ReelPlay continues to stake claim to the 10,000 ways to win market with its latest slot, Bananaz 10K Ways, which is named after the company’s copyrighted slogan. This is the third and last slot in the series, following the underwhelming Hypernova 10,000 Ways and the equally disappointing 10,000 Wonders 10,000 Ways. For the third time, we’ll be playing a game with the same amount of chances to win and another hold & win bonus round. While 10,000 Wonders was largely derivative, the company tried something somewhat different with Bananaz. So, there are parallels, but there is also originality here in a roundabout way.
Bananaz 10K Ways immediately has more personality and charm than its predecessors, thanks in large part to the game’s protagonist, Monkey Mike. This adorable little ape watches the action from a nearby branch as he squawks and occasionally activates his own powerful feature. Bananaz 10K Ways takes place in the jungle and hence features tropical flora and fauna such as palm palms, butterflies, and fireflies. The background music is upbeat and cheerful, and while there isn’t much to see at first, the friendly, lighthearted atmosphere won us over. In terms of aesthetics, it’s an improvement over the previous entries in the 10K series, sharing more in common with their recent smash hit Money Mariachi Infinity Reels.
The reel structure of these games is uniform. Each has 6 standard reels, 4 standard rows, and an additional 4 spots on an extra reel located above the regular grid. Whether this was intentional or merely a happy coincidence is up for discussion. Unlike Big Time Gaming’s approach, ReelPlay’s always has the same amount of symbols on each reel, guaranteeing players a total of 10,000 possibilities to win. They also receive a very erratic mathematical model that yields a 96.1 percent RTP and a 97.1 percent RTP with the feature purchase.
These 10K games may be played for as little as 20 cents per spin all the way up to £/€12 per spin, and payouts are given for combinations of symbols that appear in consecutive, left-to-right reels. Low-paying card suit tiles pay out between 0.5 and 0.9 times your wager for a full house, while full houses of higher-paying symbols like fruits, flowers, snakes, and toucans pay out between 1 and 5 times your wager. While most winning combinations require at least three symbols, the elephant only requires two, and a win with six elephants awards 50 times the wager.
Slot Feature: Bananaz 10,000 Ways
When the Mike Goes Bananaz function is activated, our pal Money Mike appears as a wild symbol in the game. Cascades, a Bonus Respins feature, a gamble feature, and a purchase bonus are some of the game’s additional functions.
Bananas for Mike
Mike Goes Bananaz can randomly activate on any losing spin. When this happens, anywhere from one to three symbols on the grid are transformed into wild Monkey Mike symbols, which may be used in place of any other regular pay symbol. Any win that includes a Monkey Mike symbol will have that win multiplied by a random amount between 1 and 5. Multipliers increase in value when more than one Monkey Mike symbol is included in a winning combination. Symbols of Monkey Mike never substitute for scatters and never show up on reel 1.
Cascades
The cascade mechanism causes winning combinations to explode off the board, making room for the remaining symbols to cascade down into the empty cells. As long as there are ongoing win cascades, they will continue to activate.
Extra Free Spins
The Bonus Respins feature is activated when four or more Banana Bunch scatter symbols appear. The triggering symbols are replaced with Banana symbols that award 3 free spins and multipliers of 1-1,000x the wager. Only Banana or Monkey Mike icons will count as hits during the round. When they do, they settle into position and begin counting again from one spin. When a Monkey Mike symbol lands, it will add up the value of any and all visible prizes. When all slots are taken or when the spins have been used up, the round is over.
Game of Chance
After a player’s Bonus Respins have concluded, they will have the option to “gamble” their winnings. The parts of the wheel are colored green and black, and it spins. If a player’s bet pays off, they climb up the multiplier trail to a maximum of x5, but if they lose, they lose everything.
Spend Money on a Bonus
Bonus Respins may be purchased by players in regions where they are available for 100 times the entire stake. With this, if you get at least four Banana Bunch symbols, the Respins will stop normally and you can risk your winnings.
Final Say on Bananaz 10,000-Ways Slots
I’ll admit that after the previous two 10K games, my group and I didn’t have very high expectations for Bananaz, but we ended up having a good time there. We weren’t expecting much from Bananaz, so we weren’t disappointed when we found out it was at least passable. Bananaz 10K Ways isn’t a bad choice if you’re looking for a charming, hold & win game with good winning possibilities. Bananaz 10K Ways is a “core gamblers slot under a soft veneer,” as the game’s description puts it.
Bananaz is, to be clear, a simple slot machine with a basic hold & win function. The standard game does allow for Mike Goes Bananaz, although there are moments when a talking monkey seems more likely. The low frequency of the feature’s activation might be partially explained by the high potential payout that would result from a winning line with three x5 Monkey Mikes multiplied by each other. It would have been nice if there had been fewer, smaller Money Mikes at more frequent intervals. The odds just weren’t in our favor maybe.
When it came to the gamble round, luck was most definitely not on our side, as we consistently lost. Maximum value reached was x2, but it quickly returned to zero. I hate to be the one to throw someone off, but the gamble option really sucked. Although it was challenging to come out ahead when purchasing Bonus Respins rather than activating them naturally, the real Bonus Respins were far more favorable. However, if the maximum win potential of 20,000x is any indication, they can come out on top.
Overall, the joyful, cheeky monkey mood and reasonable rewards on offer in Bananaz 10K Ways made it feel like an upgrade from previous 10K games. It’s basic, therefore it’s probably best for individuals searching for a straightforward respin feature or a difficult purchase bonus with the possibility of post-feature gambling.