Buffalo Rising Megaways gets an upgrade with Jackpot King mechanic, which becomes the third addition to the cult Buffalo Rising series from Blueprint. This version does not significantly differ from its predecessors, though, there are a few changes to the math model as well as the general enhancement with the progressive jackpot feature.
Back in 2018, when the original Buffalo Rising Megaways was released, it immediately gained cult status and became one of the most beloved games among Blueprint’s portfolio. Many of the fans still enjoy it, as the slot continues to magnetize players and even attract new ones. However, the devs decided to stick to the easy path by adding at first the All Action mechanic, and now the Jackpot King. Not to say that the first part has lost its relevance, though, Blueprint wants to keep their brainchild in the public eye as long as possible, and the addition of new features fulfills its role.
The first thing that catches your eye is that nothing has really changed in terms of the visuals. The devs did stick to the previous design and everything remained quite familiar for those who have ever tried the original part. Though, we still have to pay tribute to the design team who developed the first part of the Buffalo Rising Megaways series, as it still looks as charming as not long after the release. The reels are decorated with golden framing and the backdrop showcases a windswept rocky valley. A pretty sight indeed. The soundtrack is another of the highlights as it captures the essential vibe and fits the theme perfectly.
As for the symbol collection, it includes 10 regulars, which are divided by 6 low-pays and 4 premiums. On the lower side, we get A-9 royals, which do correspond to the theme, though, Blueprint could have come up with something more authentic or at least give them a dash of personality by a little styling. The premiums are way better and are represented by 4 wild animals, however, as the title implies the buffalo symbol is by far the worthiest among the regulars. It is followed by bears, wolves, and deers. Moreover, the buffalo pays for only two instances of it on a payline, while the other ones require at least 3-of-a-kind combos to pay out. The highest rewards are given for 6 symbols on a single line:
There’s also a Wild symbol included in Buffalo Rising Megaways, though, it doesn’t have any own value and only acts as a substitute to any other regular symbols to assist you in forming winning combinations. Furthermore, the Wilds can only appear above the reels 2, 3, 4, and 5, meaning only the extra top row can be used to land these specials.
As the title implies, the slot is powered by the Megaways engine, which randomly determines the number of symbols and betways at the beginning of each spin. The grid is a 6 reel and 2-7 row layout with varying number of betways from 64 to 117,649. The grid is complemented by the additional extra row on top of the main reels, adding some extra opportunities to score wins. The math model is pretty similar to the original part, though, it underwent a few changes. The volatility is set to medium-high level, however, do not expect to be showered in wins since the slot is a little quirky when it comes to the technical aspects. The betting range remained at the same level, meaning players drop in by setting bets from 0.1$ to 10$ per spin. It may not appeal to a particular interlayer of players, to be more precise, high-rollers, but less risky players will be satisfied with available bet options. However, there’s no need to blame Blueprint since almost all Megaways slots do not exceed the 10$ bet cap on a single spin.
Since the Jackpot King mechanic is the highlight of this game, let’s start the feature section from reviewing this feature. The Jackpot King Pot System is available on any stake on any game featuring the above-mentioned mechanic. You can win a massive progressive jackpot and this can be done if you’re lucky enough to land 5 Jackpot King Deluxe symbols on a single spin. After landing the required combination, you will proceed to the mini-game, where you have to spin the reels to collect Crown symbols. The more you manage to gather, the higher reward you will get. You need as much as 15 Crowns to get to the Wheel King bonus, where you will have a chance to win the progressive jackpot.
The next feature to mention is the Cascading Wins mechanic. The feature triggers on every winning spin, destroying the winning symbols and replacing them with new ones. Heavy symbol blocks will tumble down onto the grid to form new winning combinations, and the feature continues up to the moment when no new winning combos appear. Cascading Wins works perfectly paired Megaways engine, allowing to score multiple wins almost every round by launching a chain of consecutive wins.
Yet the Free Spins feature is the heart of the game. The feature can be triggered by landing at least 4 Scatter diamonds anywhere onto the reels. Then you can choose a preferred mode out of 4 options to determine the number of spins and the initial multiplier value you will get.
The 4th option is the Mystery Choice – you will have to choose from 6 options to randomly determine the multiplier and the number of spins. The first 3 options reveal the number of Free Spins from 5 to 15, and the second 3 options reveal the initial multiplier value from 1x to 10x.
Moreover, the multiplier in the bonus game is unlimited and increases after each Cascade. It doesn’t reset after non-winning spins and keeps growing up to the end of the Free Spins round.
Those who want to skip the less exciting part and plunge straight into the action can use the Buy Feature to immediately activate the Free Spins round. It will cost you 100x of the current bet, though, it may still be worth the risk as you can land big wins almost every spin taking into consideration the progressive multiplier.
The last but not least feature is the Mystery Symbol, which is represented by a landscape icon. It can appear on any reel during both base and Free Spins games. After landing onto the grid it transforms to reveal a random symbol except for the Scatter. All the Mystery symbols reveal the same instances of random regulars.
All said and done, Buffalo Rising Megaways Jackpot King is a pleasing game with exciting and lucrative features. Not to say that the game has been drastically reinvented thanks to the Jackpot King mechanic enhancement, but this adds an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay. This version, though, cannot be considered as a step up in quality as everything remained almost the same as it was in the first Buffalo Rising Megaways. However, it appeals as much as the original, and the little jackpot upgrade delivered extra thrill to the slot. All up, if you liked the original part about buffaloes from Blueprint, you’ll definitely appreciate the Jackpot King version.
