As the very first Lightning Link pokie to come out, Magic Pearl has a special place within the collection. Fans of the network seem to love it still with the same passion as when it first came out. Must be because it did many things right. It paved the way for other Lightning Link machines and inspired us to create this page and present it to you, along with some great online alternatives.

Magic Pearl Lightning Link makes use of the standard 5×3 board configuration, allowing 25 or 50 paying lines. The number of lines is related to the coin value you chose once you start the game. Available options are 1c, 2c, 5c and 10c.

The pearls you will be pursuing during the gameplay refer to underwater pearls found on the ocean floor. You will need to dive deep and meet a wonderful mermaid with red hair. Some of her companions will join you – a starfish, a striped fish and a tortoise. Other symbols include playing card symbols, a treasure chest and a dolphin.

The mermaid is the Wild and the pearl will play the role of the special symbol for the Hold & Spin feature. The dolphin will pay in any position as the game’s Scatter. One doesn’t have to know how to swim to play Magic Pearl. It is a unique aquatic adventure available at a number of Australian casino floors.

Magic Pearl may be pretty to look at, but that is not the main attraction of this pokie. Its main special features make the gameplay both dynamic and more rewarding. The Hold & Spin mode is available, as well as the Free Games round. To make matters even more appealing, the game comes with four jackpot rewards. The biggest one, the Grand Jackpot, is shared between all the Lightning Link pokies at the casino and seeds at $10,000.

Expect to enter the Free Games round once you collect at least three dolphin symbols on a single spin. They can appear anywhere on the reels, they do not need to be on a win line. Once this happens, 6 free spins are triggered.

For the duration of the free play, the middle reels will merge into one wide reel for 3×3 symbols to land on. This, of course enhances the chances for more winning combinations. High Stakes Lightning Link offers the same concept, as well.

It also becomes easier to activate the Hold & Spin mode if you land a giant 3×3 pearl. Normally, you would need 6 or more regular pearl symbols to enter the Hold & Spin round. Once the round initiates, you receive 3 spins to play free of charge with only special symbols on the screen. The other icons are faded out and will not appear.

The aim is to collect pearls with either numbers (signifying a cash prize) or words (signifying a jackpot). Each time you obtain a new pearl, you will reset the number of available spins to 3. The round ends when there are no spins left to play. Lightning effects will end the round and announce your winnings.

We all need to wait before the Magic Pearl pokie become available at online casinos for real money. While there are numerous Aristocrat machines available online, the Lightning Link series is not adapted for the online gaming environment.

It would be a shame to miss out on a rewarding underwater experience such as the one provided by Magic Pearl. Here are several similar aquatic-themed online pokies to keep you busy.