Hong Kong-based Avatar UX keeps ‘popping’ out new installments in thePopWins series, published on Yggdrasil’s YGS Masters program. HippoPop PopWins comes with a refreshingly bright, colorful and clear jungle theme, compared to some of the more thematically obscure installments from the past. The visuals are inspired by “Oaxacan arts and Alebrijes visions”, and you’re in for a polished presentation this time.
Looking past the impressive graphical display, there is nothing revolutionary to see here, at least not for punters already familiar with the series. It’s all about maxing out the base game grid, and see how you fare in the bonus round that follows. The math model beats most Megaways engine titles, sporting a48,150xpotential and amax bet of £40 per spin. Overall, a solid addition to the series, but we still think the overly slow pace is holding this engine back from reaching its full potential.
Both wilds and scatters are long gone in this game, so you’re truly at the mercy of thePopWins mechanicto get into the swing of things. TheWin-Both-Ways featureeffectively doubles the symbol values if you hit a 5-OAK win, and the highest value golden Hippo pays 4x your stake for 5 on a payline (this can change in the bonus round, as we shall see).
Players familiar with thePopWins engineknow what to expect. Each win removes the original winning symbols, and each is replaced by 2 new randomly chosen symbols. This increases the number of rows and paylines. In the base game, you can go from 3 rows with 243 win ways (or 486 win both ways), to6 rows with 7,776 win ways (or 15,552 win both ways).
The PopWins keep going until you land no more winning combos, and aprogressive multiplierbecomes active once you’ve maxed out the grid to 5×6 in the base game. Each following PopWin increases the multiplier with +1, and maxing out the grid is also how you trigger the bonus round (hit rate is 1 in 240 spins).
The multiplier you’ve built up is carried over to theBonus Round, and you’re awarded5 free spins per default. However, you can spin a wheel up to 3 times to gamble forup to 12 spins in total, but you also risk losing the feature altogether. Most of the wheel segments come with +2 extra spins, while a few also award +4 or +5.
The 5×6 grid is not carried over to the bonus round however, so you will start over with a 5×3 setup. The grid can now expandup to 5×8, and this means32,768 win waysat the most (or 65,536 win both ways). Each PopWin increases the multiplier with +1 from the get-go, and it does not reset between spins. The grid resets to the shortest row you have achieved when a PopWin sequence ends.
If you manage to max out the grid, it will stay that way for the remainder of the feature. Each fully expanded reel awards+2 extra spins, and reaching 6, 7 or 8 rows means that the golden Hippo symbol pays 2x, 3x or 4x its regular amount, respectively.
Non-UK players (or anywhere it’s permitted) canbuy the bonus round for 85x the total stake. You are then granted 5 free spins with a starting multiplier between 2x and 4x. You can gamble for up to 9 spins and a 10x starting multiplier if you wish, but this means you risk losing the feature.
Our 3-minute highlights video starts out displaying a bigger base game win, and then the bonus round follows. We gambled our way up to 9 spins, and we started out with a decent 7x multiplier. The actual bonus round starts at 2:13 into the video, and you can see how we fared by hitting the play button.
In a way the stripped down gameplay, combined with a bright and colorful theme, makes this feel like a fresh installment in the series. However, there isn’t much here to entice fence-sitters, as nothing really innovative has been done with the engine. We’ve nitpicked about it before, but the pace is still a problem for us. Play the highlights video above on 2x speed, and see for yourself how much more smoothly the game flows.
A “hip” poppin’ game about Hippos don’t need all these hiccups, and slow-motion filling of new symbols. This is an easy and obvious fix that would greatly improve this series. That being said, fans will probably not be disappointed by HippoPop, and you do get the extra valuable Hippo when the rows max out in the bonus round. This can all lead to massive payoutsup to 48,150x your stake, which is a lot more than what even most Megaways slots offer.
Pros
Cons
BountyPop- comes with a 2-tier multiplier mystery wheel up to 10x when you max out the grid with 6 rows. In the bonus round the mystery reel has 3-tiers with up to 100x multipliers, and this can lead to payouts up to 55,000x your stake.
TikiPop- comes with a 2x multiplier boost when you max out the grid, and the bonus round features an unlimited progressive multiplier and up to 33,614 win ways. The volatility is high, and you can win up to 32,000x your stake.
CherryPop- comes with a familiar fruit theme, making it a bit more accessible than many other installments in the series. This one also comes with a bonus buy option (not for UK players), and the progressive multiplier can land you wins up to 56,386x your stake.
Avatar UX, a Hong Kong-based company, continues to release new games in the PopWins series through Yggdrasil’s YGS Masters program. Their latest addition, HippoPop PopWins, stands out with its vibrant and clear jungle theme, inspired by Oaxacan arts and Alebrijes visions. While visually impressive, the game doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking for players already familiar with the series. The main focus is on maximizing the base game grid and exploring the bonus round. The math model of the game surpasses most Megaways engine titles, with a potential of 48,150x and a maximum bet of £40 per spin. However, the slow pace of the game holds it back from reaching its full potential. This installment removes both wilds and scatters, relying solely on the PopWins mechanic to keep players engaged. The Win-Both-Ways feature doubles the symbol values when a 5-of-a-kind win occurs, and the highest value symbol pays 4x the stake for 5 on a payline. Each win triggers the PopWins mechanic, replacing winning symbols with 2 new randomly chosen symbols, increasing the number of rows and paylines. In the base game, players can go from 3 rows with 243 win ways (486 win both ways) to 6 rows with 7,776 win ways (15,552 win both ways). The PopWins continue until no more winning combinations occur, and a progressive multiplier activates once the grid reaches 5×6 in the base game. Each subsequent PopWin increases the multiplier by 1. The bonus round is triggered by maxing out the grid and offers 5 free spins by default. Players can spin a wheel up to 3 times to gamble for up to 12 spins, but there is a risk of losing the feature. The wheel mostly awards +2 extra spins, with a few segments offering +4 or +5. In the bonus round, the grid resets to a 5×3 setup, and it can expand up to 5×8, providing a maximum of 32,768 win ways (65,536 win both ways). The multiplier carries over from the base game and increases by 1 with each PopWin during the bonus round. Each fully expanded reel grants +2 extra spins, and reaching 6, 7, or 8 rows increases the payout of the golden Hippo symbol. Non-UK players have the option to buy the bonus round for 85x the total stake. They receive 5 free spins with a starting multiplier between 2x and 4x, and they can gamble for up to 9 spins and a 10x starting multiplier. The gameplay in HippoPop feels stripped down compared to other installments in the series, but the bright and colorful theme adds freshness. However, there isn’t much innovation with the game engine, and the slow pace remains a drawback. Despite this, fans of the series will likely enjoy HippoPop, especially with the valuable Hippo symbol in the bonus round. The game offers the potential for massive payouts, up to 48,150x the stake, surpassing many Megaways slots.