Starburst Review

While the Starburst slot appears to be a normal pokie, there are some interesting gameplay changes that make it unique.

Like all casino slots, the goal is to match three or more symbols across one of the paylines to get a winning combination. The majority of symbols will be different jewels, though there are also more conventional casino icons stylized as planets, with moons orbiting around them. While the planet symbols are worth more than the jewel symbols, there are only two of them; there are no “playing card” or lower-level tier of symbols, offering slots players a more streamlined experience.

As opposed to more conventional pokies, the Starburst slot does not have any Scatter symbols, and the Wild symbol behaves a bit differently than punters might be used to. The Starburst Wild symbol only appears on the three reels in the centre, but spinning just one Wild symbol will make the entire reel that it appears on Wild. Not only can this go a long way towards completing paylines, you’ll also earn a re-spin every time you land on a Wild symbol, for even more chances to win. Additional Wild symbols trigger re-spins, up to a maximum of three; just imagine what might happen when all three center reels are Wild!

Additionally, Starburst’s paylines trigger in both directions. Pokies players are used to paylines starting with a symbol on the left and going towards the right, but Starburst’s paylines also can be completed in the opposite direction. While it does still mean that you need certain symbols on the left- or right-most reels, it offers greater variety and more opportunity to win than the traditional style of pokie.

From a design standpoint, Starburst captures the science fiction theme without being too over-the-top. The pokie’s background music, melodic electronica, evokes a sense of the interstellar and unknown, while the sound effects are also blips and noises that would fit right into a video game.

The individual symbols are all brightly coloured and easily recognisable, the perfect contrast to the elegant purple tints of the background, depicting the edge of a planet in space. While the individual symbols aren’t animated upon successful completion of a payline, this is a bit offset by the payline animation itself: a rapid-fire count of your various winnings, accompanied by gem sounds.

While other pokies may be better with individual design elements, few games can match the cohesion and uniqueness that Starburst possesses.