Super Showball: Bingo with a Twist
The internet has given us so many opportunities to explore other countries' ways of life - and that extends to gaming. You've probably never heard of Brazilian-style bingo, but now you'll be able to play it at home, without hopping on a flight halfway across the world.
Getting started with Super Showball
Online casinos in New Zealand are already packed with great games for you to try - so what makes Super Showball different? At its heart, this is a bingo game. Numbers go from 1 - 90, and 30 balls are drawn. As a player, you can buy up to four bingo tickets. Your objective? As in any game of bingo, you want to fill those tickets, crossing them off number by number to get to the jackpot. Luckily, there are enough twists and extras along the way to elevate this game above your grandma's favourite bingo hall.
What makes Super Showball different
First up, there are plenty of different winning combinations. Each of your bingo cards contains 15 numbers, laid out in a 5x3 grid. A full bingo card may be the ultimate goal, but don't worry if you don't get there. You can win points with a single line, a cross, or a number of other different patterns. All in all, there are 19 possible winning patterns. Bet $1, and a single line will get you a $3 payout. That's the most basic winning pattern out there. More complex patterns offer payouts that grow dramatically; that $1 bet could get you $750 if you fill all the numbers on the outer border of your card, leaving the 3 in the middle untouched. The full jackpot for your $1 bet will be $4000 - but even if you don't hit those giddy heights, you still have a very good chance of getting a nice payout.
What's more, the game has been created with a random factor to keep you on your toes. After the 30 standard balls have been drawn, you may be offered 11 Extra Balls to boost your chance of winning. You'll usually have to pay for these - but in a fun added twist, they may be free of charge. In each round, you could get up to 5 free balls. The element of chance is also present with Mystery Prizes. Keep an eye out for the game's mascot, the Neko Cat. If this feisty feline appears, you're in luck; she's come to award you a Mystery Prize. There are four of these: Copper, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Each increases the payout of your selected bet per ticket: Copper offers a 10x payout, Silver 50x, Gold 250x and - if you're very lucky - Diamond will boost it by a whopping 1000x. Every time you buy an Extra Ball, you'll have the chance for a Mystery Prize. That means you could get up to 11 Mystery Prizes in each round of the game. 11 Diamonds would give you an 11000x payout bonus.
Super Showball gameplay
If you're new to the world of online bingo, don't worry. Super Showball has been designed to keep things as simple as possible. The game mechanics are basic enough that you won't feel overwhelmed as you play, and the learning curve is very gentle. The game comes with a simple bingo theme, but there's an elegance to its design. You'll only need two key buttons to play. The information about your current round is clearly laid out on the screen at all times. At the top of the screen, you'll see a number of different ticket layouts; these represent the various winning combinations, each marked with a payout amount. Change your bet per ticket, and the payout amounts will change with it - so you'll always know exactly how much is at stake. Super Showball has been designed to work just as well on your mobile as on your computer, so if you like to play online bingo in NZ while you are out and about, no problem. Clear graphics and an easy-to-read layout keep things neat on small screens, while the basic mechanics mean that you'll be able to play it with just your thumb.
Tips for playing Super Showball
You can start by buying up to 4 bingo cards - and to get the most out of the game, that's exactly what you'll want to do. Playing with fewer than the full 4 will just make things harder for yourself, as you're less likely to see those coveted Extra Balls. To get to the Extra Ball stage, at least one of your tickets needs to be in a potentially winning position. What does that mean? It must be possible to complete a winning pattern with at least an 8x prize. Looking at your screen, that's the "Cross" pattern, fourth from the right. You should also be aware of how the game handles multiple patterns. Say you get a single line, going right across the middle of your ticket. A line is worth a 3x payout. Two more lucky numbers, and that line becomes a cross - now worth 8x. You'll only get that 8x reward, and not the 3x. That's because your line is now part of the cross, and the lower payout is off the table.
The bottom line
Super Showball is a fun game with enough interesting elements to keep you playing. Whether or not you manage to samba your way into the sunset with the full jackpot, this Brazilian take on bingo has plenty of prizes available. The mystery elements add a bit of excitement and will have you coming back for more.