Wasabi-San Slots

Do you like wasabi with your sushi? That question’s neither here nor there, really, but if you’re averse to small rolls of vinegar-flavoured cold rice accompanied by fish or vegetables, you might not want to play a slot game that features such bites in abundance.

For us, sushi is delicious – so we’re more than happy to take on Wasabi-San, Microgaming’s sushi-themed 5-reel slot. The medium-variance title boasts 15 paylines and a top prize of 7,500 coins, a sum that’s bound to keep you rolling in sushi rolls for a helluva long time.

Wassup, Wasabi?

Wasabi-San takes place on a 5-reel configuration with 3 rows. The reel grid is surrounded by a bamboo frame (appropriately enough) and backed by a red velvet curtain. The icons in the game are well drawn, each relating in some way to Japanese cuisine. Those 15 paylines, incidentally, are unfixed, meaning gamers can regulate them as they see fit. Indeed, you can play on just a single line if you so wish.

The soundtrack which plays throughout the game imparts a particularly Eastern flavour, with gently plucked harp, but if it starts to grate, don’t hesitate to hit the mute button, located in the upper right-hand corner. Players can stake up to five coins per payline, and the coins are available in many denominations, including 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25, 0.50 and 1. As such, the max bet per round is 75 credits.

Enter the kitchen

Thankfully, there are no playing card icons in Wasabi-San – all icons reflect the game’s theme. They include five different sushi symbols, a buck-toothed man in a hat, a serene-looking female and a Bonsai tree. There’s also a sushi chef, a pucker-lipped fish and a wasabi sign.

The sushi chef symbol is wild. As such, it can substitute for all others to help you form winning combinations. It cannot, however, stand in for the scatter. Unlike many wilds in many video slots, the sushi chef creates its own winning combination when multiple symbols appear on an enabled payline. Indeed, you can win the game’s 7,500 jackpot for five wilds in a row. You’ll also win 2,000 for four, 200 for three or five for two.

The wasabi symbol is the game’s scatter. Not only does it complete a paying combination when two or more appear on the reels, but it activates the free spins bonus game when a player uncovers 3-5. Scatter wins, incidentally, are calculated by multiplying the scatter combination pay-out by the number of regular coins staked. You’ll win ten free spins, with all wins tripled in the bonus round. The free spins round can also be re-triggered, and all bets and lines played are the same as the game which activated the feature. Not only that, but the scatter grants pay-outs in its own regard. Gamers can scoop 400 for five, 50 for four, four credits for three or two credits for two.

Among the non-special symbols, you can win 500 for five Bonsais or females, or 250 for five of the buck-toothed man. The other pay-outs are decent but not staggering. All wins are multiplied by the credits staked per line except in the case of the scatter.

The animations in Wasabi-San are pretty cool. When the Japanese chef is involved in a win, he swings his kitchen knives around in a celebratory fashion, turning a slab of fish into a tray of sushi rolls! There are similar flourishes for other symbols involved in a win.

Fish Market bonus

Three, four or five bonus puffer fish on an active line triggers the Fish Market bonus game. When this activates, these fish will swell up like balloons to fill each position, and you’ll then be spirited to the fish market. Here, you’ll be confronted by a gap-toothed stall holder, who is hard-selling you some fish. You must select three fish from the ice display, but choose wisely: the fish represent various coin values, from 36 coins right up to 2,500 coins! The Fish Market bonus can also be triggered during a round of free spins and bonus wins are added to line wins.

Our verdict

Wasabi-San is a pleasing video slot from one of the world’s finest casino game developers. If you like sushi, or even if you don’t, you’re bound to appreciate the inclusion of wilds, scatters and an excellent Fish Market bonus game.