Review of “Bigger Bass Bonanza” Slot by Pragmatic Play
Pragmatic Play’s Bigger Bass Bonanza is a sequel to the popular Bass Bonanza, a slot that captured the hearts of fishing and outdoor adventure fans. As a follow-up, Bigger Bass Bonanza amplifies the charm and excitement of the original game, offering an enhanced experience with more ways to win, improved features, and a fresh twist on the fishing-themed gameplay. This high-volatility online slot introduces exciting new mechanics, increased win potential, and a lively visual design that brings the angler’s adventure to life.
Overview and Theme
Bigger Bass Bonanza takes players on a thrilling fishing trip where they can cast their lines for big wins in a vibrant, sun-drenched river setting. The game’s background features a picturesque riverbank, complete with gently flowing water, trees, and wildlife. The reels are set against a bright, outdoor backdrop, with the theme rooted in fishing and nature.
The symbols reflect the aquatic adventure, with images of fish, fishing rods, fishing tackles, and even the fisherman himself, who plays an important role in the game’s special features. The soundtrack features relaxing acoustic guitar and natural sounds, enhancing the serene, yet thrilling, atmosphere of the slot. As a whole, Bigger Bass Bonanza offers a fun and immersive experience for players who enjoy nature-inspired themes.
Game Mechanics and Features
Reels and Setup
Bigger Bass Bonanza features a 5×3 reel setup, which is standard for most modern video slots. The grid is packed with symbols that represent various fishing-related objects, including the classic card royals (10, J, Q, K, A) as the lower-paying symbols, while higher-paying symbols include fishing lures, tackle boxes, fishing rods, and the fisherman character.
The game uses a “ways to win” system, where matching symbols must land on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel, to create a winning combination. This setup allows for more opportunities to hit combinations compared to traditional payline systems, and the fact that wins can be formed in multiple directions adds to the excitement.
Wild and Scatter Symbols
The Bigger Bass Bonanza slot includes both wild and scatter symbols, which play a pivotal role in triggering the game’s special features.
- Wild Symbol: Represented by the fishing boat, the wild symbol can substitute for all regular symbols (except the scatter) to help form winning combinations. Wilds can appear on any reel, increasing the chances of landing a win.
- Scatter Symbol: The scatter symbol is depicted as a fishing tackle box. Landing three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels triggers the Free Spins feature, one of the game’s most exciting aspects. The scatter also plays a role in the game’s overall strategy, as it is the key to unlocking the potential for large payouts during free spins.
Free Spins Feature
The Free Spins feature is the primary highlight of Bigger Bass Bonanza. When three or more scatter symbols land on the reels, players are awarded a set number of free spins (typically 10). During the Free Spins round, there are several enhanced mechanics that can lead to more significant rewards:
- Fisherman Collect Feature: The fisherman character plays an essential role during free spins. Each time the fisherman appears, he “collects” the fish symbols that appear on the reels, adding their value to the player’s total win. These fish symbols have random values attached to them, which can range from small to substantial amounts. The more fisherman symbols that land, the greater the total win can become, creating significant opportunities for large payouts.
- Increasing Multiplier: During the Free Spins round, the game introduces an increasing multiplier. Every time a fisherman collects fish symbols, the multiplier increases by 1x, significantly boosting the total win potential. If the player lands multiple fisherman symbols across free spins, the multiplier can climb quickly, resulting in huge payouts if multiple fish symbols with high values are collected.
- Retriggering Free Spins: Landing additional scatter symbols during the Free Spins round can retrigger the feature, providing even more chances to collect fish symbols and increase the multiplier. Retriggering free spins can lead to multiple opportunities for big wins and ensure that players stay engaged with the game as they pursue higher payouts.
The Free Spins feature is undoubtedly the game’s most lucrative aspect, providing players with a chance to reel in big rewards thanks to the fisherman collect feature and increasing multipliers.
Bonus Buy Feature
For players who prefer immediate action, Bigger Bass Bonanza offers the option to purchase direct access to the Free Spins feature through the “Bonus Buy” feature. By paying a set price (usually a multiple of the player’s bet size), players can instantly trigger the Free Spins round without waiting for the scatter symbols to appear during the base game. This option appeals to players who are eager to get straight to the action and maximize their chances of landing a big win during the Free Spins round.
The cost of the Bonus Buy feature typically varies between 75x and 100x the player’s bet, depending on the casino and game settings, which can be expensive but rewarding when the Free Spins feature triggers massive payouts.
Symbols and Payouts
The symbols in Bigger Bass Bonanza revolve around the fishing theme. The lower-paying symbols are the familiar playing card icons (A, K, Q, J, 10), while the higher-paying symbols include various fishing-related items such as fishing rods, reels, tackle boxes, and the fisherman himself. The fisherman is the most valuable symbol in the game, rewarding players with significant payouts when he appears in winning combinations.
The fish symbols are also important because they are collected during the Free Spins round, with their attached cash values being added to the total payout.
The wild symbol (fishing boat) substitutes for all regular symbols except the scatter, helping form additional winning combinations and increasing the chances of hitting big payouts.
RTP and Volatility
Bigger Bass Bonanza has a solid RTP (Return to Player) rate of 96.71%, which is above the industry average for online slots. The game is designed with high volatility, meaning that wins may be less frequent but can be quite large when they do occur. High volatility is often favored by players who enjoy the thrill of chasing large payouts and are willing to take on higher risk in exchange for bigger rewards.
This combination of a decent RTP and high volatility makes Bigger Bass Bonanza a slot that is well-suited to players who enjoy the potential for big wins, especially during the Free Spins feature with multipliers and fisherman collections.
Betting Range and Payouts
Bigger Bass Bonanza offers a wide range of betting options to accommodate players of all budgets. The minimum bet typically starts at 0.10 credits per spin, while the maximum bet can go up to 250 credits per spin, depending on the casino and the game’s settings. This makes the game accessible to both casual players and high-rollers, ensuring that a broad audience can enjoy the experience.
The maximum payout in Bigger Bass Bonanza can be up to 4,000x the player’s stake, which can be achieved through the Free Spins feature with the fisherman collect feature and multipliers. This high win potential is one of the reasons the game has become so popular among players looking for big payouts.
Mobile Compatibility
As with most of Pragmatic Play’s slots, Bigger Bass Bonanza is fully optimized for mobile devices. Whether you’re playing on a smartphone or tablet, the game runs smoothly, with all features and animations intact. The user interface is intuitive, and the design adjusts seamlessly to fit smaller screens, making it easy for mobile players to enjoy the game without losing any of the experience.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Fisherman Collect feature: The fisherman symbol adds an exciting element to the Free Spins round, collecting fish symbols with cash values and leading to huge payouts.
- Increasing multipliers: The progressive multiplier during Free Spins can result in significant payouts, especially when combined with multiple fisherman collections.
- Free Spins retriggering: Landing additional scatters during Free Spins can retrigger the feature, providing even more chances for big wins.
- Bonus Buy feature: Allows players to instantly trigger the Free Spins round and bypass the base game, perfect for those looking for fast action.
- Solid RTP and win potential: With an RTP of 96.71% and a top payout of 4,000x, the game offers great potential for high payouts.
Cons:
- High volatility: The high volatility means that wins may be rare and larger payouts may take time to appear, which could be frustrating for players looking for more frequent wins.
- Bonus Buy can be expensive: Purchasing the Free Spins feature directly can be costly (up to 100x the bet), and players need to be cautious with this option.
Final Verdict
Bigger Bass Bonanza is an exciting, feature-packed slot that builds on the success of its predecessor with enhanced mechanics, an engaging theme, and great win potential. The Free Spins round, with the fisherman collect feature, increasing multipliers, and retriggers, offers ample opportunities for big payouts. The high volatility and decent RTP ensure that players can enjoy both the thrill of chasing big wins and the chance of reeling in some massive rewards.
For players who enjoy slots with a nature or fishing theme, as well as those who like high-risk, high-reward gameplay, Bigger Bass Bonanza is a fantastic choice. Its combination of solid mechanics, immersive visuals, and huge payout potential makes it a standout title in Pragmatic Play’s portfolio. Whether you’re an experienced player or new to online slots, this game offers plenty of excitement and the possibility of landing big catches.