Introduction to HyperCore
HyperCore is a casino slot from Snowborn Games with futuristic, neon-lit visuals combined with old-school classic symbols and complicated mechanics. While we wouldn’t say that Snowborn Games is a studio known for its complex releases, HyperCore is a bit of an outlier, as while its features in themselves aren’t the strangest, the number of layers is what makes the entire game a bit of a mess. Visually, it seems like Snowborn Games couldn’t decide between making a sci-fi themed game or a classic Fruit slot, making a bit of an ugly mix-up in the process, where cyborg women appear out of nowhere in the background and as Special Symbols alongside classic symbols such as 7s and BARs. When it comes to gameplay, there are a few features we need to discuss, starting with the Cash and Collect, with the Cash Symbols being ultimately the most important symbol in the game, as it is the core way of earning wins in features such as the simple Hyper Spins, as well as the more complex The Bonus feature. But here is where it gets a bit strange, as both of these features come with their own progressive bonus meters in the form of Boosters and Bonus Booster Meter, with the former part of the Hyper Spins and the latter part of The Bonus. HyperCore is a strange release that we’re not quite sure what to think of, but when the stars align, its spins can be somewhat interesting, however, the game only comes with a max win of 6,250X the bet.
Snowborn Games foregoes its more vibrant and colorful standard and delivers a sci-fi release that seemingly doesn’t know what to do with its own theme, with a handful of features centered around Cash Collecting bonus games.
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
HyperCore is a video slot from Snowborn Games with 5 Reels, 3 Rows, and 20 Paylines. You can choose between making a Min.bet of 0.2 and a Max.bet of 40. HyperCore comes with an average RTP of 96%, a hit frequency of 28.05%, medium/high volatility, and an okay max win of 6,250X the bet.
HyperCore is set in a neon-lit future, akin to the science fiction media franchise Ghost in the Shell, even featuring its own cyborg women, who can be seen in the background and among the Special Symbols. However, outside of that, the game can’t escape the Flaming Orb Cash Symbols and classic slot symbols that are so common in old-school releases, which kinda ruins the theme and immersion. You can play the game on most notepads, mobiles, and desktops.
The lower-paying symbols are J, Q, K, and A. Creating a win with 5 of the same symbols will pay out 0.6X to 1.5X the bet. The higher-paying symbols are cherries, BARs, dice, and 7s. Landing a win with 5 of the same symbols pays out 3X to 7X the bet. There are also a plethora of Special Symbols, including Wilds, Cash, Collects, Boosters, Diamonds, and more, which we go over in the Feature section.
Special Features & Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot HyperCore?
You can win up to 6,250X the bet.
What features are available in the slot HyperCore?
The features are Wild Symbols, Cash Collect and Boosters, Hyper Spins, The Bonus Booster Meter, The Bonus, and Feature Buy.
Wild Symbols
Wild Symbols help form winning combinations by being able to substitute for all symbols except Cash, Collect, Scatter, Booster, Token, Collector, and Payer Symbols. There are two variants, one regular Wild and a Wild with a Gem. The gem variant works the exact same, except its gem will be added to the Bonus Booster Meter.
Cash Collect and Boosters
Cash Symbols can land on reels 1-4 in the base game and Hypers with a random prize value of 0.2X to 50X the bet, but can only be paid out by a Collecto on reel 5. There are also Booster Symbols, which, when landed, will be collected by the Booster Meter, which will be activated each time a Cash Collect triggers. The Boosters are as follows:
Respins = Respins all symbols except for Cash and Collect Symbols for the potential to add more Cash Symbols.
Expand = Expands any reel with 1 or more Cash Symbols by adding extra Cash Symbols with a random value of 0.2X to 50X the bet.
Adder = Adds a random value of 1X to 50X the bet to all Cash Symbols in view.
Multi = Applies a random Multiplier of 2X to 10X to all Cash Symbols in view.
Hyper Spins
By landing 3 Scatter Symbols, you will be awarded the Hyper Spins bonus with 10 spins. During the bonus game, all active Boosters stay unlocked and continue to trigger on every Cash Collect trigger.
The Bonus Booster Meter
The Bonus Booster Meter is detached from the Cash Collect and Boosters, and instead, it will be filled by Gems attached to Wild Symbols. By filling up the Bonus Booster, you will hit certain checkpoints, which will award a corresponding Treasure Chest when triggering The Bonus. Each Treasure Chest will add a random amount of Bonus Tokens to the Diamond Bonuses when The Bonus feature triggers, each diamond coming with its own bonus, and they are as follows:
Sticky Collector Diamond = Unlocks the Sticky Collector Symbol, which will collect all Cash Values on screen for each spin and remains in position until the end of the feature.
Expander Diamond = Expands the playing grid from 5x3 to 5x5.
Spinner Diamond = Awards +5 spins.
Sticky Payer Diamond = Unlocks the Sticky Payer Symbol, which draws a random Cash Amount, ranging from 1X to 50X, and adds it to all Cash Symbols in view.
The Bonus
The Bonus is a bonus game that is randomly triggered by a non-winning Cash Symbol landing and being collected into the Orb. The Bonus starts with 5 Spins and 3 random Cash Symbols, alongside opening any potentially available Treasure Chests. During the feature, Bonus Diamonds with their respective Tokens and Special Symbols may activate.
Feature Buy
Through the Feature Buy, you can instantly enter a bonus game for a price based on the current bet.
65X = Awards the Hyper Spins feature.
100X = Awards The Bonus feature.
Final Thoughts on HyperCore
Snowborn Games is a studio that usually relies on common themes and settings in its releases, as seen in games like Tippy’s Gold, Fishing Max, and Piggy Bonanza. While neon sci-fi settings aren’t the most unique, HyperCore definitely stands out among their other releases. However, this might not be a good thing, as HyperCore isn’t a very visually appealing game, as its sci-finess doesn’t extend beyond its futuristic-looking playing grid and strange hologram, and much of this is due to its old-school symbols and lackluster graphics, which don’t really sell the theme that well.
When it comes to gameplay, the entire game is centered around its Fireball Cash Symbols, especially as the regular payout is quite weak and there are no features, bar the Wilds, that work with the regular symbols. But the features we do have sadly become quite messy to keep track of, and we feel like there definitely could’ve been a better way to add layers while maintaining some complexity. The Hyper Spins is arguably the least distinctive feature in the game, as it is more or less a renamed Free Spins feature with the same gameplay mechanics as the base game, with no added bonuses outside of the Boosters, which are also active during the base game, making it feel more or less redundant. Then, on the other hand, we have The Bonus feature, which has an unnecessarily complex way of unlocking bonuses, as you need to land Wilds with Gems to increase the Bonus Booster Meter, which can then randomly unlock Diamond Bonuses for said bonus game. While we aren’t the biggest fans of how it works or its name, The Bonus can be quite volatile, especially thanks to its Sticky Symbol bonuses. This feature is the highlight of the game, as its potential in its Diamond Bonuses can be something fun to chase through the Bonus Booster Meter. However, HyperCore ultimately feels cluttered, both visually and mechanically, making it difficult for its ideas to come together cohesively.
HyperCore is a slot release from Snowborn Games that struggles to deliver a concise, smooth gameplay experience, thanks to its sporadic and complex layers of features and bonuses.
