Most online pokies with pandas in them have an Asian theme. Pandamania from NextGen Gaming goes in a completely different direction. The star of this show is an escaped zoo panda, who appears to be a bit of a trouble maker. This is not the latest design, though the quirky and endearing game-play more than makes up for this.
Pandamania Features
The Pandamania pokie has the following features:
Randomly, a panda cycles past, adding wilds to the reels.
Get three cage symbols, and you’ll help the panda escape to win cash prize.
Doubled wins and more escaped panda symbols combine to give your spins a boost.
Around the reels, you’ll see an entertaining scene of devastation – obviously caused by the escaped panda. This is an older part of the NextGen lineup and does show signs of age. While the symbols are full of character, they are not as detailed as you’ll find on many slots.
The reels are plain white, with a circus tent topping them. The animations are a lot of fun, though I found the sound effects which come with the escaped panda on a bike a little jarring after a few goes.
Pandamania Gameplay
Despite the chaotic bonus features, this pokie plays out on a standard setup. There are five reels, each of which has three rows of symbols. You’ll spin over 25 win-lines and can bet from just 1c per line (or much higher if you prefer). Pandamania is available in full screen or mobile format – with the latter having a large arrow as a play button on the right-hand side.
Wild symbols, which show the cheeky panda, have the biggest line prize by a long way. Five of these are worth 3,000 coins. These wilds substitute for all the non-bonus symbols – they pay from just two from the left-hand side.
Next on the pay table is the zookeeper, who has been tied up and gagged. This symbol is worth 500 coins for the maximum five of a kind. Zoo tickets, the bike and some spilled sweets complete the line up of higher-paying symbols. Playing cards, ace down to nine, make up the smaller wins.
Scattered logo symbols have a prize as well as triggering the free spins bonus. If you get five of these, you win 100x your total bet before you start your free spins.
Bonuses and Promotions wtih Pandamania
Most of the time while you spin, you’ll hear electronic warble sound effects. After some spins, a circus type tune kicks in. This is good news, as the next thing you’ll see is a panda on a bike (complete with balloons) coming across the bottom of the reels from the left.
This will change one or more of the symbols into wilds. You’ll know you are about to win, as a loud elephant trumpet ends each sequence.
Animations for the pick me bonus are also fun. To trigger this, you need three of the cage symbols. These say; ‘Pick Me’ and appear on the middle three reels only. You’ll get the chance to click on one of them. Next, the panda breaks the bars and escapes! It leaves behind a cash win – which is instantly added to your bankroll. If you are lucky, you might also find either a ‘pick again’ sign, or entry to the free spins bonus.
More mayhem occurs in the free spins game. You need to get three or more of the scatter symbols to trigger this – with 10 free spins for any number 3 or above. They show the Pandamania logo.
Play is at the same stake as the base game – though any wins are doubled during the free spins. You will also get the escaped panda on a bike more often. You can retrigger this bonus at any time with three or more logo symbols.
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The Bottom Line
If you don’t mind the older graphics, then this online slot is well worth a spin.
While there are three different features, the big line prizes with the wilds are certainly worth noting. The free spins bonus is where your biggest wins will come from. Not only are your prizes doubled, you’ll get extra wilds from the more common escaped-panda feature, too.
The Bottom Line