Just like the original Worms game, Worms Reloaded centres on a group of cartoon style, army worms. The reels include lower value playing cards alongside assorted guns and rockets. The Worms Reloaded logo is the top paying standard symbol, awarding 500 coins if you land 5 in a row.
The hat wearing worm is the wild, also offering payouts of up to 500 coins and substituting for all other symbols bar the bonus. Landing 3 bonus symbols triggers 1 of the 4 special features. Which 1 you get depends on which individual bonus symbol lands on reel 5. They are:
- Battleground Bonus feature - in this pick me round, you'll be presented with a selection of mines. Choose 1. Behind it you'll find a cash prize, a collect or you'll trigger 1 of the other 3 features.
- Jet Pack Bonus feature - this is a variation on the cash trail feature. Pick a UFO which will reveal the number of spaces along the trail you move. The further you go, the bigger the bonus prizes on offer. Hope to find a wormhole as this takes you to a new level with even bigger awards on offer. Pick a planet and you could be pocketing a prize of up to 1,000 times your total stake.
- Blitz Blast Free Spins feature - these take place on a new set of reels based on London and feature a worm strapped to a rocket. Any worm symbol on reel 5 triggers the fuse. The further it goes, the bigger the multiplier prize awarded. The free spins end when the worm reaches the collect at the end of the fuse. You can boost your wins by up to 5x here.
- Super Sheep Free Spins feature – a castle is the setting for this round where you'll be awarded 6 free spins. Watch out here for the Super Sheep who can add extra wilds to the reels on each spin. After the 6th and final spin has played out, you'll be presented with 3 grenades. Pick one - it will either be a collect or a re-trigger which awards another 6 free games.
Worms Reloaded also comes with a quartet of base game mini features, all of which are triggered at random. They are as follows:
- Banana Bomb Wilds feature - a banana bomb explodes and adds a selection of wilds to the reels. If a worm appears and fires a bazooka, the wilds will be held in place and you'll receive a re-spin.
- Holy Hand Grenade feature - a hand grenade explodes and adds extra bonus symbols to the reel, boosting your chances of triggering 1 of the 4 main features.
- Teleport Mayhem feature - the teleporter causes the reels to stop. A worm then juggles the reels into a winning combination. These re-orders continue until the worm blows up.
- Concrete Donkey feature - a worm presses a button which drops donkeys down the reels, turning them into stacked wilds.
The final extra on offer is the progressive jackpot which is triggered by landing 5 overlay Jackpot King symbols. Spin the wheel and if you land 15 or more crowns, you'll enter the Wheel King feature. Spin the wheel to be in with a chance of landing the biggie. Other games offering the same jackpot is Slots O’ Gold – also by Blueprint Gaming.
Design wise, Worms Reloaded has a slightly manic feel which is right in keeping with the source material. The cartoon style visuals work well and the soundtrack isn't too intrusive.
Blueprint Gaming has packed plenty of features into Worms Reloaded which means there's loads of action throughout. You won't be spinning idly for hours waiting to trigger a feature here. Even though they come on a fairly regular basis, they can still pack a decent payout punch.
Fans of the video game will find much to like here. Even if you're a Worms novice, the range of features on offer make Worms Reloaded an enjoyable and very playable game.