Dragon Link Pokie Review

Dragon Link pokies are a series of 10 distinct games from Aristocrat. These games share a similar “Hold & Spin” mechanic and are all linked to the same progressive jackpot network. The collection includes classic games like Panda Magic, Happy & Prosperous, and Autumn Moon.

The Dragon Link pokie machine is almost a decade old, but it’s stood the test of time thanks to its eye-catching graphics and the fact that it has some very generous jackpots on offer.

Editor’s Verdict of Dragon Link Pokies Online

I’d rate these game approved by Online Pokies Mates a solid 3.5 out of 5, as it is dependable and rewarding if you play it smart. Dragon Link has stood the test of time – not the newest, but still a player favorite. The Hold & Spin feature, progressive jackpots and visuals make it a classic, and it’s easy to see why Aristocrat’s series continue to captivate Aussie players. They’re a bit tricky to find online, but if you’re into high volatility games with real jackpot potential and a stylish Asian theme, it’s worth it.

Theme of the Dragon Link Pokie

Each Dragon Link game spotlights a different slice of Asian culture, like the lantern-lit feasts of Panda Magic or the majestic armour of Golden Century. No matter what game you’re playing in the series, you’ll see the reels brimming with vibrant reds, golds and all sorts of intricate symbols like lanterns, dragons, and koi fish.

Here are the 10 titles included in to Dragon Link pokie series:

1. Autumn Moon
2. Genghis Khan
3. Golden Century
4. Golden Gong
5. Happy & Prosperous
6. Panda Magic
7. Peacock Princess
8. Peace & Long Life
9. Silk Road
10. Spring Festival

Payout Symbols

Below is a typical layout for Dragon Link’s paytable, though each variant changes the icons slightly. What you’ll see below is the paytable for Happy & Prosperous:

Paytables and Winning Combination

In Dragon Link pokies how to win is based on the number of symbols you get matched on a payline. Your goal is to match three or more, but some symbols even pay out prizes for 2-of-a-kind matches on a line. The high-paying symbols are almost always images representative of Asian culture, like pandas, lanterns, peacocks and dragons, while the low-paying ones are your standard playing card symbols.

In these games, you should only expect the wild to appear on the middle reel, but there are some exceptions to this rule.

Each variant has a slightly different paytable, so it’s good to consult the in-game info if you switch from, say, Panda Magic to Golden Century.

Dragon Link Bonuses and Promotion

Dragon Link online pokies Australia come equipped with some interesting features that have formed the basis of what’s popular nowadays in the world of Aus pokies real money.

Hold & Spin Feature

In my opinion, the Hold & Spin mechanic is the hallmark of the games in the Dragon Link lineup. In all of the games, you trigger it by landing six or more of those orb-like bonus symbols across the reels.

Once it’s activated, all the standard icons vanish, and just the orbs that triggered the round are left locked in place. You’ll start with three spins on a stripped-down reel set. Each time you land a new orb, it locks in, and your spin counter resets to three.

Orbs typically have random credit values or display a progressive jackpot prize value. When the feature ends (either by filling the grid or running out of spins), each orb’s values are totalled for your final bonus payout.

Progressive Jackpots

I’ve done a lot of talking about the progressive jackpots in this gam, and here’s where I get to tell you what it takes to trigger them. Some of the orbs in the Hold & Win round display “Mini,” “Minor,” or “Major”; when they land, they’ll immediately add the prize value to your total.

Free Spins Round

The Hold & Spin bonus isn’t the only feature you’ll find in Dragon Link games. Each variant has its unique take on free spins. For instance:

• Autumn Moon: When you land three scatters, you’ll get 6 free spins with stacked wilds on reels 2 to 4.
• Panda Magic: The lower card symbols are wiped from the game once the round starts, so you see more premium icons for bigger wins.
• Spring Festival: A giant symbol can appear in the centre 3 reels and when it turns out to be wild, some impressive payouts could be in your future.

Though the exact details vary, the gist is generally the same: you get some free spins with a different bonus booster attached. Extra wild multipliers, rearranged reels and stacked symbols are some of the features that come with the free spins in Dragon Link games.

Dragon Link RTP and Volatility

Even though there are ten games in the series and they all have different free spins rounds, the RTPs are the same across all of the Dragon Link pokies – at 95.2%. It might seem a little bit weird that this is the case, but it’s only fair.

The volatility is on the higher end, typical of the highest payout online pokies, so you get more runs of dead spins, and there’s the chance to land bigger wins overall than you’d experience in lower and medium variance games.

Mobile Usability and App

Aristocrat originally designed its Dragon Link pokies as land-based slot machines; you can find versions of this game online, mostly through apps powered by Product Madness. These are sweepstakes and social gaming sites, so, unfortunately, there’s no Dragon Link pokies online real money app at the moment.

If you’re happy to give these games a spin for free online, you can play Dragon Link pokies app versions via casino apps. They’re easily downloadable from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and since they’re native apps, you don’t have to worry about the same struggle of getting the game to fit nicely in your screen like you sometimes have to do with browser-based, HTML pokies.

I tested Heart of Vegas and found the games loaded quickly, with the same 5×3 interface adapted to portrait mode, and the touch controls for spin and bet selection felt nice and natural. So, from a usability standpoint, these are well-optimised and fun to play. My only gripe is that not every site offers the entire 10-game roster – you might only see Panda Magic and a couple more on one app, only Autumn Moon on another.

Other Games You Might Like

If what you like most about pokies Dragon Link is their hold & spin feature, big progressive jackpots, or the Asian themes, there are a few games I’d like to introduce you to.

• Choy Sun Doa is another Aristocrat creation with an Asian flavour. It uses Reel Power mechanics, offering 243 ways to win. When you find the bonus, you get to pick from a number of free spins/multiplier combos at the start. It’s older, but it’s a staple for Aussie players.
• Floating Dragon from Pragmatic Play is much more readily available at online casinos. This pokie also has a hold & spin round and has stunning Asian-inspired graphics. With 5,000x max wins, it’s a strong alternative if you’re after a more up-to-date look without losing that Eastern vibe.
• Dragon’s Luck from Red Tiger has a somewhat simpler approach to the Chinese aesthetic, with colossal dragon coins that reveal mystery symbols. If you like this one, there are actually several spin-offs, too, like Dragon’s Luck Deluxe and Dragon’s Luck Power Reels.

How to Play and Dragon Link Pokies Tips

Getting started with Dragon Link online pokies is straightforward. Let me outline the basics for you:

1. Choose an online casino that accepts games. Boot up your favourite games in the Dragon Link pokies series.
2. Pick a denomination. The typical range is 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 25c and $1.00.
3. Click on the paytable symbol to review the payouts and remind yourself of which features are available in that specific game in the series.
4. Then, get spinning. Look for special scatter symbols that trigger the free spins round, plus orb- or coin-like icons that enter you into the Hold & Spin feature
5. Quick tip: Start with lower-value bets to warm up and play longer. With this, a 50 session bankroll works out to be 100 spins instead of 10 at $1.00.
6. If a bonus boosts your balance, step up one denomination (e.g., from 2c to 5c) rather than jumping straight to top stakes.
7. Another top tip: Cash out if the progressives have just reset
   (Mini is 10 × coin size and Major starts at 1,000 × coin size). This is because freshly reset meters mean you’re chasing base prizes only, and Dragon Link’s high volatility can claw back wins fast.

Our Take on Dragon Link

All 10 of the games in the Dragon Link pokies series are top-tier. Each variant does a great job of bringing to life a new, flashy, Asian-inspired atmosphere, and I appreciate how every game has different modifiers in the free spins round. The variety across the 10 games, combined with that juicy Hold & Spin bonus, makes it a rewarding pick for high volatility fans. You can tell that these games have been incredibly influential in the online gaming market. No one would turn down a chance to get amazing progressive payouts.