NetEnt Ushers a New Era with the Launch of Starburst Galaxy

Starburst is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic slots ever made. Launched by NetEnt in 2012, it’s still equally popular today, primarily due to its simplicity.

A couple of years ago, the renowned developer went back to the game universe to deliver Starburst XXXtreme, but it seems it wasn’t enough. The development team has once again visited the popular galactic setting that captivated so many slot enthusiasts worldwide. The new release is no longer simple, and offers features no one could have imagined seeing in a Starburst slot.

The new release, titled Starburst Galaxy, looks familiar and appealing, and if you enjoyed the original, there’s no doubt you’ll love the follow-up. It’s the perfect opportunity to dive deep into this mesmerising world and see what the fresh addition to the NetEnt portfolio is all about.

Familiar Territory

In terms of visuals, Starburst Galaxy takes players to familiar territory with the space theme we all know and love. The action takes place on a slightly bigger playing board compared to the original. Five reels are still in play, while the number of rows has increased to five.

The 2012 slot used paylines, while the new release relies on the Cluster Pays system to award wins. In practice, you’ll need to land three matching symbols adjacently, either horizontally or vertically, to get a payout. Winning combinations can start from any position as long as they meet the main requirement.

Expect medium-to-high volatility along with a default payout percentage of 96%.

Symbol design has also stayed the same, with purple, blue, orange, green, and yellow gems, sevens, and BARs. Five-of-a-kind-winning combinations pay from 2x to 20x the bet, with rewards further going up once the reels expand. In that case, players can look forward to claiming wins ranging from 10x to 250x your stake.

Avalanches follow every win, removing triggering symbols to make room for new ones. This can lead to new wins, repeating the entire process.

Starburst Galaxy: Features

Unlike the original game, Starburst Galaxy is packed with extras, providing plenty of winning opportunities but also delivering a playing experience packed with action.

Wilds

After a winning combination contains a Wild, the symbols will be removed and placed in the centre area of the win. In case the Wild is part of two wins, a Wild for each of the wins will be added. Apart from this, the symbol does its usual duty of replacing the slot’s regulars and helping players create additional wins.

Feature Generator

Each winning combination in the base game contributes to the progress of the Feature Generator. Every five consecutive wins award one of these modifiers in the following order:

• Destroy – one or more randomly chosen symbols are removed from the grid.
• Random Winds – between three and nine regular symbols are replaced with Wilds.
• Expanding Wilds – all Wilds on the reels are turned into stacks of expanded Wilds.
• Line Transform – an entire reel or row can be filled with a randomly chosen paying symbol.
• Upgrade – one or more random symbols are upgraded to a higher-value type.

Galaxy Star

This feature is available once you receive the fifth option on the Feature Generator. The playing area expands to 7×7, with a Wild symbol 3×3 in size added to the reels. Following a win, the triggering symbols are removed, with four to eight Wilds appearing in their place. When there are no wins, the game will activate all the extras left in the Feature Generator.

Galaxy Meter

The meter jumps into play after the big 3×3 Wild appears, with each win filling a part of it. Reach 50 to unlock the Galaxy Star feature. The meter then resets, repeating the entire process.

Mega Star

Landing three Scatters on the same spin unlocks the Mega Star feature. After the Avalanche does its job, and there are no more wins, a 2×2 Wild gets added to the reels. Once the potential wins are paid out, the triggering symbols disappear, and between two and five regular Wild symbols are placed across the grid.

Once the Mega Star feature is activated, Scatters can receive a multiplier of 2x to 25x, which initialises the Multiplier Collect Meter. This meter displays all added multipliers that will be applied to your wins before the round ends.