Every so often, software developers release new and ‘of the moment’ slots. Think ‘The Only Way Is Slots’ or Playtech’s Marvel series. These are slots that use pop culture references to engage with players and while some survive, others fade away into obscurity. On top of this, there are slots that use innovative designs, original characters and unique themes that also find themselves occupying a niche category and never gaining commercial success.
In contrast, Starburst only seems to grow bigger and bigger. The retro-styled game by NetEnt is one of the biggest around and doesn’t look like it’s about to lose players any time soon. The game is fairly simple in design, it’s not feature-packed nor is it crazy in its graphics, so how come it’s so popular?
Theme
The first thing to look at is the theme. As you’ll notice in our Starburst mobile slot review, this is a cosmos-set slot, featuring multi-coloured gems and classic symbols like 7s and Bars. Whilst gemstones aren’t our first thought for a space-themed game, it works because the colours are so bright and punchy. The symbols are easy to get a hold of, not overly designed and, because of their simplicity, look great on both mobile and desktop.
Plus, they appeal to everyone. They’re completely gender-less which, in a time when some casinos are dousing themselves in pink just to attract female players, makes a nice change from other slots and despite its relative plainness, makes Starburst stand out from the crowd.
Wager Size
As well as an inclusive theme, Starburst boasts an inclusive range of betting options. Players can choose to start at as little as 10p, rising all the way up to £100. This means Starburst can appeal to many types of different players, including those who are just testing the water and also the high-rollers. In addition to varied wager sizes, Starburst also has adjustable paylines. This huge range of betting options only helps boost the slots popularity as it becomes perfect for everyone.
Simplicity
As we’ve mentioned earlier, Starburst is a relatively simple slot, both in its graphics and in its gameplay. Instead of packing the game out with bonus features, NetEnt decided on a less is more approach, and it seems to have worked well. Whilst reviewers saw this as a downside to the game initially, we can presume that players enjoy Starburst as it isn’t constantly bombarding you with different features.
Features
That being said, the features NetEnt have included in the game are simply superb. The expanding Starburst Wild fills whole reels at a time and can appear up to three times in any given spin – as you can imagine, this brings huge wins and the colourful graphics make it a great spectacle too. On top of this, Starburst lets you win both ways, meaning that paylines are counted both left to right and right to left, meaning you get double the chance of creating a winning combination. We think that uncomplicated features like this, which maximise winning potential, are definitely a reason as to why Starburst is so popular.
Bearing all this in mind, Starbursts success story is hinged on great design. There aren’t many games on the market quite like it and we can see how it attracts all sort of people. Other slots may have more innovative features, or crazier themes, yet Starburst gives players exactly what they want – it’s bright, cheery, simple and rewarding. Basically, it’s the perfect slot and we cannot see it loosing it’s charm any time soon!
