Gorilla Go Wilder: Review

After a four year break, Gary the quirky blue gorilla returns – larger, louder and more untamed. Launched in 2015, the original Gorilla Go Wild was a standout title for its era. With four bonus features to unlock, constant action and impressive upside, it became one of the most played slots of its day. The iGaming world has moved on a lot since then and, while it still has enough charm to push past the somewhat dated visuals, it’s a game that has gradually slipped into the background.

Now jump to the present, and NextGen Gaming has chosen to refresh one of its genuine classics. Set against a tropical scene with palm trees framing the reels and a beach behind them, Gary the Gorilla is back in the host role. Featuring bright, cartoon-style visuals and a looping Calypso-inspired soundtrack, Gorilla Go Wilder packs in a feature set that includes double the number of bonus features found in its predecessor.

Playable on all devices and running on 5 reels with 25 paylines that can expand to 200 paylines, the game takes bets ranging from 0.30 to 75 EUR per spin. The reels are filled with A, K, Q, J, 10 and 9 royals, alongside higher-paying skunks, toucans, monkeys and gold coins. The wild symbol is Gary himself, and he substitutes for every symbol except the scatter. He’s also the top payer, awarding 50 times your stake for 5 across a payline.

Gorilla Go Wilder: Features

Gorilla Go Wilder is a gamification-style slot focused on progression, where advancing unlocks additional features and mechanics. As an example, the RTP begins extremely low at 92.03% and rises as you gather shells.

During the base game, a randomly activated Shell Respin feature can appear. The aim is to land shell symbols to keep the feature going, as it retriggers whenever fresh shells show up on the reels. This continues until no new shells land, or until all 15 reel positions are filled with shells. When the Shell Respin feature finishes, it awards a cash prize calculated from the value of each shell combined with the number of retriggers. The top payout available here is 83.33 times your stake.

The main attraction in Gorilla Go Wilder is the free spins round called the Bonus Island feature. You can enter it via the randomly triggered Gary’s Gift feature or by landing 3+ bonus symbols. The bonus is a collection of features spread across 8 different islands, each offering its own distinct configuration. At the start, only the first island is open, with the others locked until you meet the access requirements, which are achieved by triggering bonuses the required number of times:

• 1. Tiki Bar: available from start.
• 2. Crystal Cave: can be played from 4th bonus trigger.
• 3. Green Jungle: can be played from the 7th bonus trigger.
• 4. Waterfall: can be played from the 10th bonus trigger.
• 5. Volcano: can be played from the 15th bonus trigger.
• 6. Spooky Jungle: can be played from the 20th bonus trigger.
• 7. Purple Jungle: can be played from the 25th bonus trigger.
• 8. Sunset Beach: can be played from the 30th bonus trigger.

Once every island is unlocked, the variety expands significantly, bringing additions like 200 paylines, mystery symbols, stacked symbols, expanding wilds with 10x multipliers, wandering wilds, extra wilds and multiplier zones with multipliers of up to 25x. The game also offers excellent upside, including the possibility of winning more than 10,000 times your stake during the bonus.

Gorilla Go Wilder: Conclusion

Gorilla Go Wilder is a solid follow-up that noticeably increases the pace through its progressive feature system. It’s a fairly bold project and far from a standard slot, delivering large-scale entertainment in a way that echoes Gorilla Go Wild back when it was a major hit. Some seasoned players and high-intensity gamblers may consider it a little over-the-top and quirky, but if you’re prepared to give it a try and put in the time (and money), there’s plenty to uncover. If, however, you prefer slots without shared/progressive elements, Gorilla Go Wilder likely won’t be your ideal pick.