The Starburst Slot: This One Is A Shining Star All Right

These slots are generally rare, but the release of NetEnt’s Starburst game has prompted calls that this could be one of the best slots of modern time.

How good is it? Well, let’s find out in our unbiased review.

Overview: Starburst

At first it is hard to understand why it is called the “Starburst” slot as other than a space-age background, the rest of the slot doesn’t seem to pertain much to supernovae in any shape or form.

The symbols are a variety of gems as well as higher value 7’s and Bar symbols.

So the name may be a bit confusing but the slot is anything but.

This is a 10 payline slot, but in truth, it is actually double that as wins pay from left to right, and also from right to left.

This simple addition to the game play makes playing the slot immeasurably more appealing. Even if you don’t land a win from the first two reels, you can still land one from the last three.

With bets scalable from anything from $0.10 per spin up to $200 per spin (with all 10 paylines in operation), this is a game players of all bankroll levels can enjoy.

With the Starburst Wild offering a free spin every time it lands (plus the chance to turn up to three reels Wild if you can land further symbols on subsequent spins) this is a very simple, but hugely enjoyable slot that really hits the mark.

Who will the Starburst slot appeal to?

The Starburst slot has universal appeal. It is easily customizable so you can turn off the sounds, autoplay the game, change the number of lines in play, or how much you want to bet per spin using a number of features.

Admittedly, it doesn’t have any bonus games as such, and the free spin round is often just one free spin long (and a win is by no means guaranteed) so on that basis, many people may overlook the game thinking at hasn’t got a lot to offer.

However, that would be a mistake. Thanks to the paylines paying out both ways, the frequent Starburst Wilds and generous payouts, the Starburst slot will appeal to absolutely any slot fan who visits NJ online casinos.

Gameplay: Starburst

The gameplay is very simple. You spin the reels, you see if you land a payline from left to right, then right to left, if you do, you get a payout. If not, you spin again. Simple. However within that lies the key to Starburst’s appeal.

On most slots, after the first two reels have landed, you know whether you are a winner or loser. So if the first two reels land and you don’t win, the spin is made redundant.

On Starburst, because you can win from right to left too, that never happens, so you are engaged in the spin right until the last two reels finish spinning.

That makes a huge difference – in essence it feels like you get two chances for a win. And indeed you do! And again, this impacts on how the game pays out because in Starburst, you do get paid out very handsomely from time to time.

Payouts are streaky and you can go many spins without hitting a single payout, but often you will hit a purple patch where you hit many wins. And best of all, these wins do tend to be at least to the value of your stake and frequently more.

Best of all, the Starburst Wilds gift you an additional free spin as well as replacing all other symbols. If you can land five of a kind of any symbol, or with plenty of Bars or 7 symbols across the reel, you can trigger a big win.

And the best thing with Starburst is that these happen relatively frequently.

Watch the video below as PlayUSA’s Anthony gives a lesson on how to play Starburst at Golden Nugget online casino. Tune in to Twitch for more streaming video.

https://youtu.be/lysr-nUuvQ4

Special features: Starburst

Line wins pay right to left as well as left to right

A simple addition to the slot, but one which gives the game such huge appeal and keeps players invested in a spin right until the end.

Starburst Wilds and free spins

The Starburst Wild substitutes for any other symbol on the reels to create a winning payline and also grants the player an additional free spin. Land two or even three Starburst Wilds and you can really ramp up your win across the reels as well as earning up to three free spins.

What works?

Payouts – Starburst is a very generous slot from time to time and decent sized payouts occur more frequently on this slot than many others, while still giving you a decent number of smaller payouts on a regular basis, but they do tend to appear in streaks.
Paylines – As we’ve already mentioned, the paylines paying out from left to right and right to left lend themselves hugely to a more interesting game for the player. This is a fantastic feature and really makes the slot incredibly more involving for the player.
Presentation – The presentation on the slot is wonderful. The graphics are clear and crisp and look superb on an HD screen while the sounds capture the excitement of the game well, especially when you hit a big win and the screen lights up.

What doesn’t?

Features – The lack of a real free spins round and perhaps some bonus games will make Starburst less appealing to some slot fans who enjoy games with these features added.
Noisy – Starburst isn’t a quiet slot. Even with the sound relatively low, the sounds are somewhat intrusive at times, especially when you land a bigger win.
Streaky – Whether intentional or not, the Starburst slot does seem to be a very streaky game. You can win on every spin it seems for a while and then go 20 spins without a single win, which is frustrating at times.

The scores

Graphics and soundtrack 3.5/5

The graphics are very relaxing and set against a gentle space backdrop. The Gems are somewhat rudimentary, but they do the job. The sounds are great initially but can quickly become a bit loud and intrusive, but these are easily muted.

Originality and creativity 4/5

The addition of the paylines paying both ways feature is a stroke of genius. That combined with regular good-sized wins and the Starburst Wild features make what looks a somewhat bog standard slot very innovative and hugely playable.

Play value 5/5

While there are times when Starburst can eat up your bankroll, more often than not, you’ll find superb value playing this slot with regular smaller wins and bigger wins not too infrequent.

Even the huge wins come along relatively frequently and this adds up to great value to a player, especially one who knows when to quit when they are ahead.

Jackpot potential 4/5

While Starburst doesn’t have a progressive jackpot, the potential to hit a big win is always there and unlike so many slots, it actually feels like it is achievable in the game and that is a huge positive.

Repeat play 5/5

Have no doubt, once you’ve had a few spins on Starburst, you will be back for more in no time. This is a fantastic game to play and it is easy to see why it is one of the most-played slots at a number of top quality casinos.

Total score 21.5/25

To put it mildly, Starburst isn’t a hugely feature-packed slot, but what features it does have enhance the game immensely and turn what could have been another run of the mill slot into a bona fide slot classic. It may not be perfect, but it offers everything a slot player needs to enjoy superb slot fun repeatedly at an affordable price.