Pulsar slot

I have to admit that I am a bit of a science/space geek and I actually know what a Pulsar is. It is essentially a fast-rotating Neutron star that is highly magnetized and which sends out radioactive bursts from its poles. These bursts are highly regular in their timing, so much so that many feel Pulsars are the ticking clocks of the universe.

The only time you can see a Pulsar in action from Earth is when one of the magnetic poles is pointing at earth. When this happens, you can see the star 'pulsing', which kind of gives away how these wonders of the heavens got their name. The effect is rather like that of a ship at sea spotting the beam of a lighthouse making its rotation around the tower every few seconds.

Pulsars are a genuine wonder of nature and given that space is a somewhat prevalent topic in the slot industry, I am pleased that we now have a game dedicated to them. Pulsar is one of Realtime Gaming's more recently released slots and it looks somewhat different to a standard slot. There's none of the usual reels and although the layout is arranged in the 5x3 format, each position in that matrix is essentially its own reel.

There are 20 pay lines in play on this slot and spins start at 0.20 but can be increased up to 5.00 per spin and the good news for those who like to be careful with their cash is that this is a lower stakes slot and it has Cascading reels in play. Let's take a look now at how the game plays.

Overview

• Game: Pulsar
• Developer: Realtime Gaming
• Reels: 5x3 (15 individual reels)
• Pay Lines: 20 (non-selectable)
• Minimum Bet: 0.20
• Maximum Bet: 5.00
• Jackpot: 2,500x
• Free Spins Bonus: No
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: Low

Where can I play the Pulsar slot?

If you want to try your hand at the space-age Pulsar slot from Realtime Gaming, then the best place to head to give the game the once over and play a few spins is the excellent home of the eponymous Mr Sloto, Sloto'Cash Casino.

As a new customer you can qualify for a fantastic value bonus when you sign up at the casino. You can get bonuses on your next four deposits to claim up to a maximum of $4,000 in bonus cash. This is a great value deal and little wonder that so many slot players have decided to use Sloto'Cash Casino as their starter point for slots and casino gaming.

Presentation

The presentation of the Pulsar slot is excellent and if you are a space lover like me then you will love the backdrop of the slot which is essentially a large rotating spiral galaxy at the foot of the reels and space and stars at the top, with the animation making it look as if you are traveling through space and that the Galaxy is moving.

The sounds are typically space age too and although simple, the effect is excellent. Add in a few space age graphics on the screen and buttons that fit into this particular theme for the main controls of the slot and you have a game that looks and sounds as if NASA had had a hand in its design.

What's on the reels?

There are just two types of symbols on in the game. The standard symbols are all different types of bodies that you would encounter in space and they range from small planets, meteors and planets either being formed or torn apart (I'm not quite sure which) to larger gas giant planets and stars.

To differentiate more easily, each of the planets is colored differently to the others and the amount you can win when you land any of the symbols three or more times across a pay line from left to right ranges from 1 coin up to 150 coins.

One thing to note is that with each reel being individual, you can land multiple examples of the same symbol on a spin (especially when a Neutron Star explodes on that spin) and as such, you can win across multiple pay lines, which is how you can win larger sums of money from these generally low starting point wins.

The only other symbol on the reels are the three types of Neutron Stars, which we will explore in more detail on the other bonus features section below.

Wild features

The Pulsar slot does not have a dedicated Wild symbol, but the Neutron Star symbols can change into any of the eight symbols listed above when they count down to zero, which kind of makes them like a Wild although how they work is very different as we will explore in the other bonus features section below.

Free Spins features

There is no Free Spins bonus in play on the Pulsar slot.

Other bonus features

The main and only bonus feature on the Pulsar slot is the Neutron Star symbol. There are four types of Neutron Star symbol and there are two things that you need to know and recognize about these symbols.

The first and most obvious thing is that it has a number on and this is a countdown until the star explodes. This can range from zero (which means the star will explode the moment the reels have been decided) up to three (which means that the star will explode after the next three spins). Once you land a Neutron Star on the reels, it will remain in place until it explodes.

The other thing to note is that each Neutron Star will be a different color and that color will determine the pattern of symbols that the Neutron Star will create when it explodes on the reels. The Green Star will affect the symbols directly left and right of the Neutron Star, the Blue sees the symbols directly above and below the Neutron star affected, the pink star sees all adjacent sides affected and the red star sees the four diagonal corners affected.

When I say affected this means that these symbols will turn into one of the eight standard symbols and of course, if you have already landed these symbols on the reels, this can lead to wins. Furthermore, if a Neutron star is in one of the positions where an exploding Neutron star overlaps, then this will also explode that Neutron Star and see more of the symbols on the reels turn into the same randomly selected standard symbol, offering you the chance of a better value win.

Best feature of the Pulsar slot

There's no doubt that the Cascading Reels feature does help the game but I don't think it is anywhere near as important to the overall appeal of the slot as the Neutron Star bonuses. This is essentially the heart of the game and these bonuses are what will make or break a session in terms of you landing a shot at one of the bigger value prizes available in the game.

What does the Pulsar slot lack?

For me, the real issues with the Pulsar slot is firstly that it lacks bonus features. The fact that you essentially have Cascading Reels and the Neutron Stars is essentially all you get with the slot and I think the omission of the Free Spins bonus is perhaps understandable but the lack of a dedicated Wild on the reels does hit home hard and makes those higher value wins seem all the more difficult to achieve. I also feel the number of lower value wins in the game will eventually see players tire a little of hitting small wins.

Conclusion

For me, Pulsar is a good example of a slot game that has a fantastic set up and presentation and which promises a great deal but when you put it all together in a package there is just that little bit extra lacking. For me, the bonus features on the slot are fine, but would have been better accompanying another. I would have liked to have seen some more rewarding blast patterns on the Neutron Stars and the inclusion of a Wild in the base game to help players land a chance at some of the larger value wins. Don't get me wrong, this is still a fun and innovative game and one that lower variance fans should really enjoy, but I just feel that it could have been even better with a small number of additions here and there.

Ratings

• Presentation: 18 / 20 - I may be a little biased as space is my 'thing' but I love the way that the Pulsar slot is designed. The backdrop is hugely effective and gives the player the impression of traveling through space as they play. The sound is well suited to the slot and the symbols on the reels are very nicely done and easy to distinguish. I've criticized Realtime Gaming for their presentation of games at time, but in this case, they got it absolutely right.
• Game-play: 13 / 20 - The Cascading reels feature here is what makes the game play more exciting as one win can trigger other wins as the symbols drop down to fill in the blanks on the reels, but this doesn't happen too often unfortunately and as such, you tend to find that though you win often, they are generally the lower value wins.
• Bonus Features: 11 / 20 - For me, this is where the Pulsar slot does let itself down a little. The Neutron Stars are the only real bonus in the game and though there are four of them and they can explode at different times and create ripple effects triggering other exploding stars, the bonus does get rather repetitive and with no Wilds to help, you are dependent solely on these stars landing favorably to clinch that big win.
• Entertainment Factor: 13 / 20 - I do like what Realtime Gaming have done with the Pulsar slot, it is a decent game but the problem is that after you have played it a little while and you realize that there's nothing more to the game than the Neutron Stars exploding to offer you a chance of better wins, it does bet a bit repetitive. It would have been nice and more interesting to have had some in game bonus to aim for in the base game, such as a Free Spins bonus or similar.
• Play Value: 15 / 20 - Pulsar is a low variance game which means that it is never going to be a slot that chews through a huge amount of your money and in that respect, it is a great game for those that like to be careful with their bankroll. However, higher rollers will likely be put off by the low value wins in the game and in truth, it can be a little dull to spin to win just a few pence more than your total bet most of the time. However, if lower variance slots are your thing, then Pulsar ticks all the right boxes.
• Overall 70 / 100 - The Pulsar slot is a very nicely put together game and it looks fantastic and the actual idea of the slot is original and cleverly done. However, I feel that the game-play does become too repetitive at times and the lack of bonus features does mean that the slot doesn't hold your attention quite as much as it should have. That's a shame as even with Cascading Reels, this is a slot game that is very good, but which could have been a great one with just a couple of minor tweaks.

Good Luck!

Next Offer: Cleopatra's Coins: Treasure of the Nile