Fire Toad 2  (Bigwinboard.com)

Fire Toad 2: Slot Overview

Scientists may be labouring to find an all-encompassing theory that links and explains the entire physical universe, but equally puzzling is why some casino game makers choose to release sequels of so-so games years after the event. A case in point is Fire Toad 2, a sequel to Fire Toad that its maker, Play'n GO, released in early 2021. It was, alright, offering a toad-themed Pink Elephants progression kind of game, which wasn't awful but wasn't hugely memorable either. Four years later, here we are about to review the follow up, which delivers expanded gameplay and mechanics.

It also delivers toady antics on the reels again, and as before, the lifecycle of a Fire Toad plays out in front of our very eyes on the higher value pay symbols from egg through to adult. A lily-padded water feature makes up the foreground, leading into lava-coated rocks and bush, Cash-a-Mundo again, presumably. During free spins, the background gets a lot more intense with fire, lava and volcanic devastation taking over. The birth, death, and rebirth of life in lava and toad form.

Fire Toad 2 utilises the same reel set and each game round spins a 5x4 grid with 1,024 ways to win. This time, symbols can be split, so the number of ways can be greater. Volatility is the same as before at 7 out of 10, though players may influence this by their bonus round choice, and the highest RTP comes in at 96.2%. When picking a stake, the lowest possible wager is 10c, the highest is $/€100.

Stony diamonds, clubs, hearts, and spades are the low pays, awarding 0.4x to 0.5x the bet for a 5 OAK hit. Then there are five Toad symbols, set at various developmental stages, awarding 0.6x to 2.5x the bet for 5 AOK. In Fire Toad 2, scatter symbols are also wild, so they can replace any regular pay symbol.

Fire Toad 2: Slot Features

Fire Toad 2's features have had a rejig and now include Toad Upgrades, Golden Lilypads, two free spins choices, and Inferno Spins.

Toad Upgrade

The Toad Upgrade triggers when exactly 2 scatters land in the base game. All Toad symbols in view that are lower paying than the Toad symbol displayed in the carousel above the reels are upgraded to match.

Golden Lilypad

Up to four Golden Lilypads may randomly land on reel 3. Wins involving Toad symbols on activated Golden Lilypads split the Toad symbols, creating more payways.

Free Spins

Landing 3 or more scatters in the base game triggers the free spins feature, and players can pick their preferred bonus round from two choices. The average payout for either choice is the same, but the best upgrade trail option has a higher volatility.

• Normal Upgrade Trail - 3, 4, or 5 scatters award 9, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. The upgrade trail starts on level 1, can go up to level 4, and starts with all Toad symbols on the reels.
• Best Upgrade Trail - 3, 4, or 5 scatters award 5, 6, or 7 free spins, respectively. The upgrade trail starts on level 4 and begins with the highest paying Toad symbols on the reels.

In free spins, Golden Lilypads are always active and landing at least 3 scatters will grant additional free spins. As well as winning more spins, retriggers upgrade the lowest value Toad on the upgrade trail. Only Toads shown on the Upgrade Trail are present on the reels. Eliminated Toads are removed on the next spin.

Inferno Spins

Collecting 5 Inferno scatters during free spins triggers Inferno Spins, which are played at the end of the free spins session. 3 respins are awarded with the current Toad symbol from the upgrade trail. Any Toad symbols that land on a respin are held in place. When respins are complete, Toad symbols on Golden Lilypads are split, and payments are made.

Fire Toad 2: Slot Verdict

Didn't see a Fire Toad sequel coming, but all good, here we are, hanging out on a lilypad, trying to dodge a storm of lava and flying rocks. The original slot was a fairly interesting game offering a reduced grid take on Pink Elephants with toads in place of huge land mammals, and a few extra bits. One extra was the upgrade feature, which makes it into Fire Toad 2, except this time, a carousel indicates what the potential upgrades are going to be. Golden Lilypads are new. A little weak that they're only available on the middle reel instead of any reel, but they're a boon rather than a hindrance. Splitting Toad symbols into two, even on a single reel, is better than accidentally stumbling across a lava field.

Free spins are where things heat up, thematically and in practice, since retriggers not only extend the feature but they upgrade Toads on the Upgrade Trail. The ultimate goal is, of course, to delete all other Toads from the reels except the big daddy to increase the chance of stringing together a fiery hit. Interestingly, Play'n GO has expanded the winning potential, but not by much, equipping Fire Toad 2 with a 5,300x figure compared to the original's 5,000x - keeping in mind the max win probability is far worse now. Inferno Spins are a nice little icing on the cake, and Inferno scatter collection adds extra drama to the bonus round.

Like the original, Fire Toad 2 is a fairly good Pink Elephants-ish alternative. Greater winning potential or a better probability of max exposure occurring might have sweetened the deal on the expanded set of features, and while Fire Toad 2 is another example of Play'n GO reaching into its bag of past releases to come up with something new, what's here has more depth than before.