Play n Go have created an atmospheric slot with a mix of cartoon fun and broody and sinister atmosphere when the sharks come out to attack. The waters behind the transparent reel set are a deep blue, with animations of sharks circling at all times which looks cool, and the symbols are made up of a mix of fish from the smallest (who look a touch worried) through bigger marlon to Mega Don at the top. There is a real sense of the food chain about this – those smaller fish aren’t going to last long and the rule of the Mega Don slot is to eat or be eaten.

Symbol values range as follows – for the low-paying symbols, there are the six small fish which pay between 0.4 and 1x the bet, while the high-paying symbols are three big sharks which pay 2-4 times the bet.

There is also a jaw- patterned wild symbol which can sub in for all other symbols – except a a scatter – to create winlines when it lands. Scatters themselves are crucial as they will trigger the free spins round where bigger wins are available.

This is not a feature-packed slot, but rather one that will appeal to those who like things simple, but with high volatility. Patience is required to unlock the big moments, but when they come they can be very rewarding. Symbol transformations are key in both base game and bonus round and they go under the name of Snack Time and Shark Feast as follows:

Snack Time

It is possible to activate Snack Time anytime during the base game, where there of the lowest value fish symbols are picked at random as upgraders. When they land on the reels, they automatically transform into premium sharks, giving you more chance of scoring wins.

Shark Feast

Scatter symbols can land on any reel. Three of more of these on one spin will set up the main event, Shark Feast. Now, a mix of free spins and upgrading symbols is awarded, with bigger awards for more scatters. This works as follows:

3 scatters – 6 free spins plus one upgrade symbol.

4 scatters – 9 free spins plus two upgrade symbols.

5 scatters – 12 free spins plus three upgrades.

As in the base game, upgrading symbols will automatically transform into one of the random shark symbols when they land. They REMAIN UPGRADED throughout the bonus round.

Retriggers are available too for an extra 3, 4 or 5 scatters.

3 more scatters will give an extra three free spins plus one extra upgrade symbol.

4 more scatters will give an extra six free spins plus two extra upgrade symbols.

5 more scatters will give an extra nine free spins plus three extra upgrade symbols.

NOTE: If you get REALLY lucky, ALL SIX of the lower value icons can be upgrades, which gives you maximum chance to hit the top 10,000x payout. When more than one is active, they will transform into the SAME shark symbol if they land simultaneously.

Mega Don has an eye-catching front man in the shape of the prehistoric monster, but ultimately, the gameplay let it down somewhat. In an era when high variance slots are notable for their feature-packed spins with expanding reels, progressive multipliers, and splitting cells, this one, with its reductive gameplay model, is something of an outlier. There is little to get excited about in the base game, beyond a few sparse symbol upgrades, and we waited a long time to dip our toes into the free spins action, when admittedly things did pick up pretty quickly.

Horses for courses though, and if you enjoy simple gameplay and symbol transformations, then you may just get a kick out of Mega Don. If you do take it for a spin, be ready for some frustrating sessions waiting for the scatters to drop. The documentation from Play n Go suggests a 1 in 350 chance of hitting free spins. Once there, if you’re playing off the back of FIVE scatters with 12 spins and three extra upgrades, there is a real chance things could get tasty.

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