Is The New NetEnt Copy Cats Slot Simply Copycatting Microgaming?

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These days, it’s very very hard to come up with a true original slot idea.

Sometimes it’s down to the fact that as slot players, we like to be able to recognise some of our favourite slot features and bonus games. But mostly because there’s only so much you do over 3 or 5 reels of spinning symbols.

Slots are meant to be simple, after all.

Yet, sometimes, two casino games come along that are so similar, you got to wonder if one didn’t heavily inspire the other.

When those games are by the same provider, like the Red Riding Hood slot and the Hansel and Gretel game, you can forgive the oversight.

But when it’s from two competing providers, you have to wonder if one isn’t just trying to piss off the other.

What this new Copy Cats slot is all about

To understand what we are on about, first we should take a look at what the new NetEnt mobile game has to offer:

Looks cute right?

But not cute in a syrupy, cheesy way. Cute in a cartoony, Piggy Riches slot kind of way.

It’s bright, it’s colourful, and every symbol is unique, giving that cool cat in the city a wonderful NetEnt twist.

This Copy Cats slot is definitely a unique creation in the NetEntertainment slot portfolio.

So what’s with the copy cats features?

We know it’s unique to NetEnt, because no other one of their machines have the duplicating symbols.

Namely that if you get a full stack of any of the high paying cat symbols on reel one, any of the cat symbols on the other reels all change to that one cat.

However, there’s another 25 payline game that has a very similar feature; Microgaming’s Ariana slot game.

In fact, if we really wanted to be petty, we could say that this feature also shows up in the very easy on the eye Pretty Kitty mobile slot by Microgaming, except that game is 243 ways to win.

Let’s put it this way; Microgaming not only did it first, but they’ve actually already done it well, and they have a cat theme in there just for the fun of it.

NetEnt can’t be that oblivious… can they?

So how can this Copy Cat slot compete?

In NetEnt’s defence, they might have been inspired by the Pretty Kitties, and borrowed the reel 1 stacked symbol feature, but they’ve made enough changes to potentially call this ‘inspired by’ rather than ‘stolen’.

For one, in the mobile Microgaming slots we’ve mentioned above, the symbols on the other reels expand – leading to big explosive wins, or nothing at all.

This Copy Cats slot online, on the other hand, turns every cat symbol on the reels into the same as the one on reel 1.

Meaning you are going to have to have a fair share of high paying symbols on show in order to catch some big wins.

Not the first, certainly not the last

The fact that one video slot provider borrows from another is nothing new.

And some are a lot less obvious than others; just look at the likes of Play’n GOs Book of Dead slot game, which has proven to be super popular with players.

Why? Because it’s basically a slightly more modern looking copy of the iconic Deluxe Book of Ra game by Novomatic.

NetEnt themselves have been copied multiple times; you could argue the Microgaming’s Jungle Jim is a poor-man’s version of Gonzo’s Quest.

And there’s so many gem bursting games copying Starburst that it would take too long to write them all down here.

Get 11 Starburst Spins at Video Slots >>

Why we’re still excited about this Copy Cat mobile slot

It may seem like Net Entertainment have gotten lazy, but like we said at the beginning of this post; truly original ideas are hard to come by.

The first video slot that had free spin bonus games must have been copied many times before it became standard practice, right?

So, all we can hope for here is an improvement on a feature that, currently, works rather well as it is.

And maybe, just maybe, easier bigger wins.

Because why not hope for that hey?

It’s got one big thing going for it

We’ve already mentioned that we are not sure if turning all the high paying symbols will actually help, or hinder wins.

Expanding symbols are easier to understand when it comes to win: you get multiple reels of the same symbol = big wins.

However, this Copy Cats game already has a clear improvement which is the fact that you get stacked wild symbols on all reels – including reel 1.

Meaning on any spin you can get a whole screen full of wild symbols.

During the free spins this is put in to overdrive, as all cat symbols on reel 1 are now wild.

This is a NetEnt slot after all

The last time we gave a NetEnt slot anything less than a 3 star slot review was with Sparks, back in July 2015.

No only are most of their collection very playable, but let’s be honest, they tend to better than that.

Even their mediocre games are better than most other software best games.

And their last couple of releases have been particularly fun; from the bonus filled Hansel and Gretel, to the pop out graphics in Jungle Wild, or the frequent hitting jackpot slot Divine Fortune.

All a perfect selection to keep you occupied until the 23rd of May when you’ll get to try out this Copy Cats slot game.