Frog Fortunes

Ribbit! I don't know that many famous frogs. I mean once we have got past Kermit and his nephew Robin, then the chocolate frog Freddo and the Frog that turned into a Prince, then we are pretty much exhausted. However, there is a new frog on the block nowadays in the shape of the Frog Fortunes, who just so happens to have a brand new Realtime Gaming slot game named after him.

So how will this Frog bring you forth a fortune? The answer lies in a rather unusual 5x3 reel slot that features a number of unusual bonus, but no Wilds or Free Spins, and a rather high price to play, with spins starting at 2.00 per game (increasing up to 100.00 for higher roller players).

Let's take a closer look now at how all the different elements of the slot combine to bring us the Frog Fortunes slot.

Overview

• Game: Frog Fortunes
• Developer: Realtime Gaming
• Reels: 5x3
• Pay Lines: 20 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 2.00
• Maximum Bet: 100.00
• Jackpot: 375x
• Free Spins Bonus: No
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: Medium

Where can I play the Frog Fortunes slot?

If you want to try your luck on the Frog Fortunes slot then the best place to head to give the game a few spins is to the gaff of the cheeky chappie that is Mr Sloto, or as we know it, Sloto'Cash Casino.

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Presentation

The set up for the Frog Fortunes slot is somewhat unusual. Rather than standard reels, you have a hexagonal board laid out in a 5x3 system, which looks rather like an old Blockbusters game board. The symbols appear here on each spin and are put there from the mouth of the Frog Fortunes who is sat at the foot of the reels.

The slot features Cascading Reels, which means when you land a win, you will see those symbols disappear and new symbols appear on the reels in place of them. This can lead to additional wins from the same spin.

Add to that a rather unusual soundtrack and some eye-catching graphics, including a lush backdrop and animated symbols and it all looks and sounds rather fancy.

What's on the reels?

In terms of the symbols on the reels, there are a total of eight standard symbols in the game. One nice touch is that the creature symbols are animated on the reels and move around, which is unusual and a small but nice touch. The lower value symbols are the four different gem stones, they are colored red, pink, green and blue and wins range from 1 coin up to 15 coins for five of the blue gems.

The higher value symbols are all creatures and are somewhat hard to identify, I think they are a Hyena, a Snake, a Lizard and lastly a bird. Wins on these symbols range from 5 coins up to 150 coins for five of the Birds across one of the pay lines. Symbols can appear in multiple locations on the reels, so it is possible to win across multiple pay lines and this is how you land the bigger value wins in the game.

There is one other type of symbol on the reel and these are Frog Bombs and we'll explore more about what they do later in the review.

Wild features

There are no Wild symbols on the reels in the Frog Fortunes slot. However the game does have an 'Frog Bombs' feature which will be explained in more detail in the Other Bonus section below and which is similar to a Wild symbol.

Free Spins features

The Frog Fortunes slot does not have a Free Spins bonus round.

Other bonus features

There are essentially two main bonus features on the slot. The first of these is a Cascading Reels bonus, which kicks in after every win is triggered in the game. When this occurs, the symbols that form part of the win will pay out, then flicker and disappear and then any symbols above them will drop down and new symbols added to the reels to fill in the blanks.

This can then create additional wins from the same spin.

The other main bonus feature of the slot is the Frog Bombs feature. With this feature, you will land any of four different Frog Bombs on the reels. These can be different colors, and each will have a number between zero and 3 on the bomb.

The number refers to the number of spins (or Cascading Reels wins landed) you need to play before the bomb explodes. When a bomb explodes it will create a blast pattern on the reels and this blast pattern is determined by the color of the Frog Bomb. A Green Bomb will see symbols added to the left and right of the Frog Bomb, a blue bomb sees symbols added above or below the Frog Bomb, the Pink Bomb sees symbols added on adjacent sides and a Red Bomb sees them added on adjacent corners.

When the bomb explodes, a randomly selected symbol is then added to the reels in the positions outlined above for each type of bomb. This will then replace any symbols in those positions on the reels and can of course trigger you wins. They can also overlay existing Frog Bombs on the reels too.

Best feature of the Frog Fortunes slot

Well, with only one feature as such on the Frog Fortunes slot, it is easy to say that the Frog Bomb feature is the main aspect of this game and its best feature. One thing to note here is that the position of the Frog Bombs on the reels does matter. The closer they are to the first couple of reels, the better you tend to stand a chance of landing a win, unless you have a favorable selection of symbols there already and the Frog Bomb lands across the reels. In general though, the closer to the first couple of reels the Bombs land, the better it is for the player. Cascading Reels is a nice touch too but without any multiplier trail bonus, its effect is somewhat diminished.

What does the Frog Fortunes slot lack?

The most obvious things lacking from the game are a Wild symbol, which I feel would have really helped the base game be a little more attractive and facilitated more wins. While there is also no Free Spins bonus round, I think the Frog Bombs bonus does make up for this and I think that the fact that this bonus features a lot more frequently in the game than a Free Spins bonus would, means that you don't miss Free Spins as much. However, I do feel a Wild symbol would have enhanced the game considerably.

Conclusion

Frog Fortunes is a very unusual slot game from Realtime Gaming. Graphically it is very nicely done with some really eye-catching graphics and the music is, for some reason, a more eastern-themed auditory experience than you would expect. That's no problem as the game-play is pretty good, even though the absence of a Wild in the game does impact its overall appeal. The Frog Bombs bonus is a very clever one and works well and the unusual reel set up, which resembles a Blockbusters board for those fans of the TV show, also is a nice touch. This is a decent new game from Realtime Gaming and one that will certainly attract players to try a few spins.

Ratings

• Presentation: 15 / 20 - Frog Fortunes is a very nicely presented slot. I admit the choice of music is a little odd as it sounds like you are in a Turkish Bazaar rather than deep in the jungle, but the graphics are very eye-catching and the animations on the slot, with the symbols moving their heads and the Frog Bombs exploding are all very nicely done and do make the game look and sound excellent.
• Game-play: 14 / 20 - Even without the addition of a Wild in the symbols, this is still an enjoyable slot. You do win relatively frequently and some of those wins will be decent value, especially if you can land five symbols across the reels and that does enhance the game play a great deal. Unfortunately a lack of Wild in the symbols does mean that a lot of spins are non-winners and when you hit a run of these, it can be somewhat frustrating.
• Bonus Features: 14 / 20 - With No Wilds and no Free Spins, the Frog Fortuness main bonus features of the Cascading Reels and Frog Bombs needed to work together well to create a very enjoyable game and they do just that. The Cascading Reels can generate some additional wins but it doesn't trigger that many. Frog Bombs though are the best feature of the game and it really enhances the game considerably and makes the player feel like they are getting plenty of opportunities with the bonus.
• Entertainment Factor: 14 / 20 - This is an enjoyable slot to play. The different look and feel of the slot, combined with the unusual bonus elements make it a unique game to play and the key thing is that these new elements do combine into an enjoyable game. Wins are a good mix in value and you don't tend to go too long before hitting one. The bonus features are good, especially the Frog Bombs element and while the game isn't quite perfect due to a number of niggly factors, it is still a game you will enjoy when playing.
• Play Value: 13 / 20 - From my game-play, I don't feel the Frog Fortunes slot is a particularly volatile offering. I enjoyed a couple of sessions and while I didn't make a profit on either, the game also didn't take too big a bite out of the finances. This is not that hungry a frog! Wins are a good mix of values too and importantly, you can see ways to win some of the larger prizes available on the game.
• Overall 70 / 100 - Frog Fortunes is a very good and unusual slot game from Realtime Gaming. The company made some brave decisions with the slot and in the main they paid off. It is a fun, unusual and cleverly designed game that has some interesting and unique features. It does have a few small annoying aspects but nothing that would ultimately ruin your enjoyment of a few spins on the game.

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