrus, scarab beetle and a group of very serious-looking Gods making up the highest-paying icons.
So far, there’s nothing unusual about Crocodopolis, and the pyramid acting as a scatter symbol and dog-headed God Anubis being a wild is all fairly predictable. As normal, the wild substitutes for all except the scatter symbol to help complete winning combinations.
Crocodopolis
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Even the bet range is nothing unusual, with players able to stake just 0.01 on a single line, or for just 0.25 they can cover all lines and claim all potential winning combinations. The value of the stake can be increased to 25.00, which is fairly low and could put off those players who like to make bigger wagers.
But here’s where the interesting bit comes in, as the Slide A Wild feature lets players move the Crocodile God wild symbol from one reel to another using a little control above the reels. Once this is done, the wild will only appear on the selected reel, and it has different attributes depending on where it has been placed, giving players a certain amount of control over how the game plays out.
Slide it to reel 1 on the far left and when it substitutes for another to complete a winning line, the prize is doubled, while on reel 2 it triples the amount paid out.
Reel 3 is where players will see the Croc expand across it if it will make up a win, and if it’s placed on reel 4, then it will expand and pay out prizes at triple the base value. Finally, reel 5 is where we see him take up all spots on the reel and triple payouts when making a substitution win.
The frequency of wins will be different for each selection, and overall it won’t change the Return To Player ratio, but it’s a great feature that’s sure to start turning up on more NextGen Gaming titles in the near future, - remember you read it here first.
Other features are a little more conventional, but none the worse for it, with 12 free spins playing out when the pyramid scatter symbol stops in at least 3 positions at once. During the spins, which can be re-triggered if the scatter lands again, all payouts are doubled in value, and the Slide A Wild feature will still be in effect.
Another NextGen Gaming speciality is the Gamble game which can be played after any winning spin. All that players have to do is decide if a playing card is going to be turned over to reveal itself as red or black, to double the triggering win, or a particular suit to quadruple it. A wrong choice loses the triggering bet, while the right one lets players go again and again, up to 5 times, or until the Gamble limit is reached.
Tread carefully however, as this is a pretty risky round, and players shouldn’t try it with bigger prizes as it’s only for fun.
A Game With Bite Or Just A Croc?
Crocodopolis is actually a high quality pokie, and that’s even without the Slide A Wilds. OK, so the theme may be highly un-original, but maybe that was the idea, as by introducing it on a game that’s bound to attract lots of players, NextGen Gaming have ensured that it gets seen by the widest possible audience.
Hopefully this feature will soon be rolled out to other games, as giving the players a certain amount of control over the results is something that online pokies often lack.