Yggdrasil Gaming Launches Yokozuna Clash
Malta based casino software provider Yggdrasil Gaming has released a brand new slot, Yokozuna Clash. This Sumo themed offering promises to take players into the Dohyo to wrestle it out over the big prize. With innovative bonus features and luscious character and game design, this slot promises to be another feather in their ever growing cap.
Sumo champions battle for victory ©Yggdrasil
Following the recent announcement on their
The Slot Specifications
Yokozuna Clash is a 5 reel, 3 row slot with 243 paylines and relatively high RTP (return to player) at 96.3%, sitting just above the standard industry level. The game’s Tokyo setting and styling are immediate from the get go, with a bold title page featuring a traditional sumo figure facing off with a red demon character. Once the player enters the game proper, they will find themselves in the heart of the dohyo, with cheering crowds surrounding the arena. Here two wrestlers are poised, ready to start their fierce battle.
The setup of two sumo wrestlers competing to remove the other from the ring is the premise for one of the compelling mechanics of Yokozuna Clash. As the reels spin and the player racks up wins, the fighters will start to move across the combat zone. The outcome of the battle depends on the direction that the wins come from – racking up hits from left to right will edge the character on the left closer to victory, and from right to left will move him back, helping the other fighter get closer to the glory. This mechanic goes into overdrive as soon as two scatter symbols are triggered. From then on, the game enters the free spins mode, a tournament where the player must face three opponents. Each victory will result in a decent payout. The final challenger is the red demon from the title page, who once defeated will trigger the game’s grand prize, which can be anywhere up to 86,000 coins.
All of this action happens against the backdrop of colorfully designed reels featuring symbols that seem to be partly inspired by imagery of the Kami, deities of the Japanese Shinto religion, and characters from Kung Fu Panda. This gives the game a familiar but lively charm and showcases the graphic ability that went into the creation of the slot’s visual aspects.
Yokuzuna Clash has unique game mechanics that bring together the action-packed fighting element common in video games with our innovative slots features in a highly intuitive way.– Natalya Ovchinnikova Product Owner Slots, Yggdrasil
Slots Catering to Mainstream Gamers?
This slot is perhaps another example of the casino industry taking cues from the ‘Gaming Revolution’. The video gaming industry is experiencing an ever greater relationship with our popular culture. In 2018, video game revenue hit over $43.8 billion, surpassing the take from the worldwide box office by an eye watering $2 billion dollars. Quality casino software providers such as Yggdrasil have taken this in their stride, producing games with an ever-greater focus on story telling, production quality and original game mechanics. This, on top of their ability to create casino games with payouts and wins that appeal to their core player base, has put developers like Yggdrasil ahead of the pack when it comes to player retention and expanding in to new markets.
Conversely, the recent addition of the glamorous Diamond Casino in GTA Online as shown that the gaming industry still shares an admiration for the old classics and that traditional casino games are not about to go anywhere soon. Indeed, the success of the endeavor by Rockstar demonstrates that casinos and quality casino games still have much to offer players of conventional video games. With providers such as Yggdrasil leading the charge, the online casino and land based casino industries still have great, original content to appeal to this new wave of games enthusiasts.
No Danger for the Classics
Despite these forays in to new and exciting territory by casino software developers, fans of the classic casino games have no need to worry. Card games such as poker and blackjack are still firm favorites, both on the casino floor and online, and all variations of roulette are still going strong. Indeed, even with the release of this sophisticated slot, Yggdrasil have still kept to a familiar formula, with the five reels travelling vertically down the field of view and the standard wilds, scatters and free spin symbols prominently displayed.
Those of us who aren’t quite done with the charm of a simple ‘classic’ slot reel need only look at the clean, well-implemented graphics and smooth functionality to be won over. While game developers are working ever harder to incorporate elements that reach out to new, diverse audiences, we can be sure that the players who are just looking for bit of fun on a slot machine won’t have to look far to find an offering that suits players from all backgrounds.
