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Starburst Galaxy Review
Starburst Galaxy is a cosmic-themed sequel to Starburst, which became popular more due to its charming simplicity than moderate potential. While the previous follow-up went to the polar opposite with an insane win cap, Starburst Galaxy also stretches the original game to the extreme, but this time in the feature department.
However, before we go there, let’s start with the basics. After a neat intro featuring a rotating galaxy and showcasing some of the game’s core features, you’re taken to outer space with massive planets and a star-studded backdrop. The spacious soundtrack adds to the celestial atmosphere, with a mysterious ‘cosmic drop’ spin sound.
The 5x7 grid is filled with shimmering and colorful gems, with BAR and lucky number 7 orbs as the 2 top payers. You win by landing 3 to 7 matching symbols in vertical or horizontal lines anywhere on the grid. A 7-symbol cluster pays between 10x and 250x, while a 3-symbol win awards up to 1x your stake. Choose between bet levels of €0.2 to €28 per spin and 3 different speed settings, as well as auto spin options. Avalanche Wins spawn wilds while also filling the Feature Generator Meter, potentially unleashing up to 5 unique modifiers to keep your streak going.
A full meter triggers the Galaxy Star Feature, expanding the grid while adding a 3x3 Wild to the mix. This feature comes with its own retrigger meter fuelled by 3x3 Wild wins, while the regular Feature Generator is still active for even more modifier action. Landing 3+ scatters triggers the Mega Star feature, adding a 2x2 wild to the grid while upgrading scatters with multipliers that build the overall win multiplier. The volatility is medium to high, and the Starburst Galaxy max win is 25,000x your stake. The 96 % top-tier RTP is a tad above average, but lower RTPs are a possibility.
Starburst Galaxy Features
Unlike the original Starburst, Starburst Galaxy is packed with complex features. It can be a tad confusing when you read about them, but we’ll attempt to make it as clear as possible below.
Avalanche Wins
The Avalanche mechanic kicks in whenever you land a winning cluster, removing all winning symbols and replacing them with existing and new symbols dropping down. This process repeats indefinitely as long as you keep winning.
Wild Symbols
Winning clusters without a wild symbol spawn a wild at the center of the removed winning symbols. Intersecting winning clusters spawn one wild per cluster, but only one wild if they intersect at the center positions. Wild symbols substitute for any pay symbol to help complete and improve cluster wins.
Feature Generator
For every 5 cluster wins you land within the same Avalanche sequence, you trigger the modifiers below in chronological order. Each modifier plays out when you land a non-winning cascade, and they work as follows:
- Destroy - removes at least 1 randomly chosen symbol type from the grid.
- Random Wilds - turns 3 to 9 pay symbols into wild symbols.
- Expanding Wilds - expands all present wild symbols into 1x3-size wild stacks.Line Transform - turns a random reel or row into a random matching symbol type.
- Upgrade - upgrades at least 1 randomly chosen symbol type to a higher value symbol.
Galaxy Star Feature and Galaxy Meter
Reaching the 5th and final modifier on the Feature Generator triggers the Galaxy Star feature, expanding the grid to size 7x7 with a 3x3-sized Wild added to a random position. At the end of the avalanche sequence that follows, you get 4 to 8 wilds randomly placed on the grid. At the end of the avalanche sequence generated from that, all accumulated Feature Generator modifiers are unleashed.
The Galaxy Star Feature also comes with its own Galaxy Meter, fuelled by 3x3-size wild symbols. Winning clusters are added to this meter whenever a 3x3 Wild is present, awarding the Galaxy Star feature at the end of an avalanche sequence that collects 50+ such winning symbols. The Galaxy Meter then resets, and all wins that follow are added to it for possible retriggers.
Mega Star Feature and Multiplier Collect Meter
Landing 3 scatter symbols in view within the same avalanche sequence triggers the Mega Star feature. This adds a 2x2-sized Wild to a random position without any other wilds. At the end of the next win calculation, 2 to 5 regular wilds are placed in random positions for the avalanche that follows.
The Mega Star feature always triggers before Feature Generator modifiers that are held in “escrow,” and this can upgrade at least one scatter with a multiplier between x2 and x25. These are collected in the Multiplier Collect Meter, and the total multiplier boosts your total win at the end of the avalanche sequence.
Starburst Galaxy Bonus Buy (not UK)
The Elevate Bonus Buy menu is available in certain jurisdictions, and it comes with the following options in Starburst Galaxy:
- Bonus Boost - pay 3x your stake to increase your Galaxy Star chances.
- Mega Star - pay 10x your stake to trigger the Mega Star feature.
- Boosted Mega Star - pay 50x your stake to trigger the Mega Star and Multiplier Collect Meter. At least 2 of 3 triggering scatters are guaranteed to have multipliers.
- Galaxy Star - pay 100x your stake to be guaranteed to reach the Galaxy Star.
- Galaxy Star Bonanza - pay 500x your stake to trigger the Galaxy Star with 5 Feature Generator modifiers in “escrow” and a random multiplier between x2 and x75.
Pros and Cons of Starburst Galaxy
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cluster Pays and Avalanche Wins | Beware of adjustable RTP ranges |
| Non-wild wins generate wild symbols | Bonus Boost hit rate increase not specified |
| 1 of 5 modifiers activated per 5th avalanche | |
| 7x7 grid Galaxy Star Feature w/ Meter retriggers | |
| Mega Star Bonus w/ increasing multiplier meter | |
| Win up to 25,000x your stake |
Our Verdict
The original Starburst is undeniably a legendary slot, but let's be real, its lasting star power was partly fueled by casino bonuses showering it with free spins. For many years, it was glued to the number 1 spot due to this, but its popularity waned.
Perhaps this is why a new installment is being made to breathe new life into this classic, wanting to keep this cosmic gem going for future generations. Either way, it’s nice to see things being back in form for once. It’s a bold move to stray so far from the original success recipe, but with the more similar XXXtreme version already out there, it's a welcome change.
Mechanically, Starburst Galaxy is in another universe than the cozy expanding wild respins you get in the original game. The cosmic theme has been modernized with a spacious vibe. Wilds still expand via one of the modifiers, but there is so much else going on here that this tip of the hat almost goes unnoticed. It’s far from the main attraction at least, but like all the modifiers, it can help get you there.
The exploding symbols, cosmic effects, and modifier action are not only satisfying to watch, but can also lead to insane chain reactions that can spiral out of control to the tune of 25,000x your stake. While this max win is far below the 200,000x from the previous installment, it’s more than good enough for this game. The design has clearly been inspired by other popular grid slots on the market, but this is a fully original release that will be often returned to in the future.
The bonus buy menu is packed with opportunities for eligible players, while also hinting at the average value of each feature when triggered organically. While the scatter-triggered bonus is okay, it feels a bit like overkill. The game would’ve perhaps been more well-rounded (and come across as less complicated) if the increasing multiplier system was added to the Galaxy Star Feature instead. This is hardly a complaint, but merely an observation, as Galaxy Star is a great release to carry on the legacy of the iconic original game.
