Software Developer: NetEnt Review

Introduction

NetEnt are one of the biggest software providers on the planet, and their games are played – and loved – by millions of players every single week. In this post, we’re going to take an in-depth look at NetEnt, including reviewing some of their most popular titles, and looking at the company itself.

Popular NetEnt slots like Dead or Alive, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Twinspin have cemented NetEnt’s legacy, and with recent HTML5 updates, the vast majority of the software provider’s games are now available to mobile players, too.

What’s more, NetEnt do a lot more than just create slots – and their casino platform is used by over 300 casinos in the world, further showcasing the company’s professional-like nature and attention to detail.

In this post, we’re going to look at some of the most prominent NetEnt slots, and we’ll look at everything from their old, classic games, to progressive jackpots. We’ll begin by taking a brief look at the company itself, before looking at the specific games they’ve created.

About NetEnt

NetEnt was founded in 1996, although it wasn’t until 2003 that the software provider really begun to gain notoriety, with the release of their custom-built casino solutions.

2010 saw the company catapulted into the public spotlight, with the release of “Gonzo’s Quest” – one of the most popular video slots ever released – and since then, the company has continued to grow, today, boasting a 400+ workforce, scattered in offices around the world.

If you’ve ever played at an online casino before, there’s a very good chance you’ll have played, or at least seen a NetEnt game, and truth be told, it’s hard to find a casino that doesn’t offer at least a small selection of the developer’s catalogue.

What’s more, the graphics and technology behind the slots continues to improve in-line with evolving technological standards, so the games are only getting better.

Today, NetEnt slots are largely high-variance in nature, as the software provider attempts to live up to the growing trend of players searching for volatile gameplay – so let’s take a look at some of the most notable NetEnt games.

NetEnt Slots

NetEnt have over 140 video slots to date, and almost all of their game-catalogue is still available, unlike many other software providers who take games off after a year or two of release.

Below, we’re going to look at five of the most popular NetEnt slots.

Starburst:

Arguably the most popular slot ever created, Starburst has become somewhat of a household name at online casinos today, and you’ll probably know the game from its inclusion within most online casino welcome bonus offers. Starburst features wild reels, and big wins can be found when matching 4-of-a-kind and 5-of-a-kind combinations of the “Bar” or “7” symbols.

Dead or Alive:

Dead or Alive has become one of the software provider’s most popular games, commanding somewhat of a “cult” following, and the reason why is clear; humungous potential can be found in the bonus-round, with wild lines commonly paying players upwards of 5,000X their stake.

Gonzo’s Quest:

As mentioned earlier, Gonzo’s Quest was the software provider’s first breakthrough, and this Aztec-themed slot features increasing multipliers, an exciting free-spins bonus-round, and disappearing symbols. It was also the first of NetEnt’s slots to enter the “NetEnt Touch” game-range, which offers games in a special mobile-optimized version.

Creature from the Black Lagoon:

Based on the 1950’s film of the same name, Creature from the Black Lagoon is unique because it offers fantastic win-potential in both the base-game, and the free-spins bonus-round – and while it’s one of the more volatile games NetEnt have released, it continues to be one of their most popular to date.

Wild Wild West:

The Great Train Heist: The newest game out of the five we’ve talked about, Wild Wild West: The Great Train Heist is – unsurprisingly – themed around the wild west, and an exciting free-spins bonus-round offers 4 different wild features, with wins of up to 2,000X available from a single spin!

That’s just five of NetEnt’s slots; we’d be here all day were we to look at them all, and you can rest assured that no matter what game you opt to play, you’ll enjoy a high-quality, lag-free, and exciting gaming experience.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

NetEnt may not be particularly well known for their progressive jackpot games, but their game-range does include a few decent titles, and the most successful are undoubtedly their “Mega Fortune” games, which includes “Mega Fortune” and “Mega Fortune Dreams”. Both share multi-million-dollar jackpots, and the largest win to date was from a lucky 40-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, who scooped a staggering $18,000,000 from a 25-cent spin!

Arabian Nights is another NetEnt progressive jackpot game, and while the gameplay is exciting and intense, the main downside is that the stake is fixed at $5. This is rare for a slot (almost all other games allow you to change the stake size), so for this reason, Arabian Nights isn’t played all that often.

Another game worth mentioning is Divine Fortune, which is NetEnt’s most recent progressive jackpot release. Themed around Ancient Rome, Divine Fortune features an exciting free-spins round, alongside the jackpot round, and it’s a high-variance game too, satisfying the volatile-cravings of some of the more hardcore players!

NetEnt’s Classic Games

While most of NetEnt’s slots are video slots, they do offer a couple of ‘classic slots’, which aim to recreate the playing experience you’d find in a traditional land-based-casino, and the most notable of these games is Mega Joker, which plays out in an extremely high-variance nature. This does allow for bigger wins, however, making it a popular choice for those looking to play something a little different.

The game is unique in that any wins you get can be ‘gambled’ up to a top ladder-type section, and here is where the BIG wins can come, with 3-of-a-kind Joker combinations paying up to 5,000X!

While classic slots may not appeal to you at first, don’t be too quick to knock them. NetEnt have managed to combine elements of video slots in with their classic games, and Mega Joker is a prime example of this; it’s a high-variance game, which delivers a volatile playing experience – but there is a type of bonus, which means you’re not sitting there spinning in the hopes of hitting a one, two, or three-line win.

Mobile Gaming

As we’ve seen already, NetEnt have a visible presence when it comes to mobile gaming, and almost all of their slots are mobile-optimized in HTML5, which ensures you don’t need a flash plugin or player installed – something most devices can’t handle.

The launch of NetEnt’s “Touch” games was a pivotal point in the company’s mobile-facing direction, and this saw some of their most popular games, like Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Twinspin become available in slightly-adapted “mobile-friendly” version.
The main benefit of NetEnt Touch is that things like quick-spinning, setting the stake, and triggering autoplay is made more accessible – something most players find a little difficult on a majority of other slots.

Where NetEnt Operate

NetEnt’s games can be found in almost all jurisdictions in the world, and they currently hold the following licenses:

• Aland Islands
• Alderney Gambling Control Commission
• Antigua Online Gaming Association
• Austria
• Belgian Gaming Commission
• Cagayan Economic Zone Authority
• Costa Rica
• Curacao eGaming
• Danish Gambling Authority
• E-Gambling Montenegro
• Estonian Tax and Customs Board
• Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
• Greek Gaming Commission
• Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission
• Latvia
• Malta Gaming Authority
• Romanian National Gambling Office
• Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Home Affairs and Federal Affairs
• UK Gambling Commission

Surprisingly, NetEnt games are not available to Italian players, but other than that, it’s only really the United States that doesn’t benefit from NetEnt titles – so it’s safe to say if you reside in other countries, you’ll have no issues finding their slots to enjoy.

Final Verdict

NetEnt slots have entertained thousands of players throughout the years, and it’s no surprise to see the software provider continuing to be one of the most popular game developers in the world today.

New releases are always coming out of their development labs, and their creative-nature is arguably one of the main reasons they’ve built such a strong, solid company.

The future looks promising for NetEnt too, as they continue to build games that offer exciting free-spins and bonus-round features – and it’s been rumoured recently that a 3D version of Gonzo’s Quest may be in the making – so it’s well-worth keeping an eye on the software provider, as it’s likely we’ll be seeing exciting things from them in the near-future!