Time is moving faster and faster, or so it seems, but 2016 still doesn’t seem like all that long ago. That’s when the originalGolden Fish Tankwas released, and Yggdrasil has, for whatever reason, decided to tone down the visual experience a bit in this follow-up. Golden Fish Tank 2 Gigablox still comes with plenty of Pixarish charm, bright colors and a calming atmosphere, and the most notable upgrade is, of course, the Gigablox symbols.
These can land as big as 4×4 in the base game, and up to 6×6 gigablox are possible via the expanded reels modifier in the bonus round. There are 6 different modifiers up for grabs from the upfront pick’em game, but extra spins seemed far easier to get than more juicy stuff like the x2 multiplier. The latter is how you’re most likely to crack the doubled 10,000x potential, and overall this is a solid enough sequel to perhaps make some waves.
TheWild symbolsteps in for all regular pay symbols to help complete winning combinations, and it’s also the highest value symbol in the game. Landing 6 wilds on a payline awards 20x your stake, while you win 6 to 12 x your stake for 6 matching premium fish symbols on a payline. Each spin comes withGigablox symbols sized 2×2, 3×3 or 4×4, and these count as 1×1 symbols when part of a win.
Landing aTreasure Chestat least partially in view awards a prize. You’ll see bubbles move across the screen until only 1 bubble remains, and it pops to reveal acash prize worth between 2 and 500 x your stake. It can also award5 to 16 free spins, and you can expect a better prize depending on the size of the chest.
The Bonus Round is triggered when you land5+ scattersanywhere in view, and you get the same amount of free spins as you landed triggering scatters. You then get a random number of feature picks, and with theGolden Betactive (costs 20 % extra per spin) you always get+1 extra pick.
You can also gamble for more picks if you’re unhappy with the number you got. Be careful though, as the gamble feature can send you right back to the base game if you select the wrong starfish. ThePick’em gamedisplays a bunch of shells and vases on the seabed, and each one reveals a modifier you’ll bring with you into the bonus round:
The Treasure Chest feature can trigger in the bonus round too, and it awards up to 500x your stake or 1 to 5 extra spins. Non-UK players can take advantage of theBonus Buy feature, and it comes with 2 options. You get 5 to 16 free spins for60x your stake, or you can pay100x your stakefor the same, but with the Golden Bet switched on for an extra feature pick.
You get to see a couple of wins in the base game, before we purchase the Bonus Round at 0:44 into the 3:57-minute highlights video. We went into the Pick’em game with 6 free spins and 5 picks in our pocket, and we got mostly extra spins in addition to a few other modifiers. See it all for yourself by hitting the play button below.
Contemplating the meaning of life while studying the fish in your fish tank can bring some sorely needed peace of mind at times. There is a pleasant vibe emanating from this Yggdrasil follow-up, just like with the original, and Golden Fish Tank 2 meshes perfectly with the Gigablox concept. The bright and colorful fish will lift your mood instantly, and so will the beefed up math model offering payoutsup to 10,000x your stake.
There are 2 avenues into the bonus round, and it triggers quite often, but we’re still unsure if the Golden Bet pick is worth paying extra for per spin. Many times a lot of picks end up awarding mostly extra spins, but the big money is in the modifiers you may also get. Especially the x2 multiplier is a must, and it combines well with expanded reels. Fans of the original will probably enjoy this sequel, even though it somehow looks a tad more dated.
Pros
Cons
Golden Fish Tank- is the original release from Yggdrasil, and it comes with similar colorful and mood-lifting visuals. You don’t get Gigablox in this version, of course, but the bonus round comes with a similar feature pick game up front. The max win is 5,000x your stake, and the volatility is plain medium.
Reef Raider- is a similarly colorful NetEnt release set on the seabed, and it plays out on a 7×7 cluster pays grid. The pirate crab walks around the reel frame as you land consecutive cascading wins, and he can trigger up to 4 modifiers. Get him all the way around, and the bonus round with an 8,500x potential is triggered.
Fishin’ Reels- is a visually modernized Fishin’ Frenzy copycat job from Pragmatic Play, and it comes with the classic Reel ‘Em feature. In addition, you also get a more volatile Big Catch option, and this can lead to payouts up to 1,200x your stake at the most.
