Gonzo’s Quest Megaways

Two pillars of the online casino world collide in one of the most highly anticipated slot remakes we can remember.

Powered by Red Tiger Gaming, the legendary Gonzo resumes his hunt for the lost city of El Dorado some seven years on - except this time he has MegaWays to help him out as he ventures through the deepest jungle. That means ways to win tops out at 117,649 - a significant improvement on the 20 betways offered in the original.

Cascading Reels, a common partner of MegaWays games, plus copious Free Spins, are all in the offing as you accompany your sidekick on his latest expedition - not to mention a max win that clocks in at 21,000x.

It seemed only a matter of time before NetEnt’s blockbuster received the acclaimed shape-shifting treatment pioneered by fellow developer Big Time Gaming. So is Gonzo’s Quest Megaways the dream match-up it sounds on paper, or have Red Tiger bitten off more than they can chew?

Read on to find out.

Design

It’s not just the gameplay on the receiving end of some radical upgrades.

Red Tiger Gaming’s revamp boasts sharper, crisper and bigger 3D visuals than its predecessor. Not unexpected given the original debuted back in 2013 - a mark of just how quickly online casino studio software continues to progress.

The same authentic sound effects can still be heard on occasion, a reassuring footnote for all you Gonzo fans out there hoping to pick right up where you left off. Also returning is the same mystical jungle backdrop located somewhere in South America, while unshaven Gonzo continues to sport the same impressive man-hair and dashing one-piece he is famous for.

As to the symbols, there’s not much change on this front besides one brand new mask that occupies the premium end of the paytable, awarding 15 times your bet when 6 show up during a spin.

Apart from that, it’s pretty much business as usual, with more ritual-ready masks and animalistic icons making up the rest.

Gameplay and Features

Cascading Reels typically go hand-in-hand with MegaWays, and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways is no exception. Here they do their thing to help you draw out prolonged winning sequences - fairly standard stuff.

Whenever a symbol contributes to a win, it vanishes from the reels, allowing new ones to drop into the vacant cells. This makes multiple back-to-back wins a distinct possibility. Only when the process concludes do base game spins reset.

Working in tandem with cascades are increasing Multipliers. Starting at 1x, each cascade brings a multiplier into play that maxes out at 5x, resetting to 1x on each fresh winless spin.

Also look out the for the brand new Earthquake feature. Triggered entirely at random, this prompts every low paying symbol in view to break up, leaving space exclusively for premium symbols to fill.

Finally, Unbreakable Wilds have been brought back to enhance your win potential further. It’s possible for 2 of these to land on any spin, locking in place even when forming part of winning assortments.

Free Spins

Landing 3 Free Fall symbols during any spin is enough to trigger 9 Free Spins, with 3 extra spins available for each surplus Free Fall symbol.

Before the bonus round begins, the game’s built-in Gamble feature gives you the opportunity to increase your starting tally or accept what you’ve already earned. Remember, though, you could end up losing some Free Spins if the gamble goes wrong.

During Free Spins, Cascading Multiplier values get a boost, now worth 3x, 6x, 9x and 15x, respectively.

Red Tiger have also bolted on a carry over feature that sees you return to the base game with the very last Cascading Multiplier you left with in Free Spins - a nice touch.

Volatility

Gonzo’s Quest Megaways has been programmed with high variance - so you’ll need a large of dose of patience - and adequate starting bankroll, if you’re to emerge from the jungle a winner.

The wait can definitely be worth it, though, especially when the MegaWays engine gains momentum and starts to string profitable winning sequences together. Manage this during Free Spins and wins worth 21,000x your wager suddenly become a far more realistic proposition.

At an agreeable score of 96.0%, RTP, meanwhile, sits squarely in the mid-range.

The Verdict

There was collective joy when Red Tiger Gaming announced they would be bringing back one of the most popular online slots ever made with an overdue MegaWays makeover. The move was not without risk, though. Gonzo’s Quest was, and still is, dearly beloved by slot players everywhere.

Has the follow-up lived up to its billing? In a word, absolutely.

The sequel is bigger, brasher and bolder in every respect, while managing to retain the core elements of the original. The developer have tweaked just the right amount of detail to pull in modern day slot fanatics alongside devotees of Version 1.0.

Make no mistake. This is undeniably the same Gonzo’s Quest that became a bona fide smash hit worldwide, but on steroids.

The standard by which all MegaWays upgrades should be judged.