Jungle Jim: El Dorado review

Jungle Jim: El Dorado is for good reason one of the most popular releases of 2016. Microgaming’s latest entry is a slick slot of rising multipliers, free spins and plenty of excitement, blending plenty of subtle gameplay features with the exhilarating ability to win numerous times on a single spin.

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How to play Jungle Jim: El Dorado

Jungle Jim’s standard 5×3 reel layout and 25 fixed bet lines allow players to stake up to 10 coins per line. It has a small betting range up to $25, which will surely make it less appealing to high rollers, but the game itself possesses a number of ways to win via rolling reels, Wilds, multipliers and Free Spins.

With a jackpot of over 900,000 coins to be won, Jungle Jim may be dwarfed by other slots with bigger wins on offer, but it still possesses a unique gameplay style that makes it worth playing. Each winning spin replaces winning symbols and adds an additional multiplier, meaning a single spin can lead to big wins and up to 5x the bet. This system is carried over into the Free Spins bonus, with the multiplier jumping up to 15x.

The betting options in Jungle Jim: El Dorado are as follows:

• Coin sizes – $0.01, $0.02, $0.05, $0.10
• Minimum bet per spin – $0.25
• Maximum bet per spin – $25
• Scatter – Yes
• Wild – Yes (Jungle Jim symbol)
• Bonus rounds – Yes (Free Spins with multipliers)
• Free spins – Yes
• Jackpot – 920,000 (in-game)
• RTP – 96.31%

Audio and graphics

Jungle Jim: El Dorado is far from the most aesthetically pleasing slot out there, but it gets the job done with some smooth animations, exploding symbols and sound cues. Microgaming seems to be plodding along, constantly looking for ways to improve its slots portfolio, and while this slot is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, it still sits in the shadow of games made by the likes of NetEnt and Betsoft.

The biggest problem with Jungle Jim: El Dorado’s look is that it seems a little too demanding and clunky. Each spin has exploding symbols, and as such every time you make a new bet, the entire betting field is replaced. This gameplay mechanic is fine on its own but this can lead to a slow gaming experience at times as the game loads the symbols and brings them all down at once, as opposed to individually slotting the symbols in the traditional way.

It’s far from a deal breaker, though: Jungle Jim’s shift into the free spins bonus, and the game’s way of rewarding players is exciting and inviting, so it certainly redeems itself by offering the potential for big wins from a small betting range.

Jungle Jim gameplay and bonus features

The Rolling Reels feature so often featured in Microgaming slots makes an appearance in Jungle Jim, and it’s arguably the game’s most defining feature. It gives players the opportunity to land consecutive spins on a single spin by replacing winning symbols on the reels. The winning symbols explode, forcing symbols around it to fall into place and for new ones to drop down. This opens the door to additional wins.

Further to this, each additional win sees a jump in multiplier. The first win is a standard 1x multiplier, but it’s followed by 2x, 3x, 4x and 5x, opening the door to multiple big wins on a single spin.

There’s also the Free Spins bonus, with 10 free spins awarded when three or more scatter symbols appear on the reels. This mode bumps the multipliers up to 3x, 6x, 9x, 12x, and 15x, so if you can find a way to earn all multipliers on a single spin, land three scatters on the final multiplier and then work your way up to 15x in the bonus, there are some lucrative treasures waiting for you!

• Jungle Jim Scatter:
  Three scatter symbols award 1250 coins on the max 10-cent bet, and initiate 10 free games, which can be re-triggered during the bonus round.
• Treasure Chest:
  Win up to 30,000 coins on the max bet with five across all reels.

Other symbols include the Statue (win 10,000 coins on a max bet with five across all reels), Snake (5,000), Flute (2,000), Ruby (1,000), Topaz (1,000), Emerald (500), and Sapphire (500).

Where to play Jungle Jim: El Dorado

You can play Jungle Jim: El Dorado at many of our recommended sites, several of which all host Microgaming online pokies software. Our-top rated Microgaming sites are listed in the casino table at the top of this page – you can use our links to sign up and claim an exclusive welcome bonus, or read our detailed reviews. All of these casino sites are verified by industry watchdogs like eCOGRA, are safe and regulated for player deposits, and have hundreds more slots on offer from Microgaming and other game developers.

The Final Verdict

Jungle Jim: El Dorado has some great things going for it, which probably explains why it’s one of the most popular slots of 2016. Its low betting range makes it appealing for casual players, as does the potential for nice wins on a single spin. Microgaming’s slot isn’t overly unique or innovative, but it does enough to make for a fun slot.

That said, its $25 maximum can make it tough to find a way towards the bigger wins, while the Free Spins bonus seems especially rare. The Rolling Reels feature does a great job of making up for this, though, offering in-game multipliers and the chance to win thousands of coins on a single spin.