Updated
Lisa Michaels
Pachinko slot machine is a high-volatility Bingo-based title by Microgaming and Neko Games with four tickets and bingo patterns. The game combines bingo and slot mechanics with the background of a traditional Asian temple entryway, complete with blossom trees and a starry night sky. The bonus features include wild balls, free balls and a pick-me game, and you couldwin up to 5,000x your bet.
Software:
Release Date:
Reels:
Volatility:
Game type:
Paylines:
Min coin:
Max coin:
Free spins:
Wild symbol:
Progressive:
Multipliers:
Load the game to see the four tickets in the centre of the screen. Each ticket has 15 numbers, and you can add or remove them by pressing the button in the right-hand corner of the ticket. If you want to refresh your ticket, simply tap on it to see new numbers generated at random.
Above the tickets is where you’ll see information on winning patterns and the details of the jackpot. At the very bottom of the screen is where your bet per ticket, total bet and current balance are shown. You can adjust your bet using the button on the left side of the screen.
Directly below the bet per ticket button is the settings menu, which opens to show the paytable, controls for the sound and your total bet history for the current playing session.
On the other side of the screen is where you’ll find the play button. Tapping this drops the numbered balls from the Temple Gate. You can also press the autoplay feature, which will automatically complete a set number of plays. Below this button is the lightning icon, which you can tap to change the speed.
Unlike in online slots, there are no symbols to match along paylines in Pachinko. Instead, you simply need to match numbered balls with the numbers on your tickets.
There are 90 bingo balls in all, and the game will select 30 at random per spin. However, only the sixty featured on the tickets will be added to the drum to be drawn from the Temple Gate. Each ticket contains 15 random numbers where you need to create winning patterns, and you can activate between 1-4 tickets.
There are fifteen ways to win in Pachinko, including single lines, double lines and the full house. The full house awards a jackpot, while specific patterns can trigger bonus rounds. Your win will depend on the value of the pattern and the size of your bet. Remember that your total bet is multiplied by the number of tickets you play with as you choose your bet per ticket.
It’s possible to win multiple payouts from a single ticket if completely new patterns are created, for example, having multiple lines on one ticket. However, if your new pattern is formed from an existing one, only the more valuable is paid out.
The game will highlight so-called Candidate Numbers on your ticket if a pattern will be created if that number is drawn next. These are highlighted in yellow, with the highest possible prize highlighted in orange.
If there’s at least one Candidate Number of a prize worth 8x your bet or higher, the extra balls stage will trigger at the end of the round. This allows you to purchase additional balls, with the cost based on the potential prizes to be won.
Wild balls appear randomly in the extra ball stage and allow you to select any number on a ticket.
Free balls may also appear randomly in the extra stage, giving you a free play.
If you get an outline pattern on a ticket, you’ll activate the bonus round. There are five levels, each with different coloured Maneki Neko ‘beckoning cat’ figurines, and you will need to pick one per level. Each cat contains either a hidden cash prize or the exit sign, which triggers the end of the bonus.
Each time you pick a figurine containing a prize, you progress to the next level, which offers bigger rewards. Level 1 has six white Maneki Nekos with prizes from 10x to 50x. Level 2 has five red cats with prizes from 50x to 150x and an exit sign that ends the round. Level 3 has four black figurines with prizes from 150x to 250x and an exit sign that ends the round. Level 4 has three silver Maneki Nekos with prizes from 250x to 450x and an exit sign that ends the round. Level 5 has two gold cats with prizes from 450x to 550x and an exit sign that ends the round. The maximum you can win for this round is 1850x your bet.
This slot has a top jackpot prize worth 5,000x your bet. When playing at the highest bet of $10 per ticket, you could potentially win $50,000 from a single play. However, the jackpot is only available when you’re playing with all four tickets at once and only from the first 30 balls drawn on that play.
Pachinko has an RTP rate of 95.82%, which puts it slightly below average for online slots. It’s also highly volatile, which means that win frequency is lower in general while the size of payouts is potentially higher on average.
Of course, random chance is a big factor in your playing experience. As a result, you can’t predict what your returns will be from the RTP, as you may enjoy better returns one day and struggle to land wins on another. When I played, I had a mixed experience, hitting some big wins but then having bad luck with the extra balls.
The graphics in this slot are pretty basic. The theme is one that’s been visited a lot by slot developers, so we would have liked to see some more creativity and originality. The Maneki Nekos are a fun addition for sure, although unless you trigger the bonus round, you’re not going to see much of them.
The sound effects and music are fairly simple too, with Neko Games choosing to opt for gameplay and winning potential over style and sound. Fair enough, but some players might be turned off even despite the excellent features and payouts.
While you won’t be able to win real money, the free-to-play demo is a great way to learn the rules and understand how the game works. One of the biggest issues that beginner players have is that they don’t want to risk money on slots when they don’t know the rules. Thankfully, the free demo gives you an excellent way to learn the ropes without spending any money. Try Pachinko free on this page.
Asia is a massive continent with a lot of interesting history, culture and style. As a result, it’s no surprise that we’ve seen so many slots and bingo games set in the Far East over the years. Whether you love the architecture, food or lucky mascots, there are plenty of fun games to choose from:
Pachinko is a unique bingo hybrid with great winning opportunities. The game fuses Pachinko looks with bingo and slot gameplay. As a result, beginner players may initially struggle with the rules, but they are relatively easy to understand. The Asian theme is charmingly executed with plenty of animation accents to keep the visual aspect interesting. Wild balls can help you complete winning patterns, while the Maneki Neko pick-me game is a thrilling race to a large prize. The big jackpot offers you a win worth up to $50,000.
Lisa started off as a croupier at her local casino. However she found her niche in writing and has subsequently used her real-world gambling experiences to help produce and review the many online slots that are released monthly. Lisa also contributes to keeping you up to date with Canadian newsworthy stories.
