Dragon Link Slot

 Click Here To Leave A Review

Dragon Link recently hit a major milestone in land-based slot games. Developer Aristocrat announced it had installed 15,000 Dragon Link machines across North America. If that stat doesn’t show you how popular this game is, then nothing will. 

Accompanied by striking flame-red visuals, sound effects that play over and over in your head long after you’ve left the game, and bonus features that you dream about, Dragon Link is a veritable slot masterpiece. 

Las Vegas casinos have walls lined with banks of Dragon Link slots. More often than not, they form the centrepiece of the gaming floor, drawing gamblers in like bees to honey. And boy, do they buzz – it can be hard to find a vacant Dragon Link slot machine at all during busier times. 

Originally launched in 2017, there are 10 different Dragon Link variations to play. All carry the Asian dragon theme, but with varying main characters and symbols. The much-coveted Free Spins and Hold & Spin slot bonus features are consistent throughout, but come in multiple forms. Plus, each Dragon Link slot machine has four enticing jackpots to play for, two of which are progressive. The formula definitely works and slots players, including me, have been lining up to hand over their money willingly for long enough to prove it. 

Dragon Link is not currently available to play online for real money, but it is free to play in some social casinos. If you want to play for real money, you can find similar slot bonus features in other games, such as Blue Wizard by Playtech.

Dragon Link is themed around a fire-breathing Asian dragon, but he doesn’t just breathe fire. He’s made of fire too. That makes for exquisite game visuals with an endless swirl of red and orange fire across the screen and around the full cabinet. It certainly catches the eye wherever you are in the casino. 

In addition to the general theme, each Dragon Link slot game is built around a legendary Chinese folklore or historical character as follows:

• Autumn Moon
• Golden Century
• Happy & Prosperous
• Panda Magic
• Golden Gong
• Peace & Long Life
• Peacock Princess
• Silk Road
• Spring Festival
• Genghis Khan

Specific symbols and audio accompany each Dragon Link variation – so expect bamboo and lanterns in Panda Magic, and warriors and weapons in Genghis Khan. 

The overall audio, though, is consistent throughout all variations, and it lives rent-free in my head. The electro Oriental-type soundtrack that plays through the bonus rounds, crashing gongs every time a fireball lands, not forgetting the fanfare crescendo as the finale.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard that in a casino, I’d be a rich woman. Who am I kidding? I’d probably put it all back into Dragon Link anyway!

All Dragon Link slot machines have the same setup in terms of reels and some standardised game features. But, as a multi-denomination land-based slot that comes in low-stakes, mid-stakes, and high-stakes versions, the game can differ greatly in terms of RTP, paylines, bet level, and progressive jackpots. Here are a few key details:

• Grid: 5x3
• Paylines: 5-50
• Denominations: 1c - $25
• Bet Levels: 50c-$2,500 per spin
• Free Spins Bonus Feature
• Hold & Spin Bonus Feature
• Fixed Mini and Minor Jackpots based on denomination
• Progressive Major and Grand Jackpots 
• RTP: generally 85-98% but is set by the casino and local regulations
• Volatility: Medium to High

Outside of the bonus rounds, wins are formed by landing two of the highest paying symbols or three of all other symbols on a payline from the leftmost reel. Wilds substitute for all symbols apart from the Scatter. 

Despite the medium to high volatility, most casino players consider Dragon Link a good payer. You can get regular line pays, and the bonus features hit more than you’d expect. 

Every Dragon Link slots player is praying for one of two things to land – either 3 Bonus Symbols or 6 Fireballs. No matter what version you play, that’s the dream. Let’s take a quick glance at what to expect when you land either of them on the reels.

Free Games are triggered by landing at least three of the Scatter/Bonus symbols on a single spin. During the Free Games, you can also retrigger an unlimited number of times by landing a further three Scatters. However, the particular feature you get and how many spins you get with a retrigger depend on the specific Dragon Link version you play. Here’s a summary:

Within the Free Games, it is also possible to trigger the Hold & Spin Feature – a proverbial double whammy! 

Landing at least six fireballs on a single spin will trigger the glorious Hold and Spin Feature. 

Each fireball contains either a numerical value (such as $100 or $10, depending on your denomination) or a progressive word (MINI, MINOR, or MAJOR).

Once you land six, you are given three spins to land another fireball. Every time you land one, it not only fills your heart with joy and your ears with a huge thump sound, but also resets the spins to three, so you get three more chances to land another. When you run out of spins, the feature is over, and you get to see the totals count up as you sing along to a celebratory trumpeting fanfare. Or maybe that’s just me?

Hit a MAJOR during the Hold and Spi,n and it will give a Batman-type ‘Pow’ sound effect. Fill all 15 spaces and you can win the Grand Jackpot. This starts from $10,000 on a low-stakes Dragon Link and can go up to $1,000,000 on a high-stakes one. 

Land-based slot players get a range of perks no matter what casino game they are playing. Complimentary drinks and, of course, rewards points (if you remember to stick your card in) are the main ones. But the added bonus of playing Dragon Link is that the games are nearly always central and nearly always busy. That means lots of lovely, frequent waitress service to make the most of. Just remember your tip money!

If you wanted to create the world’s greatest slot game – then Dragon Link has to be a good start. In fact, some would argue it already has that title.

Captivating theme and visuals – check, unforgettable audio – check, thrilling bonus features – check, massive jackpot potential – check, frequent pay outs – check. It really ticks all the boxes. Plus, the range of different variations means there’s a Dragon Link slot for you, whatever feature, denomination, or bet level you want to play at. 

Of course, it isn’t all rosy. Dragon Link has its faults. You land 5 fireballs way more than you land six, which kinda makes you want to breathe fire yourself. Plus, even if you land the Free Games, you’re not guaranteed a good win.

But, in general, it’s hard to make a slot game for the masses, but I personally think Dragon Link is the closest I’ve seen to it.