Phoenix Link Slot

How on earth do you follow the almost perfect Dragon Link? That is a question that Aristocrat has had to tackle with their Phoenix Link slot machine.

Dragon Link has been the bar for slot machine perfection for years and everyone knows it. It’s not perfect, of course, but the prevalent opinion among regular and serious players is that it's as close to it as slots have ever come. And it’s still wildly popular today so, technology and visual improvements aside, there isn’t really anything to fix.

However, the designer at Aristocrat was irked by one mistake he thought they had made with Dragon Link. The one tiny flaw that everyone saw but forgave was something he couldn’t accept. That flaw is something he sought to put right with Phoenix Link.

Let’s be clear from the start, though: Phoenix Link is not a sequel to Dragon Link. It’s a spiritual successor, sure, but not a sequel. It looks like one, it sounds like one, and it largely plays like one, but it’s not a sequel. It’s a new title in its own right.

Dragon Link is not the only Aristocrat game that Phoenix Link draws inspiration from either. Regular slots players will see a bit of Lightning Dollar Link and Buffalo Link in there too. That does mean that it can be accused of lacking a little originality, but it also works to a proven formula.

Anyway, let’s have a closer look.

As I mentioned, the theme is very familiar. It looks, sounds, and plays a lot like Dragon Link. And, just like Dragon Link, this one falls straight into the Asian slots box.

At the time of writing, four variants have been released. They are all the same game but have very different themes and Free Games mechanics. Sound familiar, Dragon Linkers? Those themes are General Tso, Confucius Says, Queen Chiu, and Sensei Master.

The animation is the same as Dragon Link, the sounds are the same, and the feel is the same. There are bright colours, a bit of fire, bold symbols, and decisive, distinctive sounds. I love it. In fact, some of the symbols are direct copies from other Dragon Link and Lightning Dollar Link games, so the familiarity is really pronounced.

Something that Aristocrat does better than almost everyone else, and not just with Dragon Link, is simplicity. It’s not just simplicity for simplicity's sake, though, as there is a certain beauty to it.

In all Phoenix Link versions, you need three Free Games symbols or six credit symbols. The latter are not fireballs circled by flaming dragons, though; they are obviously flaming phoenixes. Same fiery mythical creature theme, different take.

There is another feature too, this time borrowed from Buffalo Link: a Must Hit By counter. The counter appears at the top right of the screen and increases with every phoenix you land in general play. It must hit before that counter hits 1888, but it can randomly trigger any time before then.

And by ‘hit’, we of course mean trigger a free feature. And by ‘free’ feature, we obviously mean an incredibly hard-earned feature we have probably paid a fortune for with a slow bleed of funds.

When it does hit it’s great though. You will get it when there are some phoenixes on-screen, just not enough to trigger the bonus themselves. Any values of those phoenixes will remain. That means that if a Major lands by itself and it triggers the must-hit counter, the Major will be part of your resulting Hold and Spin.

Pretty awesome, right?

At a glance:

• Layout: 5 × 3 reels
• Denominations: 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 25c, $1, $2 – high-limit versions available
• Bet levels: 50c-$125
• 4 Progressive jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major, Grand
• 2 Bonus feature: A Hold and Spin with a collect feature, and Free Games
• RTP: 87%-95%
• Volatility: Medium/High

The main bonus feature is a Hold and Spin, and why wouldn’t it be? Aristocrat invented it with Lightning Link, and they have been milking that cash cow ever since. More to the point, we all love them for doing it. Hold and Spins are like pizza – we may all have different favourite flavours, but we all love them.

The Phoenix Link slot machine has a Hold and Spin more similar to Lightning Dollar Link than Dragon Link. That means you can win multi-progressive jackpots. I mean, winning a Major or Minor is great, but winning three of them in the same symbol is better. You’ll know you have won them as the Phoenixes will have words on them rather than numbers. They are wordy birdies, if you will.

There is another big boast that the Phoenix Link slot machine has over its Dragon Link descendant. Remember that one tiny Dragon Link flaw that bugged the developer that I mentioned?

It’s something that has happened to everyone in Dragon Link. You get six balls, trigger the Hold and Spin, get all excited, and get rewarded with an immediate three dead spins. It’s not especially common, but it’s common enough to annoy.

Phoenix Link does not suffer from that irritant. If you get no additional Phoenixes in your Hold and Spin, the bell will sound and the spins reset back to three. It’s a wonderful addition. It’s also the secret behind the name. The slot machine is called Phoenix Link because the bonus rises from the ashes of dead spins. You’ve got to just love that!

There are Free Games in all Phoenix Link variants. All you need is three of the Scatter symbols to trigger them. To be fair, it’s a bit tougher than I make it sound!

Each trigger grants you six free games, and you can retrigger them as well as get a Hold and Spin in them too. It’s all pretty standard Aristocrat stuff.

Something to bear in mind, though, is that the type of free games you will get will depend upon the variant you are playing. Here is what to expect:

• General Tso and Confucius Says: The Free Games grid will go to a 2-1-2 formation, with a Twin Spin feature. So symbols on Reels 1 & 2 will match and symbols on Reels 4 & 5 will match. It essentially reduces the game to a three-reel one rather than five that should, theoretically at least, give you a chance of better rewards. This is taken directly from Lightning Dollar Link variants Kung Fu Master and Corrida de Toros.
• Queen Chiu and Sensei Master: Wilds become 2x multipliers. This is taken from Dragon Link titles such as Genghis Khan and Peace and Long Life, and Lightning link variants Tiki Fire and Heart Throb.

The player perks and rewards when you play the Phoenix Link slot machine are the same as any other land-based slot. By that I mean plentiful, should you remember to insert your players’ card into the machine before you start to play.

Players’ cards track your play and help you build rewards like comps and freeplay, so you shouldn’t be hitting spin on any slot machine without your card inserted.

You will also be eligible for free drinks too. This will mostly include alcoholic drinks, certainly in Las Vegas casinos and other US casino capitals. So keep your eye out for a waitress, tip her for her trouble, and enjoy some cocktails while you play.

Nowadays, some casinos are switching over to a system when you can order free drinks from your slot machine too. It is especially growing in popularity in Atlantic City, for example. When you have played enough to qualify, an ‘order drink’ button should present itself. Use it to order drinks and wait for them to arrive, but still tip your waitress for her trouble.

Perception is everything when it comes to Phoenix Link. If you are seeing it and judging it as a Dragon Link successor, it’s only going to disappoint. The same can be said of any game, though, so it’s an unfair bar.

You have to remember that Phoenix Link is not a sequel and judge it on its own. Yes, it borrows heavily from Dragon Link, and Lightning Dollar Link, and Buffalo Link, but they are all great games. Phoenix Link is like a new musician with different influences, but at least it has chosen those influences well.

It’s not going to replace Dragon Link. In fact I’d be surprised if it even outlives Dragon Link on the casino floor, so there is no real need to compare or create rivalry. It’s a good game in its own right. Familiar, yes. Safe? Perhaps overly so. It’s fun though, and that’s what counts.