Don't worry if you've got a slight feeling of deja vu because there's a very good chance that you've been here before. Candy Mine is a very similar release to this one and features the vast majority of elements that you're about to see in Candy Mine Megaways. No prizes for guessing that this version has the Megaways addition, which allows you to pick up a prize in over 100,000 ways. There are jackpots to play for, respins, and free spins, plus a 10,000x max win.
Full review continued below ↓Many developers used to be of the opinion that simply slapping the Megaways mechanic on any slot could make it better, but I never thought that was a safe bet. You need to improve the game in some way and make the Megaways add-on worthwhile. Has Atlantic Digital done enough to convince me that there was enough here to start with to even warrant a second look and a new release?
Candy Mine Megaways gives you over 100,000 ways to land a win, and it does so by changing the number of symbols on each reel. This differs with each spin, and you can pick up matching sets of up to six symbols to deliver the prizes.
Don't worry too much about the golden tokens because they will simply take you into the free spins bonus when they feel like it.
On the 1st and last reel, there's a chance that a respin symbol might land and trigger this part of the game. The number of respins you can expect is shown on the sixth reel and they begin to spin. Wins won't force the winning symbols to leave; instead, if you manage to completely clear the grid, then you spin the jackpot wheel.
The golden tokens can land on any reel, and they might just trigger the free spins bonus. As you head off to play the feature round, you'll see that these tokens can continue to land and are sent off to the collection pot. They reveal a symbol beneath and can increase your number of spins. Jackpot symbols appear on the first and last reels and if they land together, you get a spin on the jackpot wheel.
As we've seen, you can trigger the jackpot wheel via the respins or free spins bonuses. Your first spin is played at level one, and only the most basic jackpots are available, along with an upgrade to the next round.
If you upgrade to level two, you'll see bigger jackpots, and this continues up to level three where you might pick up the candy prize of 5,000x.
Direct entry to the free spins game will cost 100x for players outside the UK.
Collecting a respins token on the first and last reel means that you'll get a number of free plays that continue to dish out standard wins. Winning symbols won't be replaced, and if you manage to completely clear the grid, you get to have a spin on the jackpot wheel. This wheel has three levels and you could eventually walk off with the candy jackpot that is worth 5,000x.
The free spins bonus can be triggered by any of the gold tokens and you can choose the volatility that will accompany you throughout. You continue to see the golden tokens land and be collected to offer you additional free spins. If the jackpot symbols land on the first and last reels, then you'll have another opportunity to take a spin on the jackpot wheel. Once again, you might hit a smaller prize or make your way through the levels to get the larger ones.
I always feel like there's some obvious potential when it comes to Megaways, simply because you've got some fairly flexible payline mechanics going on. It will depend on the type of symbols that land most frequently, and in my experience, that's the royals. Here, you can only grab payouts worth up to 0.25x. The better paid ones will still only return your bet for a group of six, and that's a shame. To keep your balance happy, you need to get the hell out of that base game and into the respins or free spins bonus and hope for a chance of triggering the jackpot wheel. The top jackpot is worth 5,000x, but you could be on for a top prize of 10,000x.
Things have changed slightly since the original slot was released a couple of years ago, but it's still very much a pink and sugary digging expedition that takes you off in search of big wins. There’s a happy Wild West theme tune that helps explain the crossover between the gold rush and sugar rush, and you can play this game on mobile phones, laptop from other compatible devices if you'd like to see just how bright and cheerful it is.
So, did the developer do enough to convince me that adding Megaways was a good enough reason to rerelease this slot? Not much else has changed, and you're still quite dependent on landing those big one-off prizes on the jackpot wheel. I think the world could have probably done without it, but Candy Mine Megaways is still a nice enough-looking slot with a few fun features to pick up.
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