Captain Shockwave Online Slot Machine Review
This slot has a tie-in with ‘Alpha Squad’, an excellent game with 3D graphics also by Saucify. The full title of this slot is ‘Alpha Squad Origins: Captain Shockwave’. After enjoying the last game, my expectations were high – unfortunately those expectations were not met. There are some positives about this game. It is a solid slot, with the potential for huge free spin bonus rounds, and even has a comic book like pay table which takes you through the story. Compared to the more recent Alpha Squad slot, this is a little flat an uninspiring.
Design-wise this game is deliberately a retro slot. The symbols are more 1950’s comic book than anything and the animations are jerky and basic. There is some humour involved; the superhero dog called sonar is one of the symbols. Many spins will see more than half the screen with playing card symbols, which is never the best sign. There is also a logo, Captain Shockwave himself, a newspaper and a kid in different situations. There is a basic tune playing in the background, which is rhythmic enough to be enjoyable. Win-line sounds are more jarring, and like many Saucify slots, the game does take a while to cycle through each of the 50 win lines when you hit a win or two.
Only a single free spins game keeps this slot interesting – the best combination is 20 spins with a 5x multiplier.
Setup and Play for Captain Shockwave
There are 50 win-lines on this slot, which you are free to choose any number from. Coins are 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c and 50c. You can bet between 1 and 5 coins per line. This makes the smallest spin cost for all lines 50c, and the biggest $125 for the high rollers. Auto spin is available for up to 100 games without clicking.
50’s superhero Captain Shockwave is the best symbol in this game. He is wild, substituting for everything except the dog and child by a car (scatters). If you are lucky enough to get 5 captains on a line you will win 6000 coins. If this symbol contributes to any other winning combinations, the prizes for those are doubled.
Of the regular symbols, the child with the TV is worth 1200 for 5, the newspaper 600, the Alpha Squad logo 500 and the portrait view of the captain 400. Playing cards make up the smaller (though still important) wins.
The child by the car is a regular scatter symbol. This pays out for 2 of more anywhere on the reels. I you hit 5 you will win 100 times your total spin amount, 4 gets your 20x and 3 gets you 5x.
Sonar the dog is the other scatter; this has the same pay-outs as the child, though also triggers free spins. The amount of spins is as follows: 5 dogs = 20 spins with a 5x multiplier, 4x dogs = 15 spins with a 4x multiplier and 3 dogs = 10 spins with a 3x multiplier.
Captain Shockwave – Free Spins Bonus Round
There is nothing different about the game during the free spins round, and I feel Captain Shockwave could have benefited from more features. You will get new information above the reels, counting down your spins and totalling your wins. You can also retrigger the bonus, by hitting 3+ dogs anywhere on the reels. Wins including the Captain are doubled before your free spins multiplier is awarded – giving you the potential for some big wins from this feature. Once you are done you simply see your total prize and head straight back to the regular game.
Captain Shockwave – Conclusion
This is a solid slot, even though it lacks a certain edge compared to many of the alternatives available these days. When comparing it to the main Alpha Squad game, it did come up a little short. As a stand-alone review, it would score a 6/10. I like the game play, and the chance to win big during the free spins (the top multiplier is 5x and the top win 6000, giving 30,000 coins as a potential win). Saucify games can all be played in a web browser, and that does give them the advantage of looking great on tablets and mobile devices. This slot is not a world-beater but it is definitely worth checking out.
