It’s been over ten years since the release of NetEnt’s award-winning video slot Starburst. With a decade in service to the global iGaming industry, there are very few slot titles that have managed to stay the course in such comfortable fashion.
When you consider how fast-moving the iGaming scene is, with all its state-of-the-art innovations and game mechanics, it is almost surprising that a relatively standard online slot game is still on the minds of players in 2023.
It’s still one of the most played slots today
NetEnt seemed to hit the jackpot based on the right chemistry and dynamics of the Starburst slot. The simplistic gameplay, fused with the futuristic, space-age theme, ensured Starburst was one of the trend-setters for immersive slot action. The sheer fact that it’s still listed as one of the best online slots at Betfair Casino tells you all you need to know about its enduring appeal. It’s one of only nine slot titles listed in the ‘top slots’ category of this operator. That’s some achievement to stay relevant when you consider this site is partnered with many award-winning iGaming studios, including Red Tiger, Playtech, Pragmatic Play and Play’n GO.
Starburst’s engaging game engine
It all starts with the way the reels and symbols operate in this cosmic slot. Starburst was one of the first to adopt the ‘Win Both Ways’ game engine, which meant that symbol combinations paid out from right to left as well as left to right; thereby increasing a player’s winning potential. Although the slot has a relatively modest layout, with five reels and just three rows of symbols, the Win Both Ways mechanism meant there was always a chance to land a combo with every spin.
It’s also worth reiterating that Starburst has never been blessed with eye-catching bonus features. In fact, it only has one bonus feature. Whenever the wild symbol – the multi-colored star symbol – appears on the reels it will fill the entire reel it lands on and grant players one free re-spin. It’s then possible for the wild symbol to appear again on another reel, granting an additional free re-spin. By filling all five reels with wild symbols it’s possible to unlock the biggest potential jackpot in the game.
The successful Starburst spin-offs
It took several years but in 2021, Evolution, who acquired NetEnt in June 2020 in a deal worth around $2.1 billion, announced the launch of a long-awaited Starburst slot sequel. Starburst XXXtreme boasts the same look and feel as the original, with one or two contemporary tweaks to cater for the discerning slot player in the 2020s. Developers recognise the need to be innovative, and the new features in this title make it more engaging than its predecessor.
The biggest addition is the unveiling of the XXXtreme Spins mode. Players can pay to guarantee a set number of wild symbols on the reels. The Random Wilds feature is another new arrival. Whenever the Starburst wilds appear on the middle three reels, a random win multiplier is selected, awarding players a bonus worth anything from 2x to 150x their initial stake.
Although Starburst has never had a definitive theme, its intergalactic-styled symbols coupled with its space-age trance soundtrack create a consistent and comforting feel. Starburst also offers a sense of nostalgia to long-time slot players, who started playing when the mobile-first era kicked off in earnest and is now par for the course.
