When we say that Magical Stacks has a Japanese feel we don't mean kimonos or Samurai warriors - this is modern day, gadget loving, anime-watching Japan. The visuals are done Manga comic style and feature arcade staples such as cherries, melons, bars, bells and lucky 7s - they're joined by Japanese-style playing card symbols from A to J.
In the base game, the pink-haired girl is the wild, offering payouts of up to 500 coins as well as substituting for all other symbols apart from the bonus and scatter. In the bonus round, her pink hair will go white.
Land 3 or more of the white cat scatter symbol anywhere on the reels, and you'll trigger the Super Magical Free Games feature - here you'll be awarded 10 free spins with a dynamic multiplier. An initial multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x will be awarded before the feature starts.
Whenever the gold coin appears on reel 5, the multiplier will go up by 1. If there's no gold coin on reel 5, the multiplier will drop by 1. The multiplier can never exceed 5x but neither can it drop below 2x. It's possible to re-trigger more free spins if 3 white cats land during the round (with 20 possible).
Look out too for the Mystery Stacks (the boxes with the question mark) - when they appear, they will randomly turn into the same mystery symbols. This can be anything apart from the wild and scatter. They can hit during the base game but are much more likely to do so during the feature where extra mystery stacks are added to the reels.
The pace in Magical Stacks is pretty frantic - the graphics and animation are excellent with the action playing out to a high octane, pop soundtrack complete with blasts of Japanese dialogue to celebrate any winning spin. It's all a bit overpowering at first view but you'll soon get your eye in.
The features are decent enough, especially the free spins feature where the big potential multipliers can offer some nice results, especially if you're lucky enough to land multiple high value Mystery Stack boxes. The feature is like the Captain America free games feature in The Avengers.
The unusual imagery and blasting soundtrack (which wouldn't sound out of place in a Tokyo teenager's bedroom) won't be to everyone's liking. If you want a taste of a Japanese pachinko hall, then Magical Stacks is a pretty good substitute. For other Japanese-themed slots, Koi Princess by Net Entertainment is worth playing.