Jack and the Beanstalk is an early example of what was to become something of a NetEnt tradition – the fairytale-themed slot. It’s a tradition that was still going strong with the release of Little Red Riding Hood and suggests that the design team are all big softies at heart.
WHAT IS JACK AND THE BEANSTALK ABOUT?
Jack’s toothy grin has become on the most recognisable symbols of the company’s huge games collection and even featured heavily when they showcased their 3D sound innovation in 2016. But he’s most at home in when he’s climbing the beanstalk, nabbing geese, nicking golden harps and generally pissing off giants.
The slot is faithful to all those elements of the original story and it’s quite beautifully produced. The short video that opens the game provides a lovely introduction while the game is set to the sounds of the forest – chirping birds and all. It represented a bit of a visual leap for Netent when it was released back in 2011 and that helped establish its popularity. You’ll guide Jack through the fairytale setting as both you seek riches of your own.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK BONUS FEATURES
Your ultimate goal is to land the free spins round, which sees you follow Jack up the beanstalk to raid the treasure chest. However, this slot has a few tricks up its sleeve to help you get there. Wandering wilds trigger respins within the main game and that leads to regular bitesize wins that will keep your balance ticking over while you wait for the good stuff.
WALKING WILDS AND RESPINS
Like your standard wilds, these symbols will combine with adjacent symbols to create winning lines. But this is a magical world where a mere beanstalk is capable of growing particularly spectacular height and girth, so giving wild symbols a pair of legs and a wandering spirit seems fairly small fry. You get a re-spin every time a wild shows up and as the reels spin again, the symbol moves a step to the left. If it creates another winning line, then you get another re-spin.
SCATTER SYMBOLS AND FREE SPINS
The walking wild-respin axis will help keep your topped up and in the game until you hit the promised land – a lovely round of free spins. You receive 10 free spins if you land 3 or more scatter symbols from a single spin. If a trio of scatters appears again during the bonus round, then you get another 10. That’s not the only way you can extend your session either. The wilds still trigger re-spins during the free spins round so you’ll regularly play more like 15 rounds.
TREASURE HUNT
Key symbols provide access to those vaunted treasure chests. They appear in reel 5 during free spins and if you find three, you win some dosh. Land 6 key symbols and the next wild turns into three golden egg-laying hens. You’ll need to be really lucky to unearth 9 keys and transform your wild into an expanding golden harp that fills the games grid to generate some really tasty wins.
HOW CAN YOU PLAY JACK AND THE BEANSTALK?
Jack and the Beanstalk predated the mobile gaming revolution and only existed as a desktop game for a long time. However, when NetEnt re-evaluated their back catalogue, it was rightfully adapted for a multitude of devices and is now one of the best slots you’ll find for your iPad, Android tablet or smartphone. The crisp graphics work really well on the smaller screens and all of the key features remain. It’s a great choice if you’re into your mobile gaming.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING ON JACK AND THE BEANSTALK?
Jack and the Beanstalk is designed to be suitable for the casual player. The walking wilds and accompanying re-spins keep you topped up with regular wins of x2, 3, 4 or 5 times your stake amount. This will please many but tantalise those who take a ‘go big or don’t go at all’ approach to gaming. However, the Jack and the Beanstalk has an ace up his sleeve in the form of his free spins round, not to mention the treasure hunt. These features can land some great medium sized wins and possibly more. It’s a low-medium volatility slot with a sting in the tale. There’s something for everyone other than the most steadfast high rollers.
OUR VERDICT ON JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Jack and the Beanstalk has become one of online gaming’s most iconic slots. Even today, you sense that it’s arrival represented a step up in NetEnt’s output. The free spins round stands out as one of the best of its type and the fact that you can extend your number of free spins in two different ways adds to the excitement of the feature. It also gives you the chance to elevate your small, frequent wins into a truly big hit. Jack and the Beanstalk represents everything that’s great about NetEnt, striking a perfect balance between great visuals, accessible gameplay and enough flourishes to keep it interested for more seasoned players. Its popularity has endured for a reason.