Jungle Jewels Slots
As Gun N Roses promised, there’s plenty of fun and games in the jungle. And this Jungle Jewels game does not disappoint on either. So how did this swinging effort by The Art of Games get to leaf its competitors behind?
Please Don’t Stop the Music
It really is a joy to look at this game. In fact, you’ll struggle to find a better looking one. It’s filled to the brim with energy, colour and themed style. Either side is framed by a tree trunk, with different coloured leaves for each tree, with branches that meet at the very top of the screen. The name of the game is written in simple golden lettering at the top left with the odd jewel within. Nothing else in the background is gold or yellow as this is a forest setting.
As the 5 reels are transparent it’s really good that the background has been well designed. Not only is it in keeping with the theme, but it’s also a visual treat, with plenty of detail. You have the brown ground with all the bumps and bits of grass, as well as the different layered green plant life and then trees in the background and a gorgeous blue skyline. And let’s not forget the music. It has a nice fast beat with bongo drums and a real jungle feel. Even before playing, you really have got into the feel of the game. It then moves into xylophone chords so you don’t get bored of it too quickly.
Jungle Joy
Rather unusually, while the betting lines go up to 30, you can’t choose an individual number within that. You can bet lines of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27 and 30.
Bets per line is more conventional with either 1, 2 or 3 and coin value at 0.01. 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 and 100. The numbers you’ll see either side of the reels aren’t the paylines but the bets per line you are on. There is a Max Bet button, as well as an Auto Play button, that only has the settings on and off.
Along with the music, you can have the sound effects, with the possibility of muting either or both. Even if you do remove the sounds, the visual effect of a winning line is memorable. In particular, the crocodile that opens its mouth to reveal a baby one inside and the orangutan getting all playful.
The same thought that has gone into the layout has gone into the design and choice of icons. The golden symbols of the wildcat, toad and two snakes forming a ring, are worth the most. The wildcat has the game’s maximum with 4,000 credits for 5, though this drops to 500 credits for 4. The toad (worth 2,000), snake ring (1,600) and waterfall (1,200) are the only ones that give credits for 2 of a kind. The other regular icons of a crocodile, toucan, orangutan and snake keep to the jungle theme of the game.
The one-page Paytable isn’t easy to find though, and could do with changing the link of the black lettering into a more visible colour. The page itself is neat, and the beige background goes well. The line diagrams are tiny and could do with being on a different page. It loses a few points for some punctuation mistakes and missing words within the bonus symbols description.
Don’t Forget the Memory Game!
The bonus cards are visually memorable too. As displayed on the super neat and organised Paytable, the Wildcard is appropriately a tiger that roars when active. It replaces any symbol except for the Free Spins and MiniGame, which sadly don’t feature any extra credits. The Free Spins picture is an intrepid explorer, complete with map and compass, that offers up to 20 free spins.
The elephant MiniGame leads to a very fun memory game, entitled An Elephant Never Forgets. With the rules explained, you get asked to play. You pick a random card at a time and try to find its animal double within the other cards before time runs out. It’s one of the most fun and challenging bonus games you’ll see, and you’ll be really excited when it comes up.
Jewel in the Crown
This really is a fantastic game. The layout is wonderful, the theme distinctive, the symbols lively and appropriate and the music funky. Add that to a fun and easy gameplay and an original and challenging bonus game and you have a winner. Or as the game’s Wildcard might say, roarsome.
