Jaguar SuperWays

Jaguar Super Ways : Slot Overview

Newcomer to the scene, Bad Dingo, quickly teamed up with Yggdrasil to release their debut slot Jaguar SuperWays via the YGS Masters Program. The studio hasn't half-heartedly dipped their toe in the scene for a first release either. The Sydney-based studio has designed a brand new mechanism capable of producing a mind-bending number of win ways. Potential is high as well, though maybe not as high as you might expect given the extraordinary number of ways. If it all sounds tempting, let's step into the jungle and find out more.

Judging by the UI, it appears fellow countrymen ReelPlay had a hand in helping with the design as well. It makes sense as both studios are based down under in sunny Sydney. The weather in Jaguar SuperWays' Central American rainforest is probably equally sunny, but a thick canopy of trees keeps much of the light out. Sitting in the warm sticking shade is a grid that starts each new spin in a 5-reel, 3-row default configuration, providing 243 ways to win. A somewhat incongruous thumping EDM track feels a little out of place in this environment, though 'bush doofs' are popular in Australia, so maybe they were an influence.

Jaguar SuperWays is available on any device, but it can get a little squeezed on a mobile due to some extreme grid enlargement. One aspect that's a little harder to be positive about is the game's theoretical return value. At 94.3%, it's the lowest non-jackpot figure we've seen in a while. So low to be a possible show-stopper, no matter how exciting the features might be. Volatility has been set to medium, and hits occur 41.28% of the time on average, which is high compared to most slots.

The pay symbols consist of 10 tiles, 6 low-pay, 9 to A card royals, and 4 high-pays. These include a gem, a frog, a snake, and a vulture. Values vary depending on how many reels are currently active, ranging from 0.375x to 1.25x the bet for 5 premiums of a kind, rising to 3.75x to 12.5x for 6 of a kind. Jaguars have been put to use as the wild symbols, replacing everything except the temple scatters.

Jaguar SuperWays : Slot Features

The most interesting part of Jaguar SuperWays is the SuperWays system itself which transforms the grid in all sorts of interesting ways. It's joined by a less interesting round of free spins in comparison to the main feature.

Central to the gameplay here is the cascade mechanic. When wins hit, the winning symbols are removed to let new symbols drop into the gaps. On an interesting side note, for players who like to digest every single stat as possible, cascades are limited to 15 at the most or until no new wins are delivered.

SuperWays are triggered by little paw icons randomly appearing overlaid on regular pay symbols. If the specific paw carrying symbol is used in a win, a 3x3 sized mega paw print tile is stamped on top of the icon. Symbols beneath it are removed along with the winning combinations, and the 3x3 block becomes active, meaning new symbols cascade into it as well. This extra space remains available for the remainder of the cascade sequence. When no more wins hit, the grid resets back to its default size.

While SuperWays expand the space available for new symbols to land, win ways increase exponentially as well. At most, the grid can reach 9x9 in dimension, and at that size, a positively mental 387,420,489 ways to win are in play.

The free spins round is triggered when 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 scatters land to award 7, 10, 12, 15, 18, or 20 free spins, respectively. The main change is the default grid switches to 5x4 in size; otherwise, all of the rules are the same as the base game. Scatters land on all reels except the first reel in the base game only, meaning free spins cannot be retriggered.

Jaguar SuperWays: Slot Verdict

Jaguar SuperWays throws up some pretty impressive numbers, and in practice, good things can happen. When they're not happening, the game’s slight flaky feel becomes apparent, as if a strong wind could blow the whole grid down. The audio-visual mismatch might be enough to irritate some players as well. And though the music is reminiscent of a sweet 80s martial arts-style movie soundtrack, it doesn't fit the jungle scenery. Sure, this isn't the Academy Awards, but details still matter.

Overall, though, Jaguar SuperWays is an intriguing first release from Bad Dingo. They've bravely come up with a new mechanic rather than play it cautious, and it is an eye-catching feature too, serving up a huge number of possibilities. Potential isn't quite as impressive as the 380 million+ figure, yet solid all the same as players have the chance to collect up to 22,457 times their stake. How likely that is to happen, however, we do not know, so it's probably best taken with a grain of salt.

As to the features, the SuperWays mechanic is a clever one. It’s pretty unique and makes a refreshing break from studios trying to emulate other systems without being too brazen or developers just trademarking a set number of pay ways - as if no one else can use them. Even if you don't manage to crack the full 9x9 size grid, Jaguar SuperWays can reach ludicrous proportions. Similar to ELK's Nitropolis, which also offered a staggering number of ways, you might very well question whether quite so many are needed when the max win can 'only' reach 22,457x.

While potential might be considerable, less desirable is the irksome RTP configuration which lets the side down. Why Bad Dingo went so low is anyone's guess, but it's a shame because it taints everything else the game does and may make Jaguar SuperWays off-limits for players who feel they deserve more.