Theme and Storyline
Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe brings you back to the underwater world where a dolphin and its ocean companions are on a quest for treasure. This slot is an update of the original Dolphin’s Pearl, with familiar gameplay and an almost identical storyline. Your mission is to hunt for the elusive pearl, which offers the game’s biggest rewards. Along the way, you’ll encounter a range of sea creatures, including stingrays, angelfish, and of course, the star of the show – the playful dolphin.
The theme is simple, yet effective, creating an oceanic atmosphere with a clear focus on the pearl as the game’s central symbol. If you enjoyed the original, you’ll find this update comfortably familiar, though not much has changed in terms of narrative depth.
Graphics, Sounds, and Animations
One of the most noticeable improvements in Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe is the graphical upgrade. The sea creatures now have a more polished art style, making them visually appealing and easy on the eyes, unlike the original game, where some of the graphics were considered a bit rough and unpleasant. The new art style brings a fresher, more vibrant look to the game, making the underwater theme come to life with a bit more charm.
However, when it comes to the overall sound and animations, Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe doesn’t offer much in terms of innovation. The core software and animations are largely unchanged from the original game. While the reels spin with the same smooth animation, the sound design remains a weak point. The reel sounds and win sounds, which were passable in the original game, now feel somewhat tacky and annoying in the updated version. The music and sound effects, while not terrible, can detract from the overall experience, making the game feel a bit dated.
Although the visuals have seen a significant upgrade, the outdated sound design can make the game feel clunky at times. For players who are sensitive to repetitive or jarring sound effects, this may be a downside.
Gameplay
Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe features a standard 5-reel, 10-winline setup. This is a small improvement over the original Dolphin’s Pearl, which had only 9 paylines. Players can choose to activate up to 10 paylines, giving them more flexibility in how they approach the game. While this may not sound like a big change, it gives a bit more control over your gameplay, allowing you to adjust your bets according to your strategy.
The game also features a gamble function, which follows the typical Novomatic standard. In this feature, after a win, players can choose to gamble their winnings in a red-or-black card game. You’ll be asked to predict the color of the next card drawn from a deck, with correct guesses doubling your winnings. This feature can be appealing for players looking for a bit more excitement or volatility. However, since the game uses a random number generator (RNG), the gamble is effectively a coin flip, and it mostly serves to increase the overall volatility of the game.
Wilds, Bonuses, and Free Spins
Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe comes with a few important symbols that can boost your wins. The Dolphin symbol serves as the Wild, substituting for all other symbols except the Scatter symbol. The Wild also comes with a 2x multiplier, making it more valuable when it helps form winning combinations.
The Pearl symbol is the Scatter, and it’s the key to unlocking the game’s biggest payouts. If you land two Pearl symbols, you’ll receive a payout equal to two times your bet. But the real excitement begins when you land three or more Pearls. This triggers 15 free spins, during which a 3x multiplier is applied to all wins, significantly increasing the potential for big payouts. With a maximum payout of up to 500x your bet for five Pearls, the free spins feature is where most of the game’s rewards come from.
The combination of Wilds and Scatters in Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe makes for some potentially lucrative wins, especially during the free spins feature, where multipliers can skyrocket your earnings. This adds a layer of excitement to the game, as the free spins offer the chance for bigger payouts with each spin.
Bet Sizes, RTP, and Variance
Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe offers a range of betting options, catering to both casual players and high rollers. The minimum bet starts at $/£/€0.04 per spin, which is low enough for players to enjoy the game without risking too much. On the other hand, the maximum bet is $/£/€100 per spin, which suits players who prefer higher stakes.
The game’s RTP (Return to Player) is 95.13%, which is slightly below the industry average of around 96%. While this is not a dealbreaker for every player, the lower RTP means that the game pays out a bit less frequently compared to other slots. This is particularly relevant when considering the game’s high volatility. The combination of a lower RTP and high variance means that while the potential for big wins is there, players will often experience long dry spells between payouts.
Conclusion
Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe doesn’t do much to shake up the formula of its predecessor. While the graphical upgrades are a welcome improvement, the overall game still feels stuck in the past. The sound design is outdated, and the features, while standard, don’t bring anything new to the table. The gamble feature, in particular, can add excitement but is essentially a coin flip that increases volatility rather than offering meaningful strategy.
With an RTP of 95.13% and high volatility, Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe can be frustrating at times, especially for players with smaller bankrolls. That said, the free spins feature, with its 3x multiplier, provides the potential for decent payouts, making it a game worth playing for those who enjoy a high-risk, high-reward style of play.
Overall, Dolphin’s Pearl Deluxe will likely appeal to fans of the original game or players looking for a classic slot experience. For others, however, the outdated design and lack of innovative features may make it difficult to get excited about. While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, there’s no denying that it remains a popular choice for many slot enthusiasts.
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