Bompers

Overview Bompers slot

Bompers is the newest slot from ELK Studios and the third in their series of slots that use their gravity mechanic and this time they have combined it with some classic, vibrant slot imagery. In their previous two games 10 and Cygnus, ELK went totally astronomical, so now using a type of disco/pinball theme takes things in a completely different and new direction. In this slot the developers have ramped up every element. The features and audio are outstanding and there is a new trademarked feature called the X-citer which is like a menu of feature buys. So, if you are ready to find out if you are a pinball wizard read on.

Theme and Symbols

Of the three gravity slots that the developers have now created, visually Bompers is the less cluttered which makes a refreshing change. The background is made up of a pinball table complete with a couple of bumpers which I believe is how they came up with the name and concept. The visuals are well done but the soundtrack will really get you in the mood and is streets apart from a typical jazzy sound that one would expect in a fruit slot. The tempo increases as the action gathers speed, and you have a real mix of voice-overs and snazzy tunes and contributes to the overall enjoyment of the slot.
You can expect to come across regular symbols that are made up oof the classic fruits and includes cherries, lemons, oranges, watermelons, 4-leaf clovers, horseshoes, and bars. The most valuable symbol is the lucky 7 and the final regular symbols is the wild that can substitute for any other symbols to create winning combinations.

Game Play

You can play this slot on all devices which is ideal if you want to play on the go. The bet range starts from just 20p per spin up to a maximum of £100 per spin, although they are referred to as a drop in this slot. This is a highly volatile game where the drops can come to nothing but can easily result in an avalanche of special symbols complete with extra rows and numerous other ways to win.
At the beginning of a drop, there are 4,096 ways to win in play and this can rise to a massive 262,144 when you have all 8 rows in play. The return to player has dropped slightly when compared to the other two offerings in the range, standing at 95.8% and to be fair this is in line with what is the norm amongst competitor slots.
On every new spin you will see that 24 symbols will drop onto your 6x4 grid where the columns are staggers as opposed to being flush and this means that random symbols descend to the left or right in new drops or avalanches.

Bonus Features

The special wild symbols in this slot are called Bompers and these will appear throughout the slot with up to five appearing in the base game. When the other symbols bump into them, either due to the gravity effect or them dropping in they fill the Bompers meter. Once this meter is full the Bomper becomes a sticky wild. During the base game, the Bompers are sticky throughout avalanches or wins.
The mystery bombs come into play when the avalanches end and can transform itself and any symbols that are connected into one symbol of the same kind. If two or more mystery bombs overlap one another then the symbols that overlap are turned into wilds.
The shooting star symbol travels up the grid and when it reaches the top of the grid it creates a mixed group of up to seven symbols where three are guaranteed to be wild.
The scatter in the slot is the “B” symbol and landing three in view creates 7 free drops which can be reactivated at any time during the round. Before the start of the free drops there will be up to five Bompers randomly on the game grid. Also, during the bonus round sticky wilds stay in place for the entirety of the round.
Finally, there is the X-iter which comprises of a list of features that you can trigger for a price. First up is the normal mode, where you hit spin at your chosen bet. Paying 25x your bet guarantees you three symbol drops as well as an increasing number of Bompers. The first drop provides you with 1 Bomper, and for every consecutive drop an extra Bomper is added. Paying 50x your stake will award you with 5 symbol drops which play out as explained above whilst 300x your bet provides you with 10 symbol drops and increasing numbers of Bompers. Lastly, for 100x your bet you get a guarantee of three bonus symbols to appear on your next drop.

Conclusion

Granted, this slot may not sound that much on paper however in practice this slot can get intense when it gets going. For me, the audio made a big impact and goes quite a way to ensure the slot is unique particularly how the developers have cleverly mixed various genres on top of the frenzied house beat. If at first the visuals appear a little flat the music makes up for this and plugs the gap of any shortfall.

The gameplay offered by Bompers is synonymous to the initial two gravity-driven slots and you do need to get several of the elements working together for you to land the best results. One thing you need to remember is that the Bomper symbols will not turn wild until you fully charge the meters, this can lead to disappointment as you may feel that you have bet an amount to watch regular symbols being divided. However, the wait is worth it, and landing several wild Bompers in the action will see many of the mechanics come into play.

The trademark X-iter feature from ELK Studios is an interesting addition giving you the options to activate several bonus buy options for all bet types. The increasing Bompers can turn into a total Bomperfest and it is good that all bet ranges are catered for and you do not have to be using the highest bet as many slots expect you to. The Bomper symbols do need a few elements to turn them wild and this can be difficult to achieve in just three drops but take it from me it can happen!
I found Bompers to be a totally refreshing change to competitor slots as it offers innovative gameplay with excellent features and win options. I would rate this as a solid 9/10 and recommend everyone to give this slot a spin or two.