Jack Hammer 4 Chasing The Dragon Slot Review

Jack Hammer 4 Chasing the Dragon: Slot Overview

Right, so NetEnt have finally brought Detective Jack Hammer back for a fourth outing, and this time the lad's chasing criminals through a neon-lit Chinatown setting. Jack Hammer 4 Chasing The Dragon runs on a 6x6 grid using Cluster Pays instead of the scatter pays from Jack Hammer 3. You need 6 or more matching symbols connected horizontally or vertically to form a win. Bets go from 20p up to 40 quid a spin, volatility is high, and the RTP sits at 96.01%.

The comic book art style is still very much the signature look here. Jack himself looks like he's walked straight out of a Dick Tracy strip, and the backdrop is this moody Asian metropolis with lanterns hanging across the streets. It keeps that noir cartoon vibe the series has always had, which I quite like. Max win is 10,000x, a massive improvement over what Jack Hammer 3 offered.

Symbols and Paytable

Low payers are three Chinese characters (fortune, dragon, and peace), and a 6-symbol cluster of those pays just 0.3x. Higher up you've got a pot, a dragon statue, and then four character symbols -- a blonde called Pearl, a mysterious dark-haired woman, the villain Dragon, and Jack Hammer at the top. A full 36-symbol cluster ranges from 7.5x to 40x the bet depending on the symbol. Honestly, the individual payouts are a bit modest, but that's where the corner Wilds come in to boost things.

Bonus Features and Free Spins

The Sticky Wins feature is the backbone of the series and it works well here. Get a cluster win and the winning symbols lock in place while everything else respins. If the win improves, another respin happens. This keeps going until nothing new connects, then you get paid. Simple but proper satisfying when a cluster just keeps growing.

Each corner of the grid can hold either a Question Symbol or a Wild, and these only activate when they're part of a winning cluster. There are four types: Multiplier Wild (x2 to x10), Upgrader Wild (bumps symbols to higher-paying ones), Cash Prize Wild (0.5x to 2.5x instant award), and Expander Wild (adds up to 4 symbols to the cluster). The Question Symbol is the one you want though, as it transforms into a super version -- multipliers up to x50, super upgrader that turns everything into the top symbol, super cash up to 25x, or super expander adding up to 16 symbols.

Land 5 scatters and you trigger 3 Free Spins in a Hold and Win style round. It starts with 3 multiplier symbols already on the grid. Only multipliers can land during the round, and each new one resets the spin count back to 3. Four corner features -- Unlock (expands the grid), Generate (places 3 extra multipliers), Double (doubles adjacent multiplier values), and Collect (adds up all multipliers and pays out) -- stick around for the entire bonus. Decent enough, though some folk might find it a bit plain compared to what other slots offer.

Elevate Feature Buy and RTP

The Elevate Feature Buy menu gives you proper options. Free Spins Hunt at 2x just doubles your trigger chance. Wild Activator at 10x guarantees at least one wild feature fires. You can buy straight into Free Spins for 100x, Super Free Spins for 300x (which starts with at least 3 wild features active and 5 scatters), or a Lucky Draw for 150x. The RTP comes in three configurations -- 96.01% is the best one, but there's also 94.01% and 88.06%, so always check which version you're playing. High volatility means you'll need patience, mate.

Final Verdict

Overall, I reckon Jack Hammer 4 Chasing The Dragon is a decent step forward from the third game. The 10,000x max win gives it proper weight that Jack Hammer 3 was really missing, and the corner Wild system adds a nice layer of variety to the base game. Sticky Wins with Cluster Pays work well together -- watching clusters build across respins is genuinely fun.

The Hold and Win free spins round is alright but nothing spectacular. It does the job, and the Unlock and Double features can lead to some solid moments, but it didn't blow me away. For a relaxed session with a bit of nostalgia and some chunky potential, it's a good shout. Fans of the series should be quite happy with this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Sticky Wins feature work in Jack Hammer 4?

When you land a cluster of 6 or more matching symbols, those symbols lock in place and the rest of the grid respins. If new matching symbols connect to the cluster, they also lock and you get another respin. This repeats until no new symbols join, then you get paid.

What triggers the Free Spins round and how many do you get?

You need 5 scatter symbols anywhere on the grid to trigger the bonus. It awards 3 free spins in a hold-and-win format, and each time a new multiplier symbol lands, the spin count resets to 3.

How much does it cost to buy free spins in Jack Hammer 4?

Standard Free Spins cost 100x your bet. Super Free Spins cost 300x and guarantee at least 3 wild features activate. There is also a Lucky Draw for 150x, a Wild Activator for 10x, and a Free Spins Hunt for 2x.

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