Fulong 88

Fulong 88: Slot Overview

Players who happen to like frogs, tigers, dragons and the number '8' might be in just the right spot with this here slot review. Titled Fulong 88, it comes from casino game maker Play'n GO and is absolutely soaked in Asian culture. It's a fiddly slot, though, tying features to an upgraded symbols system, which increases the bet in order to unlock more of the game's juicer parts. Like the theme, this aspect of Fulong 88 probably won't be to all preferences. One way of verifying which side of the fence you may be leaning on is to join us as we meander through the review.

If nothing else, Fulong 88 is a handsome game that relocates users to a charmingly traditional urban area where lanterns float elegantly above a stream into a night sky lit by fireworks. The pleasant, plinky soundtrack is equally elegant, making for a nice make-believe Asian world to drop into and try your luck. A 5-reel, 3-row sized grid is the active gaming area, awarding wins left to right via a 243 ways to win pay system.

Bet selection in Fulong 88 is a bit weird. First, you've got base bets of 8 cents to $/€8 per spin. Then, you have to pick how many symbols you would like to upgrade to golden symbol versions (or leave it at 1); the benefits of doing so are listed in the Features section below. At the maximum level, when all 5 symbols have been upgraded to golden, the bet levels are 88c to $/€88 per spin. Fulong 88's default RTP comes in at 96.2%, and there is no mention of this figure changing in relation to the number of upgraded symbols, while the volatility is medium.

Fulong 88's low-pay 10-A royals only appear in the base game, awarding 5x the base bet for a 5 OAK hit. Five high-pay animals, by contrast, appear in the base game and in free spins. The rabbit is always golden, and it is worth 10 times the bet. The other four animal values - frogs, turtles, tigers, and phoenixes, depend on whether they are golden or not. Non-golden animals pay 5x the base bet; golden versions pay 25 to 125 times the base bet, but less when factoring in the increased stake cost to make them golden. Wilds substitute for any regular pay symbol when they appear. In the base game, the wild has a random chance of splitting; in free spins, all wilds definitely split. Split wilds may create up to 576 ways to win.

Fulong 88: Slot Features

Fulong 88 lets gamblers play around with the number of activated golden symbols, which affects the stake size while opening up the Bonus Game prize values. Also, be aware Fulong 88 has a free spins section.

Golden Symbols

In the base game, players can choose to play with 1 to 5 upgraded symbols. When upgraded, the symbols become golden. The bet increases depending on the number of symbols that are upgraded. During the Bonus Game, golden symbols unlock higher value instant win prizes, and the more golden symbols, the more Coins on the reels.

Coin Symbols

When Coin symbols land, they are collected by Fulong. When a Coin is collected, it turns into a wild. In the main game, collecting a Coin may trigger the bonus game. During free spins, landing a Coin is guaranteed to activate the Bonus Game. You must have 2 or more symbols upgraded to golden in order to be able to activate the Bonus Game.

Bonus Game

The Bonus Game awards an instant prize - these are the prizes displayed above the reels. Players pick coins to reveal instant prizes. When three of the same appear, the relevant prize is won. The availability of the instant prizes depends on the number of symbols the player has upgraded: 2 golden symbols unlock the Mini, 3 golden symbols unlock the Minor, 4 golden symbols unlock the Major, and 5 golden symbols unlock the Grand.

Free Spins

A total of 10 free spins are awarded by landing 3 or more scatters. In the free spins round, landing 3 or more scatters awards a further +10 free spins - up to a maximum of 150. All of the lowest-paying symbols are removed from the reels for free spins, and wilds are guaranteed to split. Landing a Coin symbol is guaranteed to activate the Bonus Game.

Fulong 88: Slot Verdict

Fulong 88 is one of those Asian slots that practically rams every single crack it can find with something theme-related. Eh, a lot of them do that. Fair enough. It's like a tourist going to New York City and walking around with a brand new Yankees baseball cap, an I ♥ NY tote bag, and a Statue of Liberty t-shirt while guzzling bagels and dirty water dogs. No one's knocking this method of travel, by the way. Just searching for a comparison. Players who like Asian-inspired slots when gambling might already be spoiled for choice, but along comes Fulong 88, an interestingly designed addition to the party. Good interesting or not so good interesting? Hmm.

If you don't like betting extra to unlock a slot's full potential, then Fulong 88 might be a bitter pill to swallow. Simply put, there are a lot of games, like a lot of games, that have instant prizes/jackpots of Fulong 88's level and much higher that don't require betting any extra than normal. It's kind of weird the more you think about it, though one balancing factor is the greater payout value of Golden symbols compared to regular ones. However, the bet also gets higher. The other thing to consider is the instant prizes are quite unimpressive. The Grand, for example, when accounting for the increase to the stake, is 2,272.72x the bet. Fulong 88's full potential is 5,000x the bet, but still. The game formed an impression it might be better suited to higher rollers, though not necessarily so.

Something just felt peculiar about Fulong 88. Asian slot fans may love the atmos and the continued references to the number '8', which is an auspicious digit in certain cultures. The game's just a bit fiddly, oddly balanced, taking bits here to give bits there, so unless Fulong 88's ways, which are quite unique, really light your fire, it feels too easy to abandon for something more straightforward, with a lower barrier to all the parts, as such.