CQ9: The Amusement Specialist

When we talk about specialization, what comes to mind is a dedication and specific focus on a single subject or skill that would eventually lead to the development of being an expert in it, and that is what CQ9 is. CQ9, the Asian embodiment arcade specialist where the sole focus and attention went into the art of transcending amusement arcade into an online platform of virtual ecstasy. The cutting edge technology combined with intricate aesthetics has led CQ9 to become one of the best slots and arcade games software provider in the Asian region where it first started. Being a non complacent and ambitious entity, CQ9 has her eyes set to impress and delight the global audience, paying much attention onto the American and European markets of late. It is an understatement to say that CQ9 is merely one of the best slots provider in Asia as we still derived the childlike euphoria looking at the stunning portfolio inspired and developed by CQ9 as these innovative and enigmatic games almost come to life. Feast your eyes upon one of the most played games that dominated the larger part inside of a casino, with its rising popularity from its already well populated and established pool of players in the attraction of lever pulling, the beautiful sight of vividly dazzling colors and the sound of ecstasy of coins and jackpot; welcome to the world of slots. Take a look into how CQ9 has contributed in the advancement of slots and arcade games that lived up to the preservation of our joyful memories as well as making a grand reintroduction of retro games doused in superior graphics and upgraded game plays.

Most online gaming software providers have gone into the typical fashion of indulging themselves onto more promising portfolios and simply evolved to be as holistic as can be in becoming a larger online solutions platform provider, diversifying too intensely by incorporating live casinos and various other games in an attempt to greedily devour market share but may lead to the eventual possibility of losing or compromising the identity of what it once stands for. On a downside, CQ9 would be called too complacent as its services has yet to extend beyond the provision of arcade and slot games. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that CQ9 is stagnated in growth since they have enriched the experience of slot and arcade gaming ceaselessly in just a short span of half a decade since its formation. In slots, arcade and video table games alone, CQ9’s holistic approach has been into refining and reinventing this specialised category, paying immaculate attention in its art design- the use of vivid graphics and layouts that brings characters to life; sound design-upbeat soundtrack, sound effects and sound design; game design-popular trends that is in line with sustainable developments; all in the good and pleasure of entertaining its fans.

Based in Taipei of the Taiwan capital, this proud company was launched in the year of 2016 with its humble beginnings as a HTML-5 online casino slot developer. To date, it has more than 200 captivating games on high demand that centers on folklore, mythical elements, oriental culture, evergreen fairy tales, cult classics and leisure hobbies. Once with the primary focus in the Asian markets, its game themes has quickly ameliorated to include more international titles to attract stronger affiliations and familiarity of the Western counterparts. Since CQ does not provide casino software services nor do they hold any gaming site of their own, its primary focus has been geared towards developing and refining the best provisions in slots to offer to as many available gaming sites as possible which they have clearly indicated as their main goals in the website. All their games are licensed, certified and under the strict scrutiny of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) that conforms to international industry standards of technical specifications, regulations and gambling laws. CQ9 games are recognised to have stable RTP and the RNG has also been certified by GLI.
The significance of such certification lies in the recognition of GLI itself whereby the US and Global certifications of GLI complies to ISO/IEC 17925, 17020 and 17065 standards which corresponds to its technical ability to test and verify games. It also currently serves as the official testing laboratory of nearly 400 gambling supervising institutes. The trustworthiness of it speaks volume as the certification granted to CQ9 meant that it is recognised internationally in the gaming industry.

Apart from this, not much is known or divulged on its structural organisation, even at its official website which has been in most apparent cases when it comes to gambling related companies that are of Asian origins for fear of facing obstructive backlash that is common in this side of the world. Nonetheless, CQ9 with its sturdy foundation from its noteworthy efforts surpassed the public scrutiny and go on to flourish in the gaming industry. At the very least of basic informative gatherings, it has an official gaming license issued by the Government of Curacao and an employed team of approximately 200 highly skilled professionals adept at the curation and marketing of greatly entertaining titles. CQ9 formed strategic partnerships and affiliations with certain well-known companies that also served as backbone to many other reputable online casinos in Asia which minimises integration time, facilitate a vast and wider network of support, as well as to enable other possible functionalities. Notable partners of CQ9 includes TG Gaming, ReelNRG, Slotegrator, Eye Motion, Dr.Gaming, Casino Lisboa, Venetian, Leno, Fun88, Gamestree, OrientalGame, SG8 and Treasure Gaming. To identify more internal workings and identification beyond what has been placed out by CQ9 is synonymous to entering a labyrinth of uncharted structures. Therefore, we could only take the revealed surface of information as it is and rather focus more on its product offerings.

Awe inspiring to say the least when we look at the games provided by CQ9. The emphasis on game design, visuals and audio has been real clear displaying spectacular expertise in this area. Stunning graphics with an array of bold beautiful colors constantly on display. There are at least 3000 websites currently carrying the CQ9 slot games but one could still opt to try it out even from its official website.

Since it is HTML5 supported, the games are playable right away without the required need to download any applications. Whether played on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone, the resolution and dynamic display capability remains intact and scaled perfectly and accordingly. Convenience is highly regarded with on-the-go playing at 24/7 across any devices for the ultimate satisfaction anytime, anywhere. Loading time is fast with seamless mobility. Each game comes with its short description alongside an info icon to provide sufficient information in regards to the games rules and a short guide in how to play. It does feel like being in an amusement arcade and with all games well placed under one roof to try on from one to another.

Security and safety is well guaranteed with strong SSL encryption system and firewall to protect players especially when it comes to private banking information and particulars.

Though live casino support and sportsbooking were mentioned on their official website but neither were made available and therefore the sole focus is purely on arcade, slots, classic board and multiplayer games. Generally, the games are fast paced, intriguing and engaging with most of the game titles fall under the slot category. The way games are developed by CQ9, it can be observed that they would constantly challenge traditional norms to bring out the trendiness even in classic games that are infused with vibrant graphics, state-of-the-art gameplay and realistic sound effects. One such game is their new release just a few months back towards the end of the year of a rendition of a timeless classic, “Alice in Wonderland”, aptly named as Alice Run. Aesthetics are top-notch and generally thought to appeal to a very wide audience due to the fascination we had growing up with these mysterious characters appearing alongside of Alice. We are of course delighted with the incorporation of this theme under their portfolio. Albeit the mention of Alice Run was brought up as was mentioned before that CQ9 intends to capture the western market, most of its games tend to have a tendency leaning towards a deeper inclination of the Asian culture, particularly Chinese. We shall explore that further as we move along.

Borrowing retro themes are another specialisation of CQ9 with themes like PacMan being used. It draws the sentimental values and nostalgia revolving early arcade games played by so many of us back then and now these games progressed in line maturely with the betting element to fulfil our needs in the best of both worlds. There exist a child within us that proclaims proudly that boys will be boys and it is this exact sentiment that CQ9 has brilliantly permeated into to extract our new found joy with every game that we stroll anxiously along. Needless to say, it is astounding to look at some of the multiplayer arcade games that are both thrilling and rewarding at the attempt to challenge and put our skills to test while we stand a chance to reap its benefits.

Similar features in gameplay are to be expected when compared to other online gaming software companies that provides slots such as the Wild, Scatter and Bonus features. How it is being presented is of course the defining moment between a game drowned by the masses or a spectacular one that stands out from the rest. Presentation is indeed of utmost importance where some online gaming companies fail to fathom. Games like Baccarat will not invite more variations or excitement then it has already proliferated. So how the layout is on a single platform, and the viewing angle made available of your favourite dealer online and the choice of music pretty much sums up what presentation means. The same could be said for slot games and/or arcade games. There is something about CQ9 that conjures a unique appeal from its game themes that are relatable to staunched, culturally bound Asian players and the sentimental ones that appreciate the finesse of nostalgic retro innuendos.

On the shortcomings, if cons were to be pinpointed in the beginning, of lacking in the holistic provisions of products such as live gaming, The advancement of meticulously designed games by CQ9 is sufficient to make up for it. Let us take a deeper dive into each sub category of games and its main highlights.

There are at least close to 200 slot games under CQ9 with fairly unique titles and majority of it falls under 5-reels. It is hard to generalise the slots by CQ9 nor try to categorise specifically as the themes are pretty scattered with a biasness leaning towards the Asian influence in the beginning, which is understandable given that they do not have the required license to make the games available in countries like US and UK. Having said so, more and more Westernised titles can be found in their later offerings which promises a lot of fun and versatility. In a nutshell, there are plenty of unique and unorthodox titles to choose from and whereas when it comes to popularity, as always, it can be said a very subjective matter. In that sense, let us look into their more interesting titles instead of focusing on the most played alone.

With a name like this, how on earth would it not catch someone’s attention? As far as popularity is concerned, it does look that it could be one of an all-time favourite, judging by the ridiculous amount of times that it has been recreated for further editions, spawning Gu Gu Gu 2 and Gu Gu Gu 3 as well. As the name implies, based on our loose understanding, it is the mimicking of a clucking sound made by a chicken and therefore making that the main focus of the game. Set on 5 reels and 3 rows, this game depicts the abundance of a prospering Chinese countryside, clearly seen from the symbols used. Rich crops, good harvest and of course the chicken and the golden egg being the main highlight here which points towards a farmer’s everyday life, well of course not the golden egg though. Roosters, bright yellow corn, peaches, oranges, a bottle of fine Chinese elixir (wine) in an ancient porcelain vase, the golden egg and the numbers from a card of 10,J,Q,K,A dominates the entire reels.

This non progressive slot comes with 15 paylines, with 1 Wild symbol with maximum multiplier of 5, up to 25 Free Spins and one Scatter symbol. A grand total of up to 30,000 credits to be won in just one rotation on their jackpot! Two significant symbols are the rooster and the Golden Egg whereby the rooster signifies the Scatter symbol that is responsible for triggering free spins, while the Golden Egg takes the role of Wild that stands as a substitute to all other symbols except the rooster to complete a winning combination. All wins with a Golden Egg gives a multiplier of x5. Starting from the appearance of 3 roosters on anywhere within the shown grid, it automatically awards x5 free spins on the number of roosters. So to speak, 3 roosters will trigger 15 free spins, 4 triggers 20 free spins and 5 roosters will award the maximum of 25 free spins. Free spins can be triggered again at multiple times but it is capped at a maximum of 100 free spins in the game. The bet amount during the free game follows the game that triggers it. So, the higher the wager, the higher the payout during a triggered free game.

The payout of each symbol can be referred to easily from the pay table provided in the info section of the game, and that would require an appearance of at least 3 of its kind to a maximum of 5 in a single rotation. The ancient porcelain vase tops the list of payout as compared to other symbols. Do take note that in the event of a malfunction, all plays and pay are voided.

The layout of the game is downright simple and to be precise, nothing much to shout about in terms of graphics but it does get easier on the eyes with long hours of play without developing too much of a fatigue. The background music is a soothing Chinese musical played with traditional instruments that is only activated during a spin and not continuously played along with the game. That is just nice in our opinion for a less overwhelming experience. For a relaxing and less complicated game that is good for passing time while enjoying a reasonable payout, Gu Gu Gu is somewhat an ideal choice to begin your journey into CQ9 slots.

Get ready to get the party started! Rave Jump is a more modern and upbeat trended slot by CQ9 that broke free from the stereotyped traditionally bounded Asian culture influence in most of their slot games. This is by far one of the hottest and trendiest slot game offered by CQ9 that features settings from a luxury nightclub, complete with EDM genre music theme to suit the younger crowd or even those that enjoys a more refreshing take as opposed to the same old titles as before.

This 5-reels by 3-rows slot offers 243 lines for an adequately sufficient fun ways to enjoy its potential winnings. The bright neon lights emitting from each symbols is a pure delight to look at, while paired with pleasantly soothing music of the retro 70’s vibes to get you grooving with. The symbols used are diamonds, dj’s turntable, headphones, cocktail, the cards denominated A,K,Q,J , “Rave Jump” neon signage and the golden disco ball, all set in splendid colors and graphics.

The signage “Rave Jump” depicts the Wild symbol that substitutes for all except the Golden Disco Ball which is a symbol for Scatter that triggers free spins. All winning combinations will give a maximum of a whooping multiplier of x72 while the top award goes up to x10000. All reels with the golden ball give a x13 free spin. Basically multipliers starts from x3 to a maximum of x72. Players can retrigger the bonus at multiple times as well as to retrigger the free spins but it is capped at the maximum of x100 free spins. As usual, the bets taken into account during the free spin is the same as the bets placed before it triggers the free games.

We can tell that CQ9 is extremely proud of this slot creation and they just won’t stop at that. Why stop when you can replicate successes? As far as the game is concerned, it is a refreshing take if considered from CQ9’s standpoint alone but it’s not a jaw dropping revelation to say the least. Many subsequent editions from the Jump series were to follow with the same overused glittering golden disco ball.

Rave Jump is a high volatility slot with a RTP of 96%. It provides potentially high returns and insane multipliers but it is awarded infrequently and therefore requires a lot of patience and grit which we would say rather contradictory to the entire layout of the theme which was supposed to be more fast paced and filled with on-going excitement. Nonetheless, it is overall a truly entertaining display of the night life that reminds us on the bliss of youthfulness and to be always young at heart.

Now that we have fulfilled our minimal obligations to talk about the featured popular slots, let’s move on to the other interesting titles provided by CQ9. It’s clear to us that one of the targeted audience and collaborators are Thais, evidently from the language provision of Chinese, English and Thai on their website. So it came as no surprise that this slot is dedicated for the love of Thai martial arts in the form of Muay Thai.

Get ready for some action packed features on 5-reels and 3-rows with 243 ways to win. Thai Boxing or Muay Thai as it is more commonly known in Asia is a much loved sports which speaks more of gracefulness and respect than of violence. It is much celebrated and respected as an event held numerous times in a year that draws the masses of martial arts loving fans to the sporting arena. Lo and behold, CQ9 managed to make good of the theme instilled with the fun of slots along with it. Interesting symbols are of used depicting sacred relics and customary-bound ceremonious icons symbolic to the Thais. Of course, a mystifying and haunting soundtrack is used to accompany the game. Elephants, lotus flowers, temples and statues of worship, a few numbered cards are in used while two other symbols represents the Wild and Scatter. A golden Buddha statue as the Wild only appears on the reels 2,3 and 4 that substitutes all other symbols except for the Scatter which is represented by a Thai boxer with the word BONUS sprawled across it.

This is a pretty volatile slot to say the least even with its many ways to win. The Thai boxer do offer some interesting prizes to be won aside from granting free spins. Landing a consecutive three, four or five of it will reel in 5X, 10X and 50X of your initial bet respectively. The number of free spins you will get is decided by you when you make a choice of your special symbol to appear constantly throughout the free rounds but of course the number of free spins are dependable on the choice of symbol with varying degree of free spins offered by each. The elephant being the most symbolic animal to the Thais are placed in high priority. This means that it give the highest payout and the least in terms of free spins.

After listening to its soundtrack for a while, we have almost reached a trance-like state and very attuned to the flow of the game, simultaneously nodding with gestures of pure satisfaction. Let’s bring out the inner warrior in you with Muay Thai!

This special entry covers two slot titles at one go which falls under the category of detective team, one of western origins and the other of eastern origins. They are Sherlock Holmes and Detective Dee respectively. Amongst the titles by CQ9, these two titles piqued our interest in exploring the depths and intelligence of great detective work with mystifying tales to tell.

Sherlock Holmes is a classic novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle revolving around the life of the much loved fictional character of a private detective that goes by the name of Sherlock Holmes. The power of deduction and logical reasoning are among the prowess of its character. Set in the turn of 19th century that took residence in the immortalised residence of 221B Baker Street, London, Join Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson’ adventure as they uncover mysteries and greatly solves cases in this adaptation in slot done brilliantly by CQ9.

The symbols used on these reels are surprisingly meaningful given the rich context of the storyline. Instead of featuring the main cast as the superior symbol of choice, his investigative tools are employed instead and it gave a deep sense of fulfilment to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The magnifying glass first appeared and incorporated as an investigative tool in the publication, A Study in Scarlet and soon it became as symbolic as representing Sherlock Holmes itself. The magnifying glass symbol stands in for Wild that became the substitute for all symbols except for the Scatter symbol. Moreover, it only appears in the central region of the reels of 2, 3 and 4. Another noteworthy symbol is the infamous pocket watch that also became an iconic time piece acquainted to Sherlock Holmes and therefore took place as the Scatter. Having the Scatter appearing 3,4 and 5 times from the leftmost to right on the adjacent reels will trigger free games allocated in accordance and rewards a total win of 5X, 10X, and 50X respectively of the total bet. It has a special feature whereby players will be given a choice to choose between having more spins but with lower multipliers or fewer spins times but a higher multiplier possibility. The maximum number of free spins allowed is capped at 10. The game offers 243 ways to win which became pretty much of a standard in CQ9’s later title offerings.

The rest of the symbols held a prominence to the series that features Sherlock Holmes himself, Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ Calabash pipe, the address signage of 221B and the piece of evidence with the words “RACHE” from the crime scene in Part 1: The Reminiscences of Watson. Finally the other symbols that served as fillers are from the cards A, K, Q, J, 10 and 9. The payout table can be clearly referred to with Sherlock helming the payout table.

Lay down the amount of bet of your choice and spin away to dazzling ‘investigative’ tunes on a crime scene as you chance upon winning the grand prize in a synonymous fashion of solving a crime.

Detective Dee on the other hand has a deeply rooted history albeit much lesser known nor popularised. Most will know it as just a fictional HK movie produced and directed by Tsui Hark but it was actually based on a semi-fictional character known as Judge Dee which was again based on the real historical figure Di Renjie, whom was a county magistrate and a statesman of the Tang and Zhou dynasties. These are the lesser detective works done by us to uncover the background of Detective Dee. For those that are familiar with the movie adaptation itself of course would be happy to play their favourite character on slot.

As a matter of fact, the game is pretty well received and Detective Dee 2 slot was created as well. Back on the game, it is beautifully laid out with the backdrop of a Chinese magistrate court that symbolises the accolades of Judge Dee. It’s a very simple slot game early in its production as compared to the later ones. Only one symbol is used to stand in for the Wild and Scatter, which we believe is a character known as Empress Wu. As a Wild feature, it substitutes all the other symbols except itself, while having 3 or more of it will also act as Scatter to trigger 10 free spins. Aside from its function to trigger free spins, its other responsibility as Scatter is also to produce winning bonuses of 2X, 20X and 200X of the total bet. Talk about multiples roles, this symbol does it all.

The accompanying music to this 5×3 grid slot is simply electrifying with its harmonious tune and intense beats which really goes well with the whole game play. It offers only 10 pay lines with not much of a mystery there and the top award goes up to 5500X. Only 4 main symbols were used alongside with a few fillers of card numbers. The symbol of Judge Dee himself tops the payout list here. The maximum free spins obtainable from here is capped at 100X with the game being of medium volatility.

These shall complete our east meet west detective series for your enjoyment. Both film franchises have done pretty well and our fascination with great detective work is further escalated from its novels, to its adaptation on screen and finally in slots too.

Many slot titles by CQ9 were spun out of control from this category which is intriguing as to why the huge fascination of it. Then again, these divine beings formed our early beliefs and are deeply instilled into our ways of life, teachings and resembles hope in a way that until this day, still holds true for many.

From the east to the west, so many titles were churned out such as Zeus, Kronos, Hercules, Shou Xin, Flying Cai Shen, God of War, Thor, Poseidon, Apollo and Wukong Peaches. One of the most celebrated and enigmatic character that seeped in so intricately and intensely into the Asian culture is none other than Sun Wukong also known as Monkey King or Monkey God. Mythically and mysteriously enshrouded, this character comes to life in the slot game of Wukong peaches. Let us delve into this ethereally made 5-reels by 3-rows with 243 paylines slot.

To understand the character even better, one has to take a look into “Journey to the West”, penned by Wu Chen’en about a monkey born from stone and trapped for 500 years by the Goddess of Guan Yin herself. Mischievous, witty, highly intelligent and possesses the 72 transformation skills, it is the embodiment of a super hero much loved by all. In this slot title, the responsibility befalls Sun Wukong to be the guardian of the Peaches of Immortality which as the name implies, grants immortality to any lucky masticators. Set on a breath-taking background of a picturesque landscape of beautiful mountains and waterfalls which is also where Sun Wukong resides in and with crisp looking symbols on the reels. Prominent Guqin and flute playing can be heard from the soundtrack of Wukong Peaches which gives an ideal sense of serenity.

The main feature or symbol is the Peach of Immortality that represents Wild and Sun Wukong himself as Scatter. Interestingly there is a green and pink Peach of Immortality symbol with the pink one only appearing during Free Plays. Scoring from 3-5, Sun Wukong will trigger 10 free spins and giving additional wins of 5X, 10X and 50X on total bets. During free spins, the winning combinations with the pink colored Peach of Immortality are multiplied by the Bonus Multiplier which starts from 1 and increases by 1 with every spin. Maximum number of free spins are capped at 50. Players can retrigger 10 free spins with at least 3 Sun Wukongs. All the other symbols used, aside from the fillers of cards are mainly weapons of choice from differing characters appearing in the Journey to the West series.

Stay captivated and continue to explore other mesmerising slot titles by CQ9 as we end the chapter on slots to move onto other game provisions by CQ9.

Where video games are concerned, it doesn’t just end with slots since we have labelled CQ9 as an arcade amusement hub. Some other games were developed based on fishing, table and arcade games categories. While it may be a good attempt in enhancing arcade games to incorporate the betting elements, the alterations were a far cry from standard arcade games in terms of the thrill factor. Most arcade games by CQ9 are at best still elementary, lacking the challenging aspect that would keep players glued to their seats. Then again, the simplistic feature of the game is understandably a must in order not to complicate the process of infusing the betting element. Suffice to say, this crossover between a much simpler version of an arcade game with betting elements do not really impress much.

Take Alice Run for example, apart from collecting points and jumping over dangerous terrains, as an arcade game itself, the excitement quickly dwindles and stagnates with repeated plays. In this case, a straight forward no brainer game such as slots would be much appreciated. Another title from arcade that caught the attention is Mr.Bean and for some atrociously baffling reasons, the layout of the game is based on the Pac-Man concept which has absolutely nothing to do with its title and it almost offer zero gaming value, albeit the mere representation of table gaming.

The category of Fishing on the other hand salvaged the redeeming qualities of CQ9 which puts all shooting related games under this category. Thunder Fighter is based on spaceships set on fantasy interstellar adventure. It covers all the good elements of an arcade game with futuristic design aircrafts, artillery, adequate level of difficulties and smooth game play. The other fishing titles are Paradise, One Shot Fishing and Lucky Fishing with really beautiful graphics of the underwater world that reminds us a little of Feeding Frenzy and CQ9 did really well in this region of games that even supports multiplayer functionality.

There is nothing much to pinpoint on CQ9 since its sole focus is in the development of gaming software for now. All its games are stable and ready to be deployed to reach more players through various providers and hopefully, it will be more widespread to cater to more countries under different jurisdictions. All in all, CQ9’s diverse gaming software titles and categories mean that they will definitely have something to appeal to just about everyone.