The game's main protagonist is - of course - an animated alpha buffalo that approvingly snorts at your winning spins and may randomly dash to add beneficial symbols to the slot face. Wilds, bonus symbols, and top-paying symbols are all animated, effectively attracting players' attention and creating the impression that the game is dynamic and eventful. The game is otherwise nature-themed, with low-paying royals and mid-paying animal symbols. These include endemic species such as beavers, bighorn rams, wolves and eagles, while the top-paying symbol is the mighty buffalo. Scatters are represented with very nicely done dreamcatchers, and massive gold nuggets stand for wilds.
Buffalo Bucks is played on a 5x4 grid with 1024 win ways and helps players score better wins with three main features. The first is the buffalo dash, which can start randomly during any base game spin. The animated buffalo streaks across the slot face and leaves pretty handy symbols in its wake: two to six buffaloes or wilds that help you create or boost your winning combinations. Randomly added functional and high-value symbols are always welcome and appreciated: they keep you focused on each and every spin since wins can occur at any time.
The game gets serious, however, when you manage to land three or more scatters. They will trigger the wheel bonus feature with up to five wheels to progress through. The first four wheels award random cash values, multiplied bet values, free games and jackpots, while the last wheel has only free games wedges. You progress through them until you hit a free games wedge, upon which the feature ends and you go straight to free games. When it comes to jackpots, the grand jackpot can only be won from the wheel feature, and the other four can be won either from these wheels or the dreamcatcher reveal mechanic in free games. In practice, this means that landing three or more scatters feels like you are winning two different bonuses at the same time: you get to spin the wheel for instant cash and jackpots, and you eventually trigger free games as well.
The other engaging feature is the free games, of course, and you can start them by landing the wheel on the corresponding wedge. The pros of this phase lie in the added dreamcatcher symbols that appear on inner reels in this phase only. When they land, they reveal instant cash values, additional free games, multiplier wilds and jackpots. Even better, if you land two of them and one is a multiplier wild and the other a jackpot or instant cash value, the award will be multiplied by the awarded multiplier wild. And one more thing: if those scatters seem too elusive and you just can't land enough of them to start the wheel feature, there's a way out. Buy the bonus for a 100x bet and you will land three or more scatters in the next spin to trigger the wheel feature. Because sometimes, luck just needs a little nudge.
Our final verdict
When it comes to slots inspired by nature and especially by the animal kingdom, it can be quite a challenge to create a game that visually stands out from other similarly-themed games. Atomic Slot Lab did a great job in this sense, as the visual impression you get from the game nicely fits its theme, concept and mechanics without resorting to caricatured depictions and exaggerated visuals: the buffalo dash feature is an excellent example. We all liked the beautifully drawn dreamcatcher symbols and especially Native American tapestry and wall decoration patterns. These latter are used for feature backgrounds and further reinforce the perception of the game as firmly set in its backdrop and context. The sound effects of reels stopping are pretty standard, but there are other memorable ones, such as the "Yeehaw!" yell that can be heard whenever something good happens on the slot face. The best thing about sound, however, is the musical score that wouldn't feel out of place in any classic Western movie and puts you right into the boots of an American pioneer or rancher.
The overall impression is one of exceeded expectations, so don't believe those who say that Western/frontier-themed games have been overdone and are thus uninspired and hardly attractive. Buffalo Bucks feels like a well-made game by developers who know what they are doing and what players want. Combo-making action never really stops, courtesy of the buffalo dash feature that can also heavily ramp up your payouts, while free spins with multiplying wilds offer plenty of big win potential, especially when those wilds multiply your jackpots. By authentically playing the Western theme card and delivering a genuine American-style casino experience rich in features and payouts, the game elevates the metaphor of the "force of nature" to new heights, and sets a new standard for games with a similar concept and theme.
