About Northern Lights Studio
The world of slots continues to surprise us. Just when we thought that the industry giant Microgaming is only signing exclusive contracts, it turned out that some Independent Studios are “double-dipping”. We discovered that the sagacious team of the Stockholm (SWE) and Manchester (UK) – based Northern Lights Gaming Studio (established in 2017) is one such casino software developer.
- On the portal of Microgaming, Northern Gaming had launched some awesome games like:
- Golden Stallion slot (2020)
- God of Fire slot (2021)
Both come with High Volatility and multiway pay model: amazing 196 608 winways for the first one and up to 60 mln ways for winning for the second game (bragging with respectively 6000x and 18000x the total bet winning prospect).
- On the portal of Yggdrasil (under the combined name of Yggdrasil Game Server – YGS Masters programme), Northern Gaming had issued some less sensational (in terms of win ways and max potential) titles:
- All Star Knockout slot (Feb.2020)
- All Star Knockout Ultra Gamble slot (June.2020)
Both are nearly identical to each other, with Low Volatility and just 20 paylines, promoting a max outlook of 4500x the total bet.
Now, bugger us, why did the Indi producer decide to release even a 3rd such Knockout game and then mishmash it even further by publishing the latest clone on the competitor’s arena?
As the last of the trio Stars games is released on Microgaming’s platform, the players will be able to take advantage of the more familiar UI – User Interface (layout, interactive design, info and buttons – incl. turbo action), but the gamble function has been taken down.
Putting aside the universal appreciation of “first partner loyalty” and perhaps some behind-the-scenes executive decisions, in this article we will try to focus only on the attributes and qualities of the current 5 Star Knockout slot machine. And we will leave the “tendency to associate only with a select platform” matter to work itself out.
5 Star Knockout technical aspects
- If you can overlook the unoriginal design, absence of script and uninspiring symbols, and if you haven’t played any of the sister games, 5 Star Knockout can be quite enjoyable. It is also empowered with high hit frequency and exciting features.
- The game comes on a routine 5×4 playing field with 20 (non-adjustable) paylines and betting options ranging up to 50 CAD. The hotshot action is assigned to the Star (Scatter), which appears randomly during base and Bonus spins and fills the Star-meters under the reels. Those are indicators of when the FS Bonus will come and how long it will last (with 1 full Star-meter – 5 FS, and can be extended by 2 FS for each additional meter filled).
- The paytable is not particularly generous – 8 symbols deliver payouts between 1x and 5x the bet for 5OAK, no Wilds, and Scatters with no value. But Northern Lights Studio had integrated 1) the random Re-spin function in the base game to boost the anticipation and benefits, and 2) eliminating symbols (Knockout function) in addition to Multipliers (up to x5) in the Bonus round to maximize the yield of the leftover icons. Although entertaining (especially due to the little collapsing animations), the Knockout feature leaves us with a bitter taste, as the high-value symbols can be cast down as well.
- Decent RTP of 96.09%, Low-Medium Volatility and a topmost potential of 4503x the total bet in a single spin are the rest of the technical characteristics of the game.
In summary, the game is energetic and contains a good set of features to keep players interested for long sessions. It is suitable for low-rollers (the minimum bet is 20 cents, and it preserves the balance well). It also fits high-rollers, raising the bar and scoring amazing wins with reduced risk gameplay.
- Curious what is written in the stars for you today? Try your luck with the 5 Star Knockout slot at any of our recommended casinos. And for the fun version – launch the game via the instant link on our site.
Bonus Features of 5 Star Knockout slot
- Scatters
- The Shining Star is the Scatter in the game. Up to 5 of them is possible to get in a single spin.
- Scatters are non-value symbols that automatically get adhered to any of the 6 Star meters on the screen every time landing.
- There are 4 Star-meters (each with 2 types of symbols) dedicated to all icons, containing 5 empty spaces.
- With the initial spin of the session and with the 1st spin when changing the bet, there is a random number of Stars granted to begin with.
- You keep on filing the meter even during the Re-spins and FS.
- All collected (not used) Stars are stored per bet and can be used when you return to the specific bet again or after the Bonus round.
- Re-spins – A Re-spin feature can be triggered at random during the base spins. There is no limit on the number of Re-spins – they are active for as long as new win combinations are constructed. Triggering the Bonus FS from within the Re-spins is also possible.
- Free Spins
- When 1 of the meters gets packed with 5 Stars, the Bonus containing 5 FS will initiate the Bonus.
- First, the triggering symbol will be taken off the grid and (virtually) more Stars will be added to the reels.
- Second, the Multiplier (up to x5) applicable to all wins inside the Bonus will be allotted.
- During the Bonus, the Star-meters will continue to charge, and with each subsequent full meter, 2 additional FS will be awarded. Plus, the symbol of that full meter will also be removed.
Settings
- Provider – Northern Lights Gaming (Microgaming)
- Payment lines – 20 (fixed)
- Volatility – Low-Medium
- The default range of bets – 0.20 to 50 CAD
- Playing field – 5х4
- The maximum winning is – 4500x the total bet
- Bonuses – Scatters, Symbols collection, Random Re-spins, Free Spins with Multipliers
- Free Spins – Yes
- RTP – 96.09%
