The splash screen of Carnaval Jackpot depicts rows of blaring trumpets, almost as if welcoming a king to his royal court. It’s an apt image, given how much emphasis the pokie puts on bombastic grandeur. The pomp is carried through to the reels, where every symbol is more colourful than the last, all but pouring fun and entertainment into the player’s eyes.
To the left of the grid is the jackpot chart, communicating how much is potentially up for grabs in potential wins. An elaborate decoration sits at the top of the chart, with the highest possible jackpot on full display. Those who match Scatters will get a shot at the tantalising digits.
The highest paying symbols include an elaborate headdress wearing dancer, a golden trumpet, a jester, a yellow and gold flag, and the traditional playing cards, 10 to A. The artists at Pulse 8 Studios clearly put a great deal of time into the artwork, and these are certainly some of the more colourful designs seen in recent online pokies. All in all, the artwork is certainly is an accurate depiction of the Mardi Gras.
There are also a handful of special symbols, of course, including a Wild, Scatter, and Bonus. Players will want to keep their eyes on these, as they hold the ticket to the biggest possible payouts in the game.
Dancing The Night Away
As far as gameplay is concerned, Carnaval Jackpot is refreshingly simple. Although the action is fun and engaging, the special features are remarkably straightforward. This streamlined approach is opposed to some other online pokies, many of which all but overwhelm with the number of bonuses and mini games. Carnaval Jackpot, on the other hand, is a case of what you see is what you get.
First up is the Wild, which behaves exactly as would be expected. It substitutes for all other symbols in the game, potentially creating matches more frequently. However, when matching with the Bonus Carnaval Symbol, the payout amounts go up considerably. It means that every spin can be a lucrative one, keeping players eager to see how the symbols will fall.
Next up is the big one; the pokie Scatter feature. Matching 3, 4 or 5 Scatters triggers the Respin feature, and this is where things start to get interesting. The music will first crank up accordingly, indicating that something big is on the way. An instant payout is first granted, equivalent to 2X, 5X, or 8X the original wager for that spin. These amounts can be seen on the chart to the left of the grid.
After the initial payout the mini game then kicks off. The matched Scatters stay in place, and a respin is triggered, with the potential for new Scatters to add to the match. If a new Scatter land, another respin is granted. This process continues until a respin comes up as a blank. A payout is then made, calculated by the total number of Scatters in the match. The maximum possible payout here is a whopping 4,000x the original wager. This jackpot is awarded in the case of all spaces on the grid landing up with a Scatter.
It isn’t the most elaborate or innovative as far as online pokies special features go, but it certainly is generous.