Lock and Pop is a retro slot by NetEnt with modern vibes and touch. Collect prize symbols to trigger the free spins round while accumulating them in the top right corner. But there’s special action even before that in the base game with a range of Lock and Pop features that make this old-school slot machine a blast.

A low volatile slot, Lock and Pop has all the hallmarks of a NetEnt classic. You have 20 paylines to win across. Wins are formed for three or more matching symbols on a line. Wilds can step in to complete wins, but they don’t pay on their own. The slot’s highlights are the ten special features that come in the bonus round, which perfectly align with the name and theme.

If you’re looking for a bit of retro real money slots action with a modern overhaul, this is the slot game to pick. Read my Lock and Pop review below and learn more about what it offers.

Lock and Pop is a colorful slot with plenty of style. It has a 5x3 layout with extra rows on the top and bottom. Those are locked during the base game and come alive during the bonus round. The slot has a simple layout and design that’s easy to understand. The controls are set beneath the reels for easy access.

There are pops of colors all around, with purple and pink dominating the screen. The symbols include a diamond, 7, and a bell, all typical for vintage slot machines. Other symbols include card royals, while the wild adopts a simpler look. The cash prizes display their values, just like the ten special symbols in the bonus round.

The soundtrack is perfectly in sync with the theme, and the sound effects are popping, too.

To play Lock and Pop, you will first need to place a bet. Choose between 20c and $120 per spin, then hit the bright green spin button in the middle. As mentioned earlier, you need three or more identical symbols on a payline to hit a win. Wilds can step in to link wins and appear anywhere on the reels in the base game.

During the base game, you’ll also see prize symbols with different values. These range from 0.50x to 1,000x the bet. They can land anywhere on the reels just like the wilds but must be part of a winning combination to earn the values.

There are no other specials in the Lock and Pop slot, but there are ten in total in the bonus round.

There’s no scatter in the Lock and Pop slots. To trigger the bonus round, you need six or more prize symbols across the grid. The triggering prize symbols will turn sticky in the free spins round. But there’s more to the bonus round than the sticky symbols, as you get ten other features.

You need to fill a reel with prizes to unlock the bonus features. The Lock and Pop features are only active on their own reel. There are ten in total:

• Retrigger: awards three additional spins
• Adder: adds an x1 or x2 value to all sticky prizes on the reels
• Magnet: copies the values of all sticky prizes vertically adjacent to the magnet symbol
• Super magnet: copies the values of sticky symbols in the same positions on all other reels
• Topper: copies the values of the highest-paying prize symbol in its own reel
• Blaster: adds a random x1-x2 value to all sticky prize symbols on its reels
• Duplicator: generates a second game screen with all sticky prizes copied over
• Big Bang: doubles the value of all sticky prizes in its own reel
• Super Collector: collects the value of all sticky prizes in its own reel and adds them to the top row
• Hammer: works like the Super Collector, except the values are then added to every position in the Hammer reel

Thanks to the ten special bonus features, the free spins round can be a real blast. Lock them in on the reels, and you can expect popping wins. The slots bonus buy feature costs 60x and provides seven free spins.

Playing Lock and Pop was way more fun than I imagined. I began with smaller bets of $1 per spin to get a feel for the slot. I can say that the volatility is closer to medium than the advertised low. You won’t win on each spin, and initially, all my wins were tiny. They only increased when the prize symbols kicked in, with several wins over 30x early in the game.

I had to buy my way into the bonus round, but it didn’t cost much, at 60x the bet. I won 30x, which didn’t cover my expenses, but it was a solid win nevertheless. Overall, the slot has plenty of winning potential and offers a redesigned retro experience unlike any other.

The Lock and Pop slot has an RTP of 96.09% with low/mid volatility. The maximum projected win is 4,046x the bet, thanks to the multipliers.

Lock and Pop is a cool retro-themed slot game with excellent features. While they only kick in during the bonus round, waiting for it or buying it is worth your while. The colorful theme and top-notch animations are in sync with the popping gameplay, creating an immersive and cool atmosphere. Lock and Pop is rewarding, too, so it has my full recommendation.

Aside from classics with no special features, there aren’t many similar slots I can recommend for play at top casinos. If you like the visual direction, you can choose Starburst by NetEnt or the good old Gonzo’s Quest.