Shogun of Time
As a sensible wombat, I was a little nervous about having a spin on Microgaming and Just for the Win’s Shogun of Time slot. Who wants to take on a shogun? In this case a traditional Japanese master of time travel – yikes! But I do love a warrior game (have you tried the Viking Wilds slot by the way?), so it did pique my interest.
When I noticed that this game came loaded with a ways to win engine, meaning that playing your reels right could deliver a nice little 243 ways to win earner I was sold. No drama, this could be a winner.
Look and Feel
This game is set in the future- in a dystopian cityscape- a vision of pink and purple tints. Behind the transparent reels there is a towering view of skyscrapers. This isn’t any ordinary spot; this is a teleportation device to travel through time. (Strewth! I’m not sure that this is something a wombat has attempted before!) This game is up there in the design stakes with the Turn Your Fortune slot from NetEnt. It’s a pretty one!
The reels are framed by a pair of lotus blossoms-a nod to the Japanese theming don’t ya know? And the whole look in ultra-modern except for the historical icons on the reels. This game is a wacky hybrid of the past and future-that’s the thing with time travel I guess! And it’s pretty rich on the feature front. Not as much as Scudamore’s Super Stakes, but not that far off.
Game Play
In the base game the Shogun of Time takes place over 3 rows and 4 reels and comes with that little extra TNT thanks to that Ways to Win engine. This cash happy mechanism is usually set to 81 but if you get busy with the bonus action you can expect this numbers to sky rocket to 243. Now you’re talking!
The odds and ends of Japan’s ancient times are the high value icons on the game including coins, fancy fans, the body armour of warriors, helmets and a mask. Blimey, even our hero from the Agent Jane Blonde Returns slot would be jealous of that lot.
The Ace through 10 of the card deck are the lower value symbols of the game.
To max out your cash win you’ll be trying to persuade the Shogun of Time logo onto the reels- five in a row across the reels will give you a whopping x 12 your wager prize. And happily, landing the Wild, the Shogun of Time herself onto the reels offers the same high value prize.
The Bonuses
If you’re feeling luck is with you and you manage to land four of a kind icons then this activates the bonus game Reel Split Re-spin feature. This transforms the game into an out of this world cash party.
This feature means that an extra reel is magicked into existence between reel 2 and 3 and this new reels puts the Ways to Win engine into overdrive. It makes those four winning reels become sticky while the new reel spins independently, to help up your chances of landing some mega winning combos.
The Free Spins feature can be lucrative if you land 3 or 4 Scatters across the reels, as you will generate either 8 or 16 free spins respectively. This mode comes with the news flash that the reels will be fully expanded for this mode, giving you a shot at the big Ways to Win prize. Any Wilds landing during this feature become stacked to help build up to some increased win potential.
Conclusion
Time travel isn’t for everyone (that travel suit did nothing for my silhouette) but this little issue aside, Microgaming’s Shogun of Time, with that 243 Ways to Win engine, Reel Split Re-spin feature, and generous Free Spins game with sticky Wilds, is a breeze. Make the most of this mixed up ride that’s a time warping mixture of the past and the future, it’s a real entertainer.