Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor Review

Pearl Harbor Reviewed by Casinogamesonnet.com

Developed by Nolimit City, Pearl Harbor is a cluster-pays slot that revolves around the same-titled attack on a US military base. Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 led to the US entering World War II.

This game takes the Japanese vantagepoint of the battle, featuring bombings and kamikazes on US targets. The angle is surprising given Nolimit City’s western audience, but this developer is never afraid to ruffle a few feathers. You can see what to expect from Nolimit’s interesting take on Pearl Harbor below.

Gameplay and Atmosphere

Each round opens with a small 3x3 grid. However, the grid size can grow up to 7x7 through multiple features. Winning combinations form when 5+ matching symbols create a cluster.

The base game presents a bland screen with a target around it. You can see faint glimpses of the ground below, along with fellow Japanese airplanes. The real excitement begins when you trigger features and get different views. For example, you’ll go inside a plane’s cockpit during Tora Tora Tora. This feature can end in a dogfight, where you try shooing down an American plane.

Payouts and Max Win Potential

Symbols include low-paying cards (A-10), two Japanese pilots, an American sailor, and an American commander. The top premium symbol pays 625x the stake for a cluster of 40+ symbols. You can win as much as 41,127x the stake when including features.

RTP, Volatility and Betting Options

The Pearl Harbor slot RTP is 96.06% by default, but it can be lower based on online casinos’ requests. You can check if this is the case by looking at the info screen. Nolimit City rates the volatility at 10/10, setting you up for a brutal fight.

The betting range runs from €0.20 to €100 per spin. You can also use an xBet Banzai option at any point. This special wager guarantees one or two scatter symbols for 50% or 100% more on your stake, respectively.

Game Features

Pearl Harbor has so many features that it sometimes feels like a chaotic air battle. We’ll break down everything below, including cascading reels, colossal symbols, Dogfight, Tora, xBombs, and xSplits.

Cascading Reels

This feature removes winning symbols from the grid and opens up positions. Symbols from above fall into these spots and provide more opportunities to win. Cascading reels continue until no more winning combinations are possible.

Colossal Symbols

These symbols come in 2x2 or 3x3 sizes and expand the area where they land, thus increasing the grid’s size. In contrast to other games with colossal symbols, Pearl Harbor’s oversized icons initially only count as one total symbol. However, they can split into lots of symbols through the xSplit feature. For example, here’s how 3x3 colossal symbols break down into smaller icons:

• 1 xSplit = 3 symbols
• 2 xSplits = 9 symbols
• 3 xSplits = 18 symbols
• 4 xSplits = 2x multipliers for each symbol

Target Symbols

This symbol turns into a wild icon after landing. Meanwhile, the area where the target lands will expand to include the target.

xBomb Wild Multipliers

An xBomb explodes and takes out 10 symbols in surrounding positions. It also increases the grid in its section following the explosion. These symbols receive a 2x multiplier after splitting (via xSplit), with their multipliers doubling following each subsequent split. Every explosion also boosts the win multiplier for the ensuing cascade by +1.

xSplits

An xSplit symbol appears as a sword handle and splits symbols in the handle’s direction. These symbols/positions can feature 1-4 swords, depending upon if they split. When an xSplit cuts another xSplit, the latter receives another sword. This continues until an xSplit symbol has 4 swords, with each subsequent split adding a 2x multiplier.

You can double an xSplit’s multiplier when cutting it again. The symbol will then become wild and feature a multiplier worth the same as its number of swords. For example, a position with 3 swords would become a 3x wild multiplier.

Dogfight Spins

You trigger Dogfight by landing exactly 3 scatters anywhere on the reels. You’ll receive 3 spins as the setting switches to a cockpit. The plane’s dials spin to determine if you’ll receive bet multipliers or nothing at all. Multipliers return the spin count to 3 whenever they land, with the bonus ending if spins run out.

You enter a dogfight after filling an entire column of dials with multipliers. The given multipliers then activate and will pay out if the plane gets hit by a bullet. The Kamikaze Attack triggers when you fill all of the 18 dials with multipliers. Kamikaze Attack brings up a wheel with more multiplier prizes.

Tora Tora Tora

This bonus launches when exactly 4 scatter symbols fall on the grid. Tora’s rules are mostly the same as Dogfight, except with the addition of Bomb Drops and Midway Pops. Here’s how these modifiers work:

• Bomb Drop – Available after you fill every dial, Bomb Drop sends a bomb spiraling towards a battleship. Multipliers will multiply each other if the bomb hits the ship.
• Midway Pop – A multiplier that lands on a middle-row dial will move up to the top row. It will fill an empty dial or add to an existing multiplier.

Bonus Buy

You can choose from multiple options when using the bonus buy feature. These options include:

• 60x the stake (96.24% RTP) = Dogfight Spins
• 712x the stake (96.33%) = Tora Tora Tora
• 73x the stake (96.25%) = Random chance at either bonus

Similar Slots to Pearl Harbor

This game has similarities to Nolimit’s Das xBoot regarding the theme and features. Based on a 1981 film called Das Boot, this game takes place inside of a German U-96 submarine. Like Pearl Harbor, its theme also offers the perspective of the Axis army. Dax xBoot has a similar maximum payout too at 55,200x the stake.

Final Verdict on Pearl Harbor Slot

Pearl Harbor might be the most-complex Nolimit City slot yet—and this is saying a lot! Most of the features have appeared in previous Nolimit games. However, the xSplit mechanic is far more advanced this time around and sometimes confusing. You may have to play this slot a few times to truly understand everything. Even the Colossal symbols have a wrinkle in that they must split before counting as more than one symbol.

If you can get through the complexity, then you’ll likely have an entertaining experience. Pearl Harbor slot blends its unique theme with different settings for extra effect. Few online slots can match the cockpit and bombing cutscenes in this game.

In summary, Pearl Harbor is one of the more-difficult slots to understand. We found the learning curve worthwhile, though, when considering the high entertainment value here. We also like the big win potential at 41,127x the stake.

Release Date

Pearl Harbor was released on December 7 2022.