Black Magic Slots

While the vast majority of JPM Interactive slot machines are famed for their simplicity, Black Magic Max Power breaks the mould and brings you a classic 3-reel game that’s jam-packed with features.

Boasting a colourful cast of 10 symbols, a magic wand icon that pays 27 ways, a Max Power bonus feature and a super turbo gamble mode that allows you to trigger the game’s maximum jackpot, Black Magic Max Power is a breathless ride from start to finish that certainly takes some explaining.

Vanishing Act

While the basic premise of Black Magic Max Power is as simple as any other JPM slot machine – that is to say, there are 3 reels and 5 fixed paylines – the game doesn’t do a very good job of explaining its vast range of functions to players, with no information about the bonus rounds being displayed.

Players begin by choosing a stake amount between ￡0.50 and ￡5 and then hit spin, with a maximum payout of 50x their bet awarded for matching three magic wand icons. These special symbols also act as a wild of sorts in that although they don’t substitute for other regular symbols, they do transform the gameboard so that it pay 27 ways whenever one appears anywhere on the reels.

Next there’s the Max Power symbol, which isn’t even displayed on the pay table. Matching three of these icons opens a bonus window above the reels and allows players to win a multiplier amount, while any wins can then be risked using the turbo gamble button. Successful gambles double your bet, while incorrect guesses halve it, with players moving up and down a prize ladder as they play.

The magician’s code

Even though the slot is called Black Magic, it is nevertheless a colourful title from JPM Interactive that features a bright red background adorned with golden stars and moons and plenty of separate windows that display the reels, the paytable, the progressive jackpot and the turbo gamble feature.

The presence of 10 symbols certainly adds to the busy feel, with playing cards, crystal balls, top hats, stars and magic wands joining the various BAR symbols to create a fairly unique-feeling line-up. As mentioned above, there is also a Max Power icon that for some reason isn’t included in the paytable, which further enhances the range of featured symbols even if it does confuse matters somewhat.

In terms of animations and audio, Black Magic is also considerably more impressive than other standard JPM Interactive machines in the sense that it uses a shooting star graphic and a magical sound effect to great winning paylines, while there’s also unique music during the gamble feature.

And for my next trick...

As we mentioned right at the start of the review, Black Magic Max Power is packed with special features and many of them aren’t particularly well explained on the console itself. The most obvious is the turbo gamble feature, which can be played whenever a payout is triggered in the base game.

When this happens, players will start on an 11-step ladder, with each correct gamble moving them up a space and each wrong guess causing them to drop back. This can continue indefinitely until they either drop off the ladder entirely or reach the final 50/50, which either results in a win of 5x you original payout if you’re unsuccessful or the super turbo jackpot, which awards the progressive prize.

Additionally Black Magic features the Max Power bonus which is activated whenever three Max Power icons appear on a winning payline. This opens a small window above the reels where several multiplier amounts are displayed, with players simply having to stop a moving light on one of the amounts to receive their prize. The magic wand, meanwhile, is the game’s highest value icon and causes the slot to pay 27 ways (rather than the standard 5 ways) whenever it appears on the reels.

Spellbound

It’s fair to say that JPM Interactive have really pulled a rabbit out of the hat with Black Magic Max Power.

The slot crams an unbelievable amount of features into what is essentially a conventional 3-reel slot, making it far more entertaining than other titles by the studio. The sound and graphics have also been enhanced, meaning the only let-down is the lack of proper instructions for players.