Where do you stand on sequels? We’re decent, honourable and honest people so we’re happy to tell you that they’re a mixed bag in all art forms, in all genres, in all commercial ventures. We’re also honest enough to know that in commercial productions the desire to produce a second instalment is inspired by the success of the first.
So we’re happy to see detective Jack Hammer back in action with this 2013 Jack Hammer 2 slot title reviving an earlier title from NetEnt.
NetEnt are one of the biggest companies in the online video slots world, with around 300 titles in the UK casino site market, including the massive Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest titles. They also make software that runs casinos, so whole sites are run by this company. This is one of the reasons – but not the only one – that they have around 12% of the total games in UK casinos and nearly 18% of the games in casino lobbies. This is a massive market dominance in a market with more than 200 suppliers.
The Jack Hammer titles are based on 1950s detective comics – noir films too – and have an innovative set up of individually spinning symbols rather than reels to deliver wins.
With a stylish, retro comic book feel and gameplay from one of the most trusted names in the online gaming industry there’s a lot going for Jack Hammer 2 slot (Fishy Business), but should you get into this crazy beatnik scene?
Let’s have a look in this Jack Hammer slot review!
Not lastly, try the Jack Hammer 2 free play demo!
We always pick up on the standout figures in these reviews, and here we’re pleased to say that the big number is a 97.1% theoretical return to player. That’s above average, with most games in 2019 having RTP’s of around 96%.
A good start then.
The low variance is also something that players might find appealing, as it means more wins of a slightly lower value.
These measures are both long-term and may not have an impact on your experience on the game.
The top prize is a 990,000 coins prize. Betting runs from 0.01 coins to 0.5 coins on a 10-level setup, so this is a very cheap game. These amounts should translate to 1p to £500 in UK money, with a £990,000 prize, but make sure you check all the amounts and limits on prizes and stakes where you’re playing.
The layout is standard in the sense of grid size – 5 by 3 – with the individually spinning reels giving 99 pay lines.
You can play this game on desktop, tablets and mobiles so long as you have JavaScript and HTML5.
Although the layout is odd, the gameplay is pretty standard.
The controls – in cartoon graphics – run across the bottom of the screen, with an information button to open up the paytable at the far left. The Bet window is next to that. A 10-level bet level button lets you set the total bet amount in concert with a coin value control to the right of the central console of the spin button, autoplay and max bet amount.
At the far right is your balance.
There are further controls in the game frame.
The low paying symbols are:
Microphones, paying 2, 4, and 15-times stake for three, four or five. Machine gun cases pay 2, 4, and 20-times stake. The barrels pay 3, 5, and 20-times stake. Speed boats pay 3, 7, and 25-times stake. Harbour fronts pay 4, 10, and 35-times stake.
The valuable symbols are:
Free spins are awarded from 5, 6, 7, and more than 8 free spins symbols, awarding 10, 13, 16, and 20 spins.
The wins in the free spins rounds are doubled. You can win more free spins from the free spins round, but these do not come with the free spins multiplier.
The free spins have random wilds, with lobster claws and fists.
Sticky wins in the base game is a respin feature that keeps the frames spinning until there are no more wins. It is triggered by any winning combination or by three free spin symbols. Winning reels stay frozen and every other symbol spins.
Adding Jack Hammer 2 slot to the list of free slots games here on CasinoExpert was an easy decision. This is one of the best slot games that Net Entertainment has produced and still consistently makes the top ten on many slot game fans lists today.
If you’ve ever seen the film “Dick Tracey”, then you’ll know exactly where Net Ent drew their inspiration from for this slot game. It is full of comic book characters, and they pick up in this sequel where we left off in the original Jack Hammer.
It is arguable whether this game is better than the one that went before it. Personally, I’m a fan of the original Jackhammer slot, but this game uses a much better theme and provides a unique game experience – if they were to continually recycle the original material then it wouldn’t be much fun would it.
The original version of the game had 25 pay lines whereas this has been upped to 99 pay lines with three rows and 15 reels for this edition and the RTP (return to player) is set at a giddy 97.1% so be prepared for some extended play. Sticky wins are retained so that you can get additional winning symbols to increase the win.
In this version of the game, we are off to Grand City where the crime-fighting private eye “Jackhammer” goes up against his arch-rival villain “Don Crabby” who is claw-handed and your job is to rescue the Dame from his evil clutches.
The Jack Hammer 2 slot game opens with a short animation that introduces the characters that are going to appear on the reels. You’ll probably watch the opening intro once and once only although you might want to listen to the music again because it’s quite catchy!
The comic book style is faithfully adhered to in this edition, and when you get to the game, you’ll see the city lights in the silhouetted blue background. The graphics in this game are fantastic and vividly and brightly coloured.
The soundtrack lulls you into believing you are sitting right by the docks with the sound of seagulls in the faint distance. Look out for the big band that plays when you hit a big winning combination. Don Crabby and his Goons are coming to get you!
Your hero Jack Hammer is the wild symbol, and he appears on the reels in two guises, either smiling or grimacing and the wilds substitute for all symbols except free spins.
I love the sticky wins feature which shows up every time you get a winning combination. Your winning symbols get frozen and as long as more show up the sticky wins will keep freezing your symbols. It is a treat to watch.
The Electric Eel is the free spin feature, and it works just like a scatter. 5 Eels will get you ten free spins, but the sticky wins feature can also work on the free spins, so you’ll be catching a lot of fish on your reels.
This game has smooth gameplay and eye-catching graphics. The swing theme and the big band all add to the atmosphere retaking you to the fifties.
It’s not progressive, and there is no jackpot, so you are not going to see a life-changing amount of money suddenly flash before your eyes, but it is a fun game to play peppered with consistent small wins and the odd 20x stake.
We’re very glad that this Jack Hammer 2 slot brought another set of criminals into Jack Hammer’s territory, as this is a really excellent game.
Some games can be themed on quite a superficial level, with just a few graphics or sound, but Jack Hammer 2 Fishy Business is not one of those games. The whole comic aesthetic is deeply embedded in this game, with fantastic graphics and shading that produces a really atmospheric feel.
And the game is funny! The fishy gangsters are ludicrous and absurdist and excellent fun – it reminds us a bit of the Tick, the fantastic spoof comic book superhero.
Jack himself is a classic noir character, and his girl, Pearl, fits right in too.
The gameplay has some originality, in the single-spinning symbols, and any game that delivers RTP of 97% or above and low volatility should offer players a pretty rewarding experience.
The bonus games are also original, with a Respin, wild, and free spins being given a twist.
We’re a bit biased towards this game because we really love noir films (please check them out). However, noir films could easily be treated poorly, and Jack Hammer 2 slot doesn’t do that, it treats the genre brilliantly, with a sense of humour, to deliver a wonderful game with some very enticing stats.
Take a look at Jack Hammer 2 casino slot at your favourite online casino now, and dig into a game with some real depth.