The animal theme is one of the most popular choices for those who like to play slots for free or real money, and while there are countless animal slots in existence you may be surprised to hear that this isn’t even the only Buffalo themed slot - but exactly how does it stack up against competitors such as Buffalo Thunder from Novomatic and the many others that have been developed?
Buffalo Gold is another video slot from the iconic Buffalo slots collection by the Australian gaming company Aristocrat. Those include the original title, as well as Buffalo Stampede, Buffalo Grand and others. Buffalo Gold slot machine is housed in the ARC Single cabinet (see the image below). Free Games Featuer with Gold Bonus: 8, 15, or 20 free games are awarded with 3, 4, or 5 'Gold Coin' scatter symbols. During the free games each wild 'Canyon' symbol that appears anywhere on reels 2, 3, and 4 will multiply the total win for that spin by 2x or 3x.
Reel Power
Buffalo boasts a generous 94.58% return to player percentage and is played across 5 reels and thanks to the Xtra Reel Power feature it boasts 1,024 ways to win, however you don’t select paylines - instead you select reels to play with an amount set per reel. Selecting reel one costs 1x, selecting reel one and two costs 5x, selecting reel one to three costs 10x, selecting reel one to four costs 20x, while all five reels activated costs 40x. In addition to this there are four rows as we also saw in 50 Dragons and 50 Lions rather than the usual three rows which are so often used.
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Buffalo Bosses the Reels
Like the Wolf Moon slot machine (also developed by Aristocrat), Buffalo also features various other animals on the reels rather than focusing solely on the gigantic mammals themselves, with a total of thirteen symbols falling on the reels.
The Buffalo is the most valuable symbol of all with five on a single payline rewarding you with 300 coins but it’s just a standard symbols and not the Wild or Scatter. The Wild is a stunning sunset protruding from the horizon and this substitutes for all others except the Scatter, however it does only appear on the second, third, and fourth reels rather than them all. The Scatter in Buffalo is a golden coin, while an American Eagle, Tiger, Grey Wolf, and Deer are the other animals on the reels, with the line-up of symbols completed with the low valued Ace to 9 we see so often.
Up to 27x Multiplier
This is simply one of the best free spins modes that I have ever encountered, and certainly offers you the opportunity of claiming some Buffalo-sized wins!
To activate the free spins mode you’ll first need to land three or more Scatter symbols (golden coin) anywhere on the reels with the number that land determining the amount of free spins that will assigned to you. Three scatters see you claim 8 free spins, four see you claim 15 free spins, while five Scatters see you claim the maximum of 20 free spins – but in addition to this the feature can actually be retriggered as you play and should you only manage to land two Scatter symbols (rather than the minimum of three to trigger at least eight) you’ll generously receive five more spins!
Sounds incredible doesn’t it? Well it gets even better.
While your free spins play out each and every Wild (the sunset) that appears on the second, third or fourth reels will see the amount won for that spin doubled or tripled – and that means the total win for any spin could be multiplied by up to 27x which is astonishing.
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Buffalo Conclusion
Buffalo was actually a very popular Aristocrat title at brick-and-mortar casinos as well as in Fixed Odds Betting Terminals so they brought it online to be played at some of the best online casinos whether it be on desktop, tablet or mobile.
I was a little disappointed the symbols weren’t more Buffalo-themed with different sizes of herds and stances. Instead it’s just a rather general animal-themed slot with a Buffalo as the Wild symbol but to be fair they have been well designed.
What did impress me was the quite sensational free spins mode where you can actually enjoy a multiplier bonus of up to 27x, receive up to 20 free spins (which can be retriggered) - plus landing just two Scatters in one spin sees five more spins added to your counter which happens very regularly.
The Buffalo Gold slot machine is a game for low rollers and mid-stakes players. The coin denominations are 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05 and 0.10. Players can set the reel cost at 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40. This means you can set the bet level from one cent to $4.00. The coin denominations are variable based on the online casino. Different operators can set the levels, though the bet levels above are what you’ll find in most online casinos.
The gameplay, graphics and sound effects of the Buffalo Gold slot machine will be familiar to bettors who’ve enjoyed Buffalo slot machines before. The 2020 version includes enhancements in the animations, though some might not like how the wolf howls when a winning spin happens. In the free spins round, players collect golden buffalo symbols, which turn symbols into the jackpot symbol for the duration of the free games round. Collect enough and you win the Buffalo Gold jackpot.
Unlike the new Buffalo Grand, the Buffalo Gold slot machine variation uses a conventional setup of four rows and five reels. It uses the all-ways system, which pays for consecutive symbols from the left-hand side, regardless of their position. Bet increments are 60 cents. Each casino operator sets the Buffalo Gold slot machine’s max bet according to their whims, although a real money high limit of around $3 is the norm.
Bonuses & Game Features
As mentioned before, each casino decides the max bet, with a max bet of between $3 and $3.60 the usual top range. For those wanting to practice the Buffalo Gold slot machine before playing for real money, a free slots version is also available. The free version of Buffalo Gold Slots contains all the wild multipliers, free games, machine bonus videos and jackpots of its real money counterpart.
The golden buffalo symbols are large and impossible to miss. Once you collect them, the symbol turns into a regular buffalo – which triggers wins as usual. When you collect three, four or five gold buffalo coins, you win eight, 12 and 20 free spins respectively.
To win big, you’ll need re-triggers, but that’s a possibility with the Buffalo Gold slot machine. When you hit two or more gold coins, the two coins re-trigger five extra spins.
- Buffalo Gold Slot Machine Symbols: Reel Symbols: Buffalo (Scatter), Bald Eagle, Big Cat, Elk, Sunset (Wild), Wolf, Coin, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten.
Bonus Feature: Stacked Wild Symbols
The symbols on the Buffalo Gold slot machine are stacked, though not overly so. Stacked wilds mean you’ll trigger multiple win lines at the same time. With the help of wild symbols (which show the iconic sunrise over a mountain), you find bigger wins come because the stacked wilds cover up several icons on the Buffalo Gold slot machine.
Bonus Feature: Golden Buffalo Symbol
The Buffalo Gold icon is the best-paying symbol on the Buffalo Gold slot machine. When a win happens, an animated buffalo appears on the screen to charge you, complete with a dust trail. If you hit several five-of-a-kind buffaloes, it activates the famous Aristocrat coin fountain effect. At that point, you’ll hear the ‘big win’ tune.
Like on the original Buffalo slots game, the wild symbols on the Buffalo Gold slot machine act as multipliers during the machine bonus game. Each time one or more is involved in a win, it gets 2x or 3x wild multipliers (together with an eagle screech sound effect). This makes a big difference to your prizes. Players want to combine multiple buffalo symbols with two or more wild multipliers.
Bonus Feature: Scatter Symbols
The scatter symbols are gold coins. These have two main roles. First, they are scatter symbols, which will pay a multiple of your total spin amount for 3+. Second, they trigger the free games. When you receive multiple scatters on the Buffalo Gold slot machine, you’ll get eight free spins for three coins, 12 free spins for four coins, and the maximum 20 free spins for five coins.
Other winning symbols on the Buffalo Gold slot machine include examples of wildlife like eagles, mountain lions, wolves and elks. Playing card symbols in bold primary colors make up the smaller wins. Most symbols require 3+ from the left to trigger a win, though there are some smaller two-of-a-kind wins.
Bonus Feature: Progressive Free Spin Bonus Game
When the free spins bonus game hits on the Buffalo Gold slot machine, you’ll hear a ringing bell and a song. You will then see an area set up to count the number of golden buffalo symbols you select. Once you get 4+ of these, the eagle symbols will all turn into buffalo. Another eight turns the lions into buffalo, with the wolves and elks following on.
Bonus Feature: Buffalo Gold Meter
Any time a buffalo symbol appears on the Buffalo Gold slot machine, it adds to the Buffalo Gold Meter. Collect four buffaloes to change all eagle icons (or wolf icons) to buffalo icons – whichever helps you win more cash. Once a gold buffalo appears, it changes to the buffalo symbol for all remaining free games.