Tropicool 4

Tropicool 4: Slot Overview

If there's a casino game maker that knows when it's onto a good thing, it's got to be the Swedish headquartered outfit ELK Studios. The developer is a master of the sequel, having unloaded some of the best in the biz on players, such as the explosive Nitropolis line, its Gold games, as well as the Cygnus numbers, to name but three. One of the provider's other frostier collections has just grown one slot larger with the release of Tropicool 4, a return of wild cascading action set amidst birds and a sloth in a snow-laced exotic location.

If you're new to the Tropicool experience, it began when two birds, Tony Toucan and Fiona Flamingo, decided to forgo the yearly migration and stick it out in a colder part of the world. The follow-up returned the beach meets snow amalgamation, while the third installation saw the birds embarking on a chilly Vegas-type getaway. For Tropicool 4, players again join the birds in a bright, colourful recreational space. Imagine being on holiday in Florida and choking back Singapore Slings poolside as a freak snowstorm rolls in from nowhere. However, instead of fuming about not being able to get a tan, the participants are revelling in this unusual yet vibrant mash-up of cold meets warm(ish) stuff.

Tropicool 4's gaming area contains two parts. One is the main grid where 6 symbols land on each of the 6 reels, while above this section, the Cool Reel slides symbols in from left to right. Players are able to choose a stake of 20 c to $/€100 per drop, and five bonus buy options may be selected from the X-iter. Volatility is of the medium-high variety, and no matter how you bet, single spins or bonus buys, the RTP remains at 94%.

Awarding wins when matching symbols hit on at least 3 consecutive reels from the leftmost reel, Tropicool 4 supplies 46,656 ways to win. Pay symbols display various items encased in ice, such as purple, green, yellow, and pink fruit worth 0.25x the bet for 6 OAK, as well as 5 sliced fruits worth 0.3 to 2 times the stake.

Tropicool 4: Slot Features

Integral to the way Tropicool 4 works are avalanches and the Cool Reel. The Cool Reel sits above the main grid, consisting of 3 rows of feature symbols, empty ice cubes and empty cells. After winning combinations on the main grid are paid, the winning symbols (except locked wilds) are removed, and the remaining symbols drop down. Feature symbols from the Cool Reel also drop down onto the grid where there is room, followed by new symbols to fill any empty cells. The Cool Reel is refilled from the right, and avalanche sequences repeat whenever new wins occur.

Tossed in the mix are big symbols, three character features, feature symbols, a bonus game, and X-iter feature buys.

Big Symbols

Any pay or feature symbols except Elmo, Birds, Grid Flip, multiplier or scatters may appear in big sizes of 2x2 or 3x3. Big symbols are worth the number of 1x1 positions they cover. If a big symbol drops from the Cool Reel, it crushes pay symbols until it hits the bottom of the grid. Feature symbols and other big symbols cannot be crushed. So, if a big symbol cannot crush a symbol on the main reels, it uses 1x1 symbols of the same type to fill gaps beneath it. In addition, big symbols on the Cool Reel which can't fall onto the main reels but have spaces beneath them split to fill the gaps with 1x1 size symbols.

Flamingo Wild, Toucan Multiplier and Elmo Drop

The Flamingo symbol is a walking wild of 1x2 or 1x3 in size that moves one reel to the right and awards a free drop when there are no more wins. For each movement, it increases in size up to a max height of 6 symbols. This repeats till the Flamingo leaves the rightmost reel. The Toucan, meanwhile, is a 1x3 walking multiplier symbol that moves one reel to the right and awards a free drop when there are no more wins. Each step increases the win multiplier by +1. This repeats till the Toucan leaves the rightmost reel. Finally, the Elmo sloth symbol removes all paying symbols from the rows it covers. It first drops in as an inactive 1x1 symbol, becoming active whenever space lets it grow to 1x2 or 1x3.

Feature Symbols

Feature symbols become active when they drop onto the main grid via avalanches, offering these effects.

• Mystery Symbols - all reveal the same payout symbol or feature symbol when there are no more wins. Does not reveal Bird symbols.
• Row Swap - 1 symbol replaces all others on the same row, except for wilds, feature symbols, scatters, or character symbols.
• Grid Flip - flips the grid horizontally before becoming a wild symbol.
• Multiplier - adds 1, 2, or 3 to the win multiplier.
• Wild - substitutes for any pay symbol. An all-wild win has the same value as the highest pay symbol.
• Locked Wild - a wild that lasts up to 3 wins. It is removed from the reels after the last win.

Bonus Game

The bonus game is triggered by landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatter symbols to collect 6, 9, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. In the bonus game, the Cool Reel contains extra drop symbols, which add 1, 2, or 3 free drops when falling from the Cool Reel. The Cool Reel is repopulated with new feature symbols for each free drop, and locked wilds remain on the main grid between free drops. As importantly, the win multiplier persists between free drops.

X-iter

From the X-iter, players may activate the Bonus Hunt for 3x the bet where each spin has more than triple the chance to trigger the bonus game; Locked Wilds costing 25x for a game round with 3 Locked Wilds on the grid; Double Birds at 50x the bet for a game round with both Bird symbols; the bonus game at 100x, or the super bonus which guarantees an Elmo symbol on each free drop for 500x the bet.

Tropicool 4: Slot Verdict

Some things in life work just as well whether they're hot or cold. A chocolate chip cookie, for instance, is just as satisfying at room temperature as in a heated-up, warm, melty goodness state. Pizza? Maybe not so much, but it's hard to say no to a cold slice the morning after, as well. So it is with Tropicool 4, a slot that manages to bring things from two extremes of the thermometer together in a rollicking good ride. It seemed like a step up from Tropicool 3, which stood out from the rest in part because of the gravity mechanic, which felt a better fit for a Cygnus game. Tropicool 4 is certainly as polished as ever, where slick visuals and immensely lively tunes coat action that's both smooth and potentially manic - should its lengthy list of features thaw out.

Players familiar with previous Tropicool slots should be familiar with much of how Tropicool 4 works. Cascades bring in feature symbols from the Cool Reel, leading, hopefully, to sweet runs of repeat win activity. The Elmo symbol is quite useful in this regard since removing symbols doesn't just trigger an avalanche to keep a spin alive, but it can also helpfully bring feature symbols onto the board. Both Bird symbols are equally helpful, if not more so. One is a growing wild, the other a win multiplier builder, and both grant free drops as they trundle along the grid. Feature symbols are boosted by the Grid Flip, so returning players have a new feature symbol to keep track of.

Topping the game is a 25,000x the bet win cap. Will Tropicool 4 ever achieve this IRL? It would be quite a trip if it did since it would have to rely on bare naked mechanics, as there are no MAX WIN coins in sight. Maybe one day, it'll do so. However, even if not, Tropicool 4 provides fans of birds, sloths, and snow another reason to consider a non-hot destination for their next virtual getaway.