Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah: Overview

Microgaming partners Neon Valley Studios has been tasked with creating the newest slot to join the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot network. This powerhouse franchise remains one of the most sought-after jackpot networks online, and the figures make it easy to see why. With total payouts to date sitting at roughly €1 billion, countless instant millionaires, and jackpots that often climb beyond €10 million, the attraction is clear. You could argue that any slot connected to a system producing those kinds of results would do the job. That’s true to a degree. Still, most players want something reasonably enjoyable to spin while taking a shot at the mega jackpots on offer. After all, the top prize won’t land for everyone. Neon Valley’s newest release has surfaced to give players another route into the jackpot chase. Let’s crack it open like an oyster and see whether there’s a pearl inside.

Without question, the first thing you notice when Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah loads is the jackpot panel running down the side of the screen. There are 4 jackpots with values that can differ dramatically, yet all continually tick upward. That is, until a lucky punter hits one, it resets to its seed value, and the climb begins again. Staying true to the Atlantean theme, the action takes place on the ocean floor, surrounded by gloomy ruins of the lost city. Despite the name, it’s one of those myths nobody fully agrees on. Some place the city in the Atlantic, others in the Mediterranean near Greece or Spain. A few even suggest it was as far off as Antarctica. None of that changes the gameplay, but it’s a curious detail all the same.

Neon Valley keeps the setup straightforward with 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 paylines. Bets range from 10 p/c to $/€200 per spin, with the important note that the odds of activating the bonus wheel improve as the stake increases. Ignoring the progressive element, the game runs at medium volatility and posts a hit rate of 21.69%. The RTP is, as you’d expect, noticeably lower than standard at 92.08%, though it’s still meaningfully higher than the original. Given the size of the jackpots on the table and how often they can be triggered (relatively speaking), the reduced RTP is at least understandable.

The base game is simple: land three or more matching symbols to get paid. One key point is that paylines work in both directions. That means wins count left to right and right to left, effectively doubling the win ways. The paytable mostly features fresh symbols, with a couple of classic icons at the top end. These are the BAR and ‘7’ symbols, paying 25x and 12x the stake for five of a kind. The remaining symbols, in descending order, are a pink fish, purple koi, seahorse, fluffy seaweed, and an orange starfish. It’s a pretty mixed collection, made more useful by the multi-role wild.

Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah: Features

The main objective in Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah is to activate the Jackpot Wheel for a shot at the biggest prize. To get there, players gather pearls known as Progressive Trigger Symbols. These pearls can drop randomly on top of any symbol (except the wild) on reels 2, 3, and 4. When they land, they’re collected and stored in the giant clam positioned beside the reels. Accumulate enough pearls and you’ll eventually earn the opportunity to spin the Progressive Wheel. The game doesn’t state how many pearls are required, and the probability is influenced by bet size.

When it triggers, the Progressive Wheel ensures a win – specifically, one of the four progressive jackpots. The exact amount depends on the current total, but the seed values are as follows.

• The Mini starts at 10.
• The Minor starts at 100.
• The Major starts at 10,000
• The Mega starts at 1,000,000

While you wait for that moment to (hopefully) arrive, the base game includes another mechanic to add a bit of excitement. It revolves around the flowing pink-haired mermaid wild. At its core, the wild substitutes for any other symbol except the Progressive Jackpot Symbol. If the wild lands on reels 2, 3, or 4, it also Expands to cover the entire reel. After line wins are evaluated, a Respin is awarded. During this re-spin, the expanded wild stays locked in place while the other reels spin again for another chance at a payout. If an additional wild appears on the middle three reels, it triggers another respin, with up to three consecutive respins available.

Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah: Verdict

Among slots tied to the Mega Moolah jackpot, Atlantean Treasures performs reasonably well in certain respects. It doesn’t deliver the same level of fun as the original Mega Moolah slot, but it does provide a newer alternative for players who get bored of chasing that dream hit on the classic. From a maths perspective, there are a couple of points worth weighing when you compare the two. The original’s RTP is 4% lower, which is a substantial difference that can heavily affect your session. On the other hand, its potential is also much higher (excluding the jackpot), so it has that advantage.

Would Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah be worth playing if it weren’t connected to the jackpot network? Definitely not. The game feels very flat, and there’s minimal effort put into the standard gameplay. That said, there are a few pleasant details. Symbols arrive inside bubbles, and when a winning combination hits, there’s a satisfying little pop animation. All in all, it’s not the most entertaining jackpot slot we’ve tried, but the link to the Moolah network and Microgaming’s backing does a lot of the heavy lifting.