| Provider | NetEnt |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.66% - Compare RTPs |
| Volatility | Medium-High |
| Reels | 5 |
| Paylines | 720 |
| Bet Range | £0.50 - £100.00 |
| Features | Wilds, Scatters |
Wild Rockets Slot Review
Wild Rockets is a 5-reel, 720-ways slot from NetEnt, released in October 2012. It runs on an unusual 3-4-5-4-3 reel layout - the middle reel has five symbol positions, tapering to three on the outer reels - which creates the 720 ways to win without traditional fixed paylines. The RTP is 96.66%, volatility is medium to high, and the max win potential sits at 4,800x your stake. It pays both left-to-right and right-to-left.
Wild Rockets was retired by NetEnt in 2019 and is classified as end-of-life, meaning it no longer receives updates. That said, it still appears in a reasonable number of casino lobbies and remains a distinctive piece of design history in NetEnt's catalogue - the fireworks theme and asymmetric reel structure set it apart from the wave of classic-format slots released around the same era.
Wild Rockets Stats at a Glance
- Provider: NetEnt
- Release date: October 2012
- Reel layout: 5 reels, 3-4-5-4-3 rows
- Ways to win: 720 (pays both ways)
- RTP: 96.66%
- Volatility: Medium to high
- Max win: 4,800x stake
- Bet range: £0.50 - £100 per spin
- Free spins: Yes - 10, 20 or 50
- Jackpot: No
- Status: End of life (retired 2019)
The 96.66% RTP is above the UK market average of roughly 95%, which puts it in reasonable territory. The medium-to-high volatility means wins are less frequent than a low-variance title like Starburst, but when wins land they tend to be larger. The max win of 4,800x is well above what most 2012-era NetEnt slots can produce.
Theme and Reel Structure
The fireworks theme is fully committed. Rockets, explosions, and a night-sky backdrop dominate the visuals, with symbols built around cartoonish rocket designs rather than the card ranks and jewels common in NetEnt titles from the same period. The colour palette is vivid - blues, reds, greens and golds against a dark background - and the animation quality holds up reasonably well for a game of its age.
The 3-4-5-4-3 layout is the most distinctive structural feature. The reels taper inward from the centre, meaning the grid is diamond-shaped rather than a flat rectangle. This layout is what generates the 720-ways structure, as the number of symbol combinations across adjacent reels multiplies differently than on a standard 5x3 grid. If you count the rows per reel (3 x 4 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 720), you get the win-way total directly. You need matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right or right to left for a win to register.
Wild Symbol - Directional Expansion
The wild symbol is a triple-rocket design that appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 only - never on the outer reels. This is similar in structure to Starburst's wild placement, but the behaviour is different.
When a wild lands, it can expand directionally - either upward or downward - to convert adjacent symbols on the same reel into additional wilds. The direction of expansion depends on where the original wild lands within the reel. This creates the possibility of covering multiple positions on a single reel with wild symbols in one spin, significantly boosting the potential for multi-way wins across the 720-way structure.
The wild substitutes for all standard symbols but does not replace the scatter. There are no re-spins tied to the wild landing - the expansion happens within the same spin rather than triggering a separate feature.
Free Spins Feature
The scatter symbol triggers the free spins round. The number of free spins awarded scales with the number of scatters landing simultaneously:
- 3 scatters: 10 free spins
- 4 scatters: 20 free spins
- 5 scatters: 50 free spins
The free spins feature can be retriggered if additional scatters land during the round. Five scatters on a single spin during free spins would award another 50 spins on top of whatever remains - though hitting five scatters across a 720-way layout is rare. All 720 ways remain active throughout, and the directional wild expansion applies during the feature exactly as it does in the base game.
There are no multipliers during free spins. The feature is straightforward - more spins, same mechanics, with the same RTP structure. This is typical of the NetEnt free spins format from this era.
Betting Range and Paytable
Stakes run from £0.50 to £100 per spin. The minimum is slightly higher than some NetEnt titles because all 720 ways must be active - there is no option to reduce the number of ways in play. At £0.50 a spin, Wild Rockets is accessible without being ultra-low-stake.
The highest-paying standard symbol awards 250x your total stake for five matching symbols across adjacent reels, in a single direction. With the bidirectional payout structure, the same symbols can register wins in both directions simultaneously when they line up correctly. The maximum theoretical win of 4,800x stake reflects the stacking potential of the wild expansion mechanic combined with bidirectional payouts and the free spins multiplier from retriggers.
Autoplay is available, with options to set a fixed number of spins and stop conditions based on balance change or individual win size.
Mobile Performance
Wild Rockets runs on HTML5 and works across mobile browsers on both iOS and Android without requiring an app. The asymmetric reel layout scales to smaller screens without any obvious issues - the diamond-shaped grid is actually compact enough that it fits a mobile viewport cleanly. Touch controls work as expected. Given that it was built in 2012, the mobile experience is functional rather than optimised in the way newer HTML5-native games are, but it is perfectly playable on current devices.
How Wild Rockets Compares to Other NetEnt Titles
Wild Rockets occupies an interesting position in the NetEnt catalogue. The 720-ways structure puts it alongside Twin Spin and Gonzo's Quest as an alternative to standard payline formats from the same period. The directional wild expansion is mechanically different from Starburst's full-reel wild and re-spin, and the medium-to-high volatility separates it clearly from low-variance titles like Blood Suckers.
Compared to Steam Tower, another mid-volatility NetEnt slot with a distinctive visual identity, Wild Rockets has a higher RTP (96.66% versus Steam Tower's 97.04%) but a larger theoretical max win. For players who want a NetEnt slot with some upside potential and a reel structure that is genuinely different from the standard grid, Wild Rockets is a reasonable choice among the retired but still-available titles.
Its retired status does mean you will not find it at every casino. Availability is more limited than it was prior to 2019. If your primary concern is finding it at a specific casino, check before registering - see our casino reviews for more detail on game library coverage.
Who Is Wild Rockets Best Suited To?
Wild Rockets works well for players who want a medium-to-high volatility NetEnt slot with a genuine feature mechanic rather than just a standard free spins trigger. The directional expanding wild is not the most complex feature in the catalogue, but it adds meaningful variance to individual spins, and the 4,800x max win gives the game real upside potential without tipping into the extreme volatility of something like Dead or Alive 2.
Players who prefer lower volatility and steadier returns should look at Blood Suckers (98% RTP, low volatility) or Starburst (96.09% RTP, low volatility) instead. Players chasing very high multipliers may find the 4,800x ceiling modest compared to more recent NetEnt titles.
If volatility management is important, see our guides to high volatility slots and low volatility slots, or our slot betting strategy page for general bankroll management principles.
Verdict
Wild Rockets is a competent medium-to-high volatility slot with a genuinely distinctive reel structure and a solid 96.66% RTP. The 3-4-5-4-3 layout, bidirectional payouts, and directional wild expansion all contribute to a game that plays differently from the standard 5x3 grid titles it was released alongside. The free spins scaling from 10 to 50 based on scatter count gives the feature some range, and the 4,800x max win keeps the upside interesting.
The main limitations are its retired status - which restricts availability - and the absence of any multiplier or additional feature layers that more recent releases include as standard. As a snapshot of what NetEnt's design team was building in 2012, it holds up. As a current-market slot competing against modern releases, it shows its age. Worth playing if you find it in a casino lobby and want something from the NetEnt back catalogue with more variance than Starburst or Blood Suckers.
Related Games and Pages
- Starburst - NetEnt's iconic low-volatility slot
- Blood Suckers - 98% RTP, low volatility from NetEnt
- Twin Spin - 720-ways twin-reel mechanic from NetEnt
- Gonzo's Quest - avalanche reels and multipliers
- NetEnt slots - full provider overview
- High RTP Slots - top picks by return percentage
- High Volatility Slots
- Slot Betting Strategy - bankroll management
- Casino Reviews - where to play Wild Rockets
What is the RTP of Wild Rockets?
Wild Rockets has an RTP of 96.66%, which is above the UK slot market average of around 95%. This applies to the standard version of the game as released by NetEnt in 2012.
How many ways to win does Wild Rockets have?
Wild Rockets has 720 ways to win. The game uses a 3-4-5-4-3 reel layout - an unusual asymmetric structure where the middle reel has five symbol positions and the outer reels have three. All 720 ways are always active and the game pays both left-to-right and right-to-left.
What does the Wild Rockets wild symbol do?
The wild symbol in Wild Rockets appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 only. When it lands, it can expand directionally - either up or down - to convert adjacent symbols on the same reel into additional wilds. This creates the potential for multiple wilds on a single reel within one spin. The wild substitutes for all standard symbols but does not replace the scatter.
How many free spins can you trigger in Wild Rockets?
The number of free spins depends on how many scatter symbols land simultaneously: 3 scatters award 10 free spins, 4 scatters award 20 free spins, and 5 scatters award 50 free spins. The feature can be retriggered during the bonus round if additional scatters land, adding more spins to the total. There are no multipliers during the free spins round.
What is the maximum win in Wild Rockets?
The maximum theoretical win in Wild Rockets is 4,800x your total stake per spin. This reflects the combination of directional wild expansion, bidirectional payouts across the 720-way structure, and potential free spins retriggering. The highest-paying standard symbol awards 250x stake for five of a kind in a single direction.
Is Wild Rockets still available to play?
Wild Rockets was retired by NetEnt in 2019 and is classified as end-of-life, meaning it no longer receives updates or active support. It still appears in some casino lobbies, but availability is more limited than before 2019. If you want to play it, check the game library of a specific casino before registering.
Where to Play Wild Rockets
These online casinos carry NetEnt games including Wild Rockets. Read our Donbet review or browse all casino reviews.
Wild Rockets RTP and Variance
Wild Rockets has an RTP of 96.66%, which is above average. See our highest RTP slots for the best returning games. Medium-high volatility means less frequent wins but larger payouts when they hit.
At the minimum bet of £0.50 per spin, a £10 deposit gives you 20 spins with a statistical expected return of £9.67. Read our slot betting strategy guide for tips on managing your bankroll.
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