AvatarUX burst onto the online slot development scene only a few years ago, and the release of CherryPop Deluxe serves as a reminder of how quickly time flies. While the original CherryPop installment remains their most popular game to date, this Deluxe version takes on a cartoonish Pop Art theme that deviates from the glossy and traditional fruit-inspired design of the original. Unfortunately, the math model has been significantly diluted, which is not exactly fitting for a “deluxe” edition. The potential payout of 20,000x is solid but falls short of the original CherryPop, and the RTP of 95.96% is also slightly lower. However, a Buy Bonus Max option has been included (excluding the UK), and the game maintains a good pace even without a turbo option. The premium symbols offer payouts ranging from 2.5 to 15 times your stake for landing 5 of a kind wins, and there are no wilds or scatters in this game. However, the PopWins mechanic is still going strong, replacing winning symbols with 2 new random symbols per position. This process continues indefinitely as long as you keep winning, but the grid is limited to 6 rows and 15,552 ways to win in the base game. Triggering the Bonus Round requires maxing out the grid, and players can choose to gamble for a better starting level or accept the initial level they receive. The pre-feature gamble is played on a large wheel, and success results in additional free spins and rows, while failure cancels the entire bonus round. Here’s an overview of what to expect: The gamble wheel may also land on a special golden segment, awarding up to 12 free spins on the first gamble and up to 16 free spins on the second attempt. In the bonus round, the grid expands to a maximum of 9 rows, offering up to 118,098 ways to win. However, the grid always resets to the lowest reel height between spins. The progressive multiplier starts at x2 and increases by +1 with each PopWin. If the grid is maxed out, players are awarded 2 extra spins and the multiplier increases by +4 with every subsequent win. Non-UK players and those residing in eligible jurisdictions have the option to utilize the Bonus Buy feature. Purchasing the regular bonus round costs 75 times the stake and allows players to gamble for a better starting level. Alternatively, the Buy Bonus Max feature can be purchased for 300 times the stake, providing a randomized better starting level with no gambling option. A PopWins sequence or two can be seen in the 3-minute highlights video before purchasing the bonus round at the 1:10 mark. We opted for the Max version, which awarded 10 free spins and 21,168 ways to win initially. You can watch the video to see how we fared. One notable improvement in CherryPop Deluxe is the enhanced spin pace, which was a point of criticism in previous reviews. However, the audiovisual makeover, particularly the audio, is questionable. The repetitive piano note sound for each added symbol becomes irritating after a while, although the dreamy soundtrack remains reminiscent of the original. Perhaps the use of “deluxe” as a subtitle for this release is not fitting, as players may expect an improved math model. Instead, the potential payout of 20,000x is less than half of the original, and even the RTP has been slightly reduced. While the pop art theme offers a departure from the traditional fruit theme of the original, the release seems somewhat unnecessary since the original game now includes a turbo option to address the pace issue. It is unlikely that many fans of the first game will be converted, but this deluxe version may attract new players to the PopWins universe.
