The Final Countdown

Big Time Gaming have a habit of wrapping slots in colourful rock anthems. One of the latest to get the musical treatment is The Final Countdown - an 80s timeless classic popular both sides of the Atlantic, and also the name of a March 2019 slot release offering 6 reels, 4 rows and 4,906 ways to win. For the purposes of this description, it’s the slot we’re most interested in.

Casino’s version comes laden with features, with the headline act represented by two Free Spins options. At 36,000x, the game’s max win, like the tune, is sure to cause thrills.

Design

Europe’s chart-topper may have come out four decades ago, yet the game seems way ahead of its time, taking place somewhere bright and futuristic.

Flanking the grid are a pair of rockets ready to blast off, while skyscrapers dominate the cityscape. Nods to the game’s soundtrack are never far away - exemplified by the concert stage hosting the reels.

the-final-countdown

The symbol set in The Final Countdown contains colourful royals between 9 and A, in addition to vibrant gemstones. Look out for the purple kind, which dole out wins worth 25x your bet for 6-symbol combinations. There’s also a wild served by an attractive blond female astronaut who steps in for all other regular symbols.

Gameplay and Features

Lining up at least 3 matching symbols adjacently from the first reel is how to score a win here.

As mentioned, the game’s creator has packed plenty of explosive features on board. The Reel Clone feature may activate arbitrarily on any spin, cloning any number of reels between reel #2 and #4 for identical outcomes.

In addition, wilds are capable of expanding if they show up on a cloned reel. The eventual size of the wild is proportionate to the number of reels cloned, with multipliers worth up to 256x also in the offing.

Free Spins

While The Final Countdown’s warm-up acts deliver ample entertainment, the stars of the show are without doubt Free Spins - triggered on appearance of 3 scatters.

Players get the pick of two options, each bringing their own modifiers to the table.

The Countdown Free Spins begins with 8 Free Spins, where roaming wilds formed of 2x2 blocks populate the grid. Keep an eye out the for the scatter which can increase your spin haul at any moment. For each respin, you also benefit from enlarged wilds and their corresponding multiplier values.

The lower risk choice is represented by Heading for Venus Free Spins. This equips you with 15 spins, along with cloned reels that may arrive on any spin. Complementing the feature are velocity wilds, teasing multipliers all the way up to 888x.

Volatility

Big Time Gaming have programmed the slot with suitably sky high volatility, so strap in and prepare for turbulence on your way to the big wins.

Lengthy down spells are not uncommon as you wait for Free Spins to drop, but the wait can be worth it should multipliers blast off - the game promises a max win worth a massive 36,000x your bet.

The Verdict

Big Time Gaming known what they’re good at, and they stick to it. The developer enjoy cult-like status owing to their rich stock of musically-led slots that score heavy on nostalgia, with The Final Countdown typifying that winning formula.

The design is vibrant and inviting, matched by some explosive gameplay and topped by an enticing max win. Whether you’re a fan of the song or not, The Final Countdown represents yet another polished release from Australia’s finest.