Retro Tapes Cluster Link

Review Retro Tapes Cluster Link

There is no way to escape this party in this Retro Tapes Cluster Link pokie. This production by Push Gaming is trend setting when it comes to grid pokies as it comes with an exclusive feature labelled Cluster Link. Landing 5+ tapes in a cluster will give you instant wins. Additionally, you can also chain cluster wins together with a wild tape symbol which makes sure that you keep on increasing the multiplier. Then you also have the option to randomly pick one type of paying symbol and attract every symbol present on the reels into the same cluster. Retro Tapes Cluster Link might just be the next step in grid pokies.

How to Play

The way Retro Tapes Cluster Link works might be a bit unusual for some players, and not only because this pokie has a 6×9 playfield. There are no paylines, but instead, there are cluster pays. This basically means that you need to match 5 or more adjacent symbols, either horizontally or vertically. Doing so will result in cluster wins. In the event of a Cluster Win, symbols that contribute to any cluster win will be removed, and all remaining symbols on the game field will fall downwards, creating space for new symbols. It might be a bit tricky to keep an eye on this, but with some practice (via the demo mode for instance) it is actually not very difficult to learn how to play Retro Tapes Cluster Link. Here’s how it works:

• Go to your favourite online casino and open the Retro Tapes pokie. When the game loads, select whether you want to switch the sound on or keep it off. Next, click to continue.
• Go for the arrow button to open the betting menu, and choose the size of your bet. The minimum bet in Retro Tapes is set at $ 0.10, the max comes at $ 50.
• Without needing to exit this betting menu, click the icon that shows “?”. This will make you switch to the info tab. Here, you can also read the game rules.
• Click the icon that shows the 3×3 squares to take a closer look at the value of the symbols.
• By pressing the icon with the cogwheel, you can access the settings.
• When you’re done with this, you can also exit this menu, and decide whether you want to play in the basic mode, or would like to buy a bonus. Clicking on the star icon will make you buy direct access to the bonus.

Symbol Wins

Audiovisually speaking, the game is well set up and the music equaliser graphics in the background fit this pokie well. It comes with a classic 80s vibe which will be to the liking of many players. The nostalgic cassettes are the basis for all symbols as you will see 6 cassettes on display. Out of these, the red cassette symbol is the highest paying symbol with 20+ awarding a 1,000x stake payout. Also, you have the wild tape symbol substituting for all other cassette paying symbols. Other symbols that are part of the game include the Wild Multiplier, Magnet and Instant Prize symbols. Then we have the Top Charts feature, where you will find the Extra Spin and Blank Tape symbols. Here are all symbols with payouts for 10+ symbols:

Bonus Features

Winning combinations are made by spinning a cluster that comes with at least 5 identical symbols which shouldn’t sound too difficult after all. In terms of features, Retro Tapes Cluster Link isn’t difficult to grasp. It is important to understand the role of 4 special symbols and there is also an all-encompassing free spins feature. This concerns the following 4 special symbols:

• Wild tape symbols
• Multiplier wilds
• Instant prize symbols
• Magnet symbols

Wild Tape Multiplier Feature

Wild Tape symbols substitute for paying cassettes. However, every Wild Tape symbol has a multiplier associated with it. Starting at 1x, the multiplier increases by 1 when the Wild Tape is part of 1+ more winning clusters. In case this happens, the Wild Tape symbol spins off the grid when no more cluster wins are created.

Wild Multiplier Feature

Be sure to look out for Star Wild Multiplier symbols. These can appear in the base game (and the Top Charts feature). The Wild Multiplier Feature distributes its own multiplier to all Wild Tape symbols on the grid. Then, it transforms into an Instant Prize symbol that comes with a random value.

Instant Prize Symbols

The way instant prize symbols work is also very logical. These symbols land with a bet multiplier, which is paid out when you spin a cluster of 5+ instant prize symbols on the grid. A cluster means that the instant prize symbols must be adjacent to each other horizontally or vertically. The bet multiplier of an instant prize symbol can be x1, x2, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, x250, x500 or x1,000.

Magnet Symbols

Magnet Symbols can be easily recognised by the magnet they show. Magnet symbols are very useful in Retro Tapes Cluster Link, as they can help create winning clusters. In this case, a rotated magnet symbol chooses a random symbol type and attracts all units of that symbol present on the playing field. The good thing about it: this is not only possible with “normal” payment symbols, but also with instant prize symbols. After the magnet symbol collects the symbols around it, it also turns itself into that symbol. This way you can win big prizes.

Retro Tapes Cluster Link Free Spins

We can say that everything comes together in the free spins feature of Retro Tapes Cluster Link. You can earn free spins by spinning 3 or more scatters. You can spin up to 6 scatters and the number of free spins slowly increases as you’ll see below. Here’s how it works:

• 3 scatters award 6 free spins.
• 4 scatters award 8 free spins.
• 5 scatters award 10 free spins.
• 6 scatters award 12 free spins.

Wild tape symbols and instant prize symbols that were present on the grid during the triggering spin are transferred to the free spins feature. They are fixed there in the same positions. On the remaining positions, each free spin lands 1 of the special symbols, as discussed above. This symbol fulfils the same role as in the base game, but also awards 2 free spins.

Bonus Buy feature

Players from NZ have the option to make use of the Bonus Buy feature. Enabled by pressing the Star icon found to the right of the grid, you can purchase a single bonus feature or direct entry to the Top Charts feature. Here’s how much this will cost you:

• Any feature: 100x the stake.
• Top Charts feature: 400x the stake.

Payout Metrics

The Retro Tapes RTP is set at a comfortable level of 96.47%. This is higher than the industry average which is considered to be 96%. Do note that Push Gaming has also created 95.47% and 94.57% RTP versions which may be on offer at your preferred online pokie website in New Zealand. Highly volatile, the top win of the game stands at a comfortable 10,000x your total stake. The top prize can be won from the Top Charts feature where each symbol position can see various symbols land including wild multipliers and instant prizes. The chances of making the max win is 1 in 1,248,439 spins on average. The dead spins will take a toll on most player’s patience, which is something to bear in mind, and getting the 1,000x top prize comes with a 1 in 226,372 probability.

Summary

The game’s playfield might be a bit too small for some to see all the details it comes with, and you might just miss that each cassette tape actually comes with its own personality. Anyone who has had a walkman (or still owns one) will probably appreciate the nostalgia, just like fans of the hit pokie Jammin’ Jars, as it resembles Retro Tapes Cluster Link in some aspects. Due to its difficulty at first, Retro Tapes might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it surely gave us a taste for more. If you happen to enjoy pokies with an old-school, retro vibe and a challenging setup with cluster pays, this game is for you. For us, Retro Tapes has been a very pleasant experience and we actually had heaps of fun playing it. At the same time, we can understand how this Push Gaming pokie can be a bit too challenging for less experienced players. This is why we suggest you try out the demo and learn how to play it.