Reel Kingdom is known for a somewhat generic style, and this is definitely the case with its latest fruit-themed creation Ultra Hold and Spin. What makes this game interesting is the combination of a classic look with somewhat modern features. Players who enjoy the nostalgia of the brick and mortar style fruit machine will definitely get their money’s worth here, but you also get the thrill of a Respins Money Collect feature that can give you pretty decent payouts.
Visually, Ultra Hold and Spin looks a bit dated, though we note that this is part of the package with these types of games. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to make the game more pleasing to the eye now, would it? The flaming background changes color when the respins feature is triggered, and that’s it when it comes to visual effects. There is no background music in the regular base game, but a pretty 80’s style soundtrack is displayed when you win big or trigger the respins feature.
Everything is played on 3 reels, 3 rows and 5 ways to win, and you can place bets between 5 pence and £250 per spin on all platforms and devices. The base game will deliver plenty of dead spins, at least that’s what we got in our 200-spins test session, and the volatility here is at the top end of the medium. You can win up to 500x your bet on a single respin via the special diamond symbol, and up to 250x wins are possible in the base game. Not really impressive potential, and it’s hard to justify spending too much time and money on it in a world with many better alternatives.
What are the bonus features?
The wild symbol means the word “wild” with flames in the background. This symbol can substitute for all symbols except the money symbols. This helps you form winning combinations, and the Wilds you land will also expand to fill the entire reel if that means it is part of a winning combination.
There are 2 money symbols in this game, the silver coin and the gold coin. These can only land on the middle reel and have random money values between 1x and 20x. Landing 3 money symbols on the same spin will trigger the respins feature.
The triggering money symbols become sticky, and then you are awarded 4 respins. You can see your respins count under the reels in the form of 4 hearts, and you will only land blanks or new money symbols during the feature. Your respins count will be reset to 4 every time you land at least one money symbol, and new money symbols that land will not be sticky.
Instead, their respective cash values are added to the total, and you can also land a special diamond symbol on reels 1 and 3. This symbol can only land during the respins feature and contains random values between 100x and 500x. The respins feature ends when you run out of respins. This is the closest you will get to a bonus round on Ultra Hold and Spin slot.
Free Spins in Ultra Hold and Spin
There is no free spins bonus round in Ultra Hold and Spin, but the respins feature is close enough. You don’t really miss out on a special bonus round and it can be considered a free spins feature for all intents and purposes.
How to play the game
Those who are familiar with Reel Kingdom’s interface know what to expect. Everything you need can be found in the semi-transparent bar below the reels. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know here and get you ready to play Ultra Hold and Spin in no time.
You can start by checking out the paytable. This is done by clicking the “i” button (for information) at the bottom left. The paytable is dynamic, as usual from this developer, so it will be updated according to the bet level you choose. The symbol values are displayed in valuta, and the orange lucky number 7 is the highest payer. You land 50x for 3 on a payline.
All other symbols are typical for a fruit slot, except for the lowest value symbols, which is a black X. This symbol is worth 4x for 3 on a payline, and also the wild symbol pays out as much as the highest value symbol in this game. There are 9 symbols in total, including various fruits, a star and a BAR symbol.
If you scroll over the arrows to the right, you will learn more about the different features in this game and you can also check the game rules at the end. The paylines are shown here and the betting range between 5 pence and £250 per spin is displayed. The RTP of 96.7% is also displayed here, as well as the volatility scale, where 4 out of 5 flashes are highlighted.
The game settings menu can be found by clicking on the small hamburger menu icon in the bottom left corner. Here you can activate the fast spin to increase the game speed. You can also enable battery saving mode when playing on your phone or tablet. The game sound and music can be turned on and off separately, and you can also turn off the intro screen.
You can then open the autoplay feature under the spin button and set up between 10 and 100 autospins. You can also set a loss limit of up to £100,000, which should be enough for most people. You can turn on turbo spin for super fast gameplay, and there are also other advanced options for when to stop the autoplay feature.
The 200 Spins Ultra Hold and Spin Experience
Classic fruit slots can sometimes be fun, especially when they come with some features that make them stand out. This is the case with Ultra Hold and Spin, and we were eager to get started. Read all about how our beginner’s luck played out here, and watch the highlights video.
A bet level of $250 per spin may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we decided to max it out at 200 spins in our test session. Reel Kingdom calls this a medium-volatility game, but we have to say that it’s on the higher end of the medium. We got a glimpse of how brutal the mathematical model can be right from the start, as we kept landing a large number of dead spins.
Out of the blue, we suddenly landed 2 silver coins and 1 gold coin on the middle reel. This gave us a first win of 17x and the respins feature was activated. It started well when we landed 3 new coins on the first spin, but the feature dried up soon after. We only got blanks for the remaining spins, but still won 62x our bet.
The game called this an “epic win” and made a big deal about it with a tune that reminded us of a slower version of the synthpop magic in Tina Cousin’s “Pray”. Not long after, we filled the screen with almost nothing but oranges, and this gave us a “big win” of 16 times our bet.
Not much happened after that, although we did see the Explanding Wild feature once with a smaller win. We also landed 2 lucky 7’s on reel 1 and 2, which triggered a teaser effect on the third reel. We didn’t land the third 7 we needed, so it became a dead spin. All in all, not the most memorable session we’ve ever had, and we doubt there will be another with this game.
Rating Conclusion
We don’t mind classic 3-reel games, but they are rarely as exciting as a real video slot. We sometimes play them for nostalgic reasons and to make the return to video slots that much better. Ultra Hold and Spin is a decent effort when it comes to bonus features, but it lacks potential and punch. With this kind of volatility, expect a maximum win of more than 500x, although the respins feature can dish out far more than that in total.
The Money Collection Respins feature is exciting, mainly because it is unpredictable how long it will last. However, you really need this feature to get anywhere in this game, as the base game’s maximum win is only 250 times your bet. In our experience, you can expect a lot of dead spins, and it’s not easy to understand why people would prefer this game when there are many better alternatives with a more forgiving mathematical model.
Pros
Expanding wild symbol
Respins with money collecting symbols
Nostalgic value and soundtrack in 80s style
Cons
500x potential combined with pretty brutal volatility
Ultra Hold and Spin Slot FAQs
What is the RTP of the Ultra Hold and Spin lot?
The game’s Return to Player is 96.7%, which is a bit above average, but you may get a lower payout due to the RTP ranges. Available RTP values are 96.70% and 96.65%.
How volatile is Ultra Hold and Spin?
This game scores 4 out of 5 on Reel Kingdom’s own volatility scale. It is said to be a medium volatility game, but in our opinion it is medium to high. We got enough dead spins at least in our 200-spins test session, and you can probably expect the same.
What is the biggest possible win on Ultra Hold and Spin?
You can win up to 500 times your bet using the special diamond symbol in the respins feature. However, bigger total wins can definitely be achieved with this feature, and 250x is the maximum win of the base game.
How does the respins feature work?
You trigger it by landing 3 money symbols, and they become sticky. You will get 4 “respin lives” and the number of spins will be reset back to 4 if you land at least one money symbol. You will only land money symbols or blanks during the feature, and the regular money symbols can give you up to 20x wins.
How many ways to win are there in Ultra Hold and Spin?
This is a classic 3×3 slot with 5 fixed ways to win.
Is there a free spins feature in this game?
Not really, but the respins feature mentioned above is pretty similar to a free spins bonus round.
Can I play the Ultra Hold and Spin slot for free?
Yes, you can start playing Ultra Hold and Spin for free right away at the top of this page (UK players need to confirm their age first).
