Aloha! Cluster Pays Review
This NetEnt classic takes you on an exciting holiday to Hawaii in a six-reel video slot famous for its Cluster Pays game engine. Combine 9 or more adjacent matching icons to form winning clusters and trigger Sticky Win Re-Spins, then watch out for the Free Spins feature which comes with Symbol Drops. It’s a low variance classic with an RTP of 96.42% and a top payout of 10,000x.
Name: Aloha! Cluster Pays
Developer: NetEnt
Paylines: Cluster Pays
Reels: 6
Rows: 5
RTP: 96.42%
Variance: Low
Top Payout: 10,000x
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ABOUT THIS SLOT
NetEnt’s Aloha! Cluster Pays is a classic from 2016 that is almost as recognizable to casino fans as their other famous low variance title, Starburst. It’s cheerful, Tiki-themed backdrop, bright colors, blue waters and smouldering volcano welcome you into a game that mixes classic six-reel slot gameplay with a feature more often used in grid slots – the ‘cluster pays’ system. The objective across the six reels and five rows is always to match 9 or more symbols horizontally or vertically adjacent to one another, rather than on pre-set paylines.
Every time you form one of these winning clusters, the volcano erupts in celebration whilst a smiling Tiki looks on. There are also re-spins with sticky symbols, another feature more commonly used in grid games, and free spins with special Symbol drops that we will come onto shortly. Stakes start at 10c but you can gamble up to $200 per spin.
RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
Aloha! is a low variance game, which is one of the reasons for its popularity – you can expect a fairly even distribution of wins and regular small payouts, rather than the rollercoaster ride delivered by high variance games. At the same time, Aloha! has a very big top payout of 10,000x which makes it one of NetEnt’s highest potential video slots. Remember, the bigger the cluster, the larger the payout, and thanks to the Sticky Wins mechanic, those clusters just keep growing.
The game has a very competitive RTP of 96.42%.
SYMBOLS AND PAYTABLE
Aloha! Cluster Pays is a bright and cheerful slot that will put a smile on your face all year round thanks to its cute design. On the reels the Pineapples, Coconuts, Shells, and Flowers represent low-value symbol. Premiums are represented by the Tikis – Blue, Green and Red. The latter is the highest value Tiki, and if you can keep building a cluster until it maxes at a full screen of 30 Tikis then you’ll win that top 10,000x prize. Blue and Green Tikis get you 5,000x for 30 in a cluster.
There is no wild here but Instead, a Substitution Symbol, which when on the reels, transforms into an adjacent icon that creates the highest possible winning cluster.
Look out as well for the Scatter which looks like a Postcard and triggers the important Free Spins feature.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
Apart from the Substitution Symbol, players will benefit from two main additional features here. In the base game, there are plenty of Sticky Win Re-Spins, then once three or more Scatters land on the reels, the Free Spins feature will be triggered with enhanced potential.
Here’s how it works:
STICKY WIN RE-SPINS FEATURE
This triggers every time players land a winning cluster. Basically, all of the symbols within a winning cluster will be held in place, while other reels perform a respin. If the winning cluster gets a new matching icon, a new re-spin is performed. Re-spins continue until no more new symbols are added to the winning cluster.
FREE SPINS FEATURE
Land at least three Postcard Scatters on the reels and you will trigger the free spins round. Three, four, five, or six Scatters will get you 9, 10, 11, or 12 freebies. The Symbol Drop Mechanic also becomes active during this feature. Here, all low-value icons are removed from the reels, giving players an enhanced paytable and a chance to land bigger payouts than during the base game.
It is possible to get extra spins by landing three or more Scatters during this feature, and up to 60 freebies can be triggered at once. And finally … If you do not land a winning cluster on the last free spin, the feature will continue until you land a winning spin.
OUR VERDICT
They say that Hawaii is great this time of year, but if you cannot visit this tropical destination right now, you can do so here instead by playing Aloha! Cluster Pays!! In our view, this famous 2016 release is just awesome – a simple video slot that offers enough action and excitement to keep you going for a long time! The cluster pays mechanic mixed with Sticky Wins leads to some exciting sequences as your clusters build, helping you to work towards that max win. And the free spins round where low value icons are removed enhances your chances considerably.
Slots this good are rare beasts, so don’t miss out – there is a reason it is so popular. Now go find out why!
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