AvatarUX is clearly done playing it safe.
With Shippy D Pop, the studio doubles down on everything that made PopWins™ iconic — expanding reels, cascading chaos, absurd win ceilings — and wraps it in a high-energy anime pirate skin that leaves very little to the imagination. Inspired heavily by the aesthetics of One Piece, this release leans into exaggerated characters, over-the-top animations, and a “go big or sink” volatility profile.
The result? A 50,000x max win monster that feels unapologetically designed for feature hunters.
This isn’t a subtle slot. It’s loud, colorful, volatile, and sometimes cruel — but when it clicks, it absolutely explodes.
First Impressions: Anime Chaos on the High Seas
From the first spin, Shippy D Pop makes its intentions clear. This is not a gritty pirate simulator or a classic naval adventure — it’s pure anime spectacle.
Cel-shaded visuals
Expressive, cartoonish characters
Fast animations and bold colors
The grid sits on the deck of a pirate ship cutting through violent seas, backed by energetic orchestral music and crisp “pop” sound effects that make every cascade feel impactful.
The inspiration is obvious, but AvatarUX walks the line carefully. The game feels like a love letter to anime pirates, not a lazy clone — and that distinction matters.
Graphics Score: 7.80 / 10
Polished, energetic, and perfectly matched to the mechanics.
Core Gameplay: PopWins™ Done Properly
Shippy D Pop uses AvatarUX’s PopWins™ engine, starting on a 5×3 grid — but that’s only the opening act.
Key Mechanics
PopWins™ Cascades
Winning symbols disappear and are replaced by two new symbols, increasing reel height with every successful cascade.
Win Both Ways
Wins pay left-to-right and right-to-left, dramatically improving base game activity. This is a welcome return after some recent AvatarUX titles quietly dropped it — and the game is far better for it.
Grid Expansion
Base game: reels expand up to 6 symbols high
Free Spins: reels can reach 9 symbols high
At max height, you’re playing with tens of thousands of ways to win
Game Profile
RTP: 96.10%
Volatility: High
Hit Frequency: 22.97%
Bet Range: €0.10 – €200
Max Win: 50,000x
Base game payouts are intentionally small. Even the top symbols barely register on their own — and that’s by design. This slot does not reward single-line wins. Everything revolves around cascades, reel growth, and feature stacking.
ZapReel: Controlled Chaos from Above
Sitting above the main grid is the ZapReel, a horizontal reel that injects controlled randomness into every spin.
How ZapReel Works
Displays Wilds, Multipliers, or symbol upgrades
Applies its rewards to the reels directly beneath it
Resets every spin, keeping gameplay unpredictable
This feature adds a layer of tactical tension. You’re not just watching the reels — you’re constantly scanning the ZapReel, hoping it lines up with expanding columns or high-value symbols.
It’s subtle, but it dramatically improves engagement.
Free Spins: Where the Game Finally Breathes
Free Spins are triggered by fully expanding all five reels to six symbols high in the base game — a demanding but fair condition.
Free Spins Structure
Starting Spins: 6
Max Reel Height: 9 symbols
Progress Persistence:
Reel height only resets down to the shortest reel currently on the board, not back to the base level
This single design choice is huge.
Older PopWins titles often felt punishing because progress reset too aggressively. Here, momentum actually carries forward, making it far more realistic to reach max grid size — and unlock the absurd win potential the slot promises.
This is one of the best quality-of-life improvements AvatarUX has made to the PopWins formula.
The Gamble Wheel: Pirate Risk, Real Consequences
Before Free Spins begin, players are offered a gamble — and it’s not a gentle one.
Gamble Options
6 → 9 Free Spins
9 → 12 Free Spins
Golden fields can boost this up to 18 spins
Lose the gamble?
You lose everything and return to the base game.
Thematically, it fits perfectly. Mechanically, it’s brutal.
This feature will divide players. Some will love the high-risk decision point. Others will hate losing a hard-earned bonus before it even starts. Either way, it’s a genuine emotional swing — not a fake one.
Bonus Buy Options: Expensive, But Justified
AvatarUX includes three buy modes:
Shippy Bonus (125x)
6 Free Spins
Reels start partially expanded
Minimum 15,552 ways
Pirate Wheel (125x)
Direct entry into the Gamble Wheel
Bonus Max (500x)
12 Free Spins
Minimum 15,552 ways
3 ZapReel rewards on every spin
The Bonus Max option is expensive — but unusually well-justified. With guaranteed expansion and constant ZapReel interaction, it feels like a true “max exposure” mode rather than a dressed-up shortcut.
In a 50,000x slot, that matters.
Final Verdict: One of AvatarUX’s Strongest PopWins Titles
Shippy D Pop doesn’t reinvent PopWins™ — it refines it.
The return of Win Both Ways, the ZapReel layer, and the persistent reel height in Free Spins all combine to create a smoother, more rewarding experience than many previous entries. The anime pirate theme injects personality without getting in the way of clarity, and the potential ceiling is genuinely elite.
It earns 8.2 / 10 because it delivers exactly what it promises:
high volatility, massive upside, and explosive features — with enough mechanical improvements to justify the brutality.
This is not a casual slot.
It’s a feature-first, bankroll-tested, adrenaline-driven ride — and one of the best high-risk releases of early 2026.
