Released at the end of 2020 by Pragmatic Play partner Reel Kingdom, Big Bass Bonanza hit just the right note with a bunch of online anglers to become a surprisingly popular game. What was surprising is, in many ways it didn't do a whole lot that slots like Fishin' Frenzy already offered. However, it did have a much more involved bonus game, which could bestow multipliers as high as x10 to boost scatter wins, though the max win was a little disappointing. Still, Big Bass Bonanza reeled in enough players to warrant a follow-up. This has resulted in Bigger Bass Bonanza, which wisely hasn't changed the central gameplay much but has added a few things to indeed make it a bigger game.
A few changes are apparent right away. First, an extra row has been added, so Bigger Bass Bonanza's action occurs on a 5-reel, 4-row game panel with 12 fixed paylines. The background image has been overhauled as well. Now, it doesn't seem like players are deep-sea fishing but casting off nearer to a shoreline dotted with palm trees and neon-lit buildings. Somewhere hip, suggested by the funkier, electro 80s style soundtrack, replacing the amiable plinking of the original.
Moving onto the math model, some things have changed, some things have stayed the same. Default RTP remains the generous value of 96.71%, though it is variable, so check the help files to find out what version you've got in front of you. As part of the 'bigger' makeover, volatility has increased to a high level, now rated 5 out of 5, compared to 4/5 of the previous one. Bets have changed to match the paylines, starting at 12 p/c and incrementing in odd levels until topping out at $/€240 per spin.
Big wins are possible by collecting scatters in free spins, while regular line wins occur when matching symbols land left to right on adjacent reels from the leftmost reel. 10-A card royals are used as the low-value symbols, while a tackle box, a lure, a fishing rod, and a boat are the high pays. High pays are worth 50 to 200x the bet for five of a kind, and landing a full line of fish scatters pays out the total money value amount. There is a wild symbol too, appearing in free spins to substitute regular pay symbols and collect any money symbols in view.
The features in Bigger Bass Bonanza are the same as those in Big Bass Bonanza, with the added benefit of an extra row and larger value money symbols. Scatter symbols appear on all reels, and 3, 4, or 5 in view award 10, 15, or 20 free spins.
During the free spins feature, when wild symbols land at the same time as money symbols, the angler collects all of their values on behalf of the player. Money symbols land holding a randomly assigned money value. In this game, there is an elusive fish scatter worth 4,000x the bet.
In addition, wild symbols are collected on a meter displayed above the reels. Every 4th wild symbols collected retriggers the feature, awarding +10 additional free spins and a multiplier for the wild money symbol collector. Players get x2 for the first retrigger, then x3 for the second, and x10 for the third. How it works is that if the x2 is active, when the fisherman collects any money symbols, he doubles their value. After three retriggers, the feature cannot be retriggered again.
Well, it is bigger, so there is no boasting in the title. Bigger Bass Bonanza has an expanded reel set, a couple of extra paylines, and the math model has been ratcheted up to a high setting. Even the game's location has switched, and of all the changes, this might be the most contentious of all for some players. The original had a ukulele-led feel of deep-sea fishing off Maui or somewhere like that. Wherever it was felt a lot more laid back than the synthwave styles of where we are now – Miami, Tenerife? It's impossible to say, but it is a place you could imagine hardcore fishermen or women wanting to escape from for a bit of peace and quiet.
Or maybe it won't matter a fig, since Bigger Bass Bonanza still has a carefree, seagoing feel, and the main features are the same as before. So, players who enjoyed the Fishin' Frenzy antics of the first will probably be keen to cast off on this one as well. Maybe more so, since the potential rewards have increased from the original's 2,100x to almost double the amount at 4,000 times the bet. This figure is a win cap, by the way. Bigger Bass Bonanza could possibly go higher but should you hit the 4k ceiling, the bonus game will shut down.
Technically, Bigger Bass Bonanza doesn't do much the previous one didn't. It just squeezes a few extra thrills out of the popular format. If you found yourself playing either the previous version or any number of Fishin' Frenzy wannabes and just craved a little bit more, then Bigger Bass Bonanza could be the answer.
If you want something with more potential, there is also a Megaways version available titled Big Bass Bonanza Megaways. Alternatively, if you're in the holiday spirit, you can always load up Christmas Bigger Bass Bonanza.
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