Introduction to Bass Hunter
Bass Hunter is a casino slot from Thunderkick that gives you another opportunity to test your angling skills. Bass is arguably the most popular marine species in the casino world, and when the game is about trying to catch this specific type of fish, you may already have an idea what kind of gameplay to expect. The studio has produced a Big Bass Bonanza wannabe, delivering the familiar formula relying on cash collections and upgradable multipliers during Free Spins. There's a tiny twist in the form of an aggressive Hunter fish that may boost your chances of triggering the collection by awarding respins. Everything else follows the same trending format that's been around for years. So, if you know this playstyle throughout, there might not be anything interesting waiting ahead, but if throwing the line into the lake never gets boring for you, jump right in.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Bass Hunter is a video slot from Thunderkick with 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 paylines. The game offers a wide range of bet options, allowing you to choose your stake from as little as a Min.bet of 0.10 up to a Max.bet of 100. Running the game's engine is a default RTP of 94.14%, which is significantly lower than the industry average that oscillates around 96.0% - 96.5%, so be prepared for potentially smaller long-term returns. You'll also experience medium volatility, which aims to strike an even average balance between occasional big wins and smaller, more frequent payouts. The maximum prize achievable within a single spin is 5,000x the bet.
The game's main scene is as traditional as it could be regarding fishing slots. A picturesque, natural landscape spans the view at the top, occupying a small portion of the screen, but giving a clear idea of the location. Dense pine forests and mountain ranges undeniably point to the northern part of the northern hemisphere. The majority of the view sits just under the surface of a clear lake, where marine vegetation thrives, and a space for the game's reels has been designated in the middle. Symbols float freely in the water, unobstructed by frames or dividers, indicating the reels only through their neat vertical placement. The entire design gives off a semi-realistic vibe and is fully responsive at the same time, allowing the game to be played on all desktops, smartphones, and tablets.
The paytable consists of two sets of regular symbols that award payouts when you match at least 3 identical instances on any of the active paylines. Qualifying sequences must begin from the leftmost reel and continue rightward across adjacent columns. Among the low-paying symbols, you'll recognise playing card ranks from 10 to A, awarding 10x the bet for a combination of 5. Premium icons comprise images of a fishing hat, a fishing net, a tackle box, and a fishing rod, bringing payouts ranging from 50x to 100x the bet for combinations spanning all 5 reels. Additionally, there are Wilds in the form of a fisherman, Hunter symbols represented by a predator fish, Fish symbols with cash prizes, and Scatters appearing as a bass leaping from the water.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Bass Hunter?
You can win up to 5,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Bass Hunter?
The features are Fish & Fisherman Symbols, Hunter Respin, Bonus Game, and Feature Buy.
Fish & Fisherman Symbols
Fish symbols can land on all reels, and they appear with cash values worth 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 15x, or 25x the bet. There are also Jackpot Fish with higher prizes of 50x (Mini), 100x (Minor), 250x (Major), and 1,000x the bet (Grand). Mystery Fish reveal a random cash value or a jackpot prize when collected. The Fisherman symbol can also appear anywhere. When he lands, he collects all values from Fish symbols currently on the grid.
Hunter Respin
When Fish symbols land but there is no Fisherman to collect them, the Hunter Respin feature may trigger. A Hunter fish appears and eats all fish from the grid, accumulating their cash values. Next, a respin occurs. If you land more Fish symbols but still no Fisherman, the Hunter keeps consuming them and gathering their prizes. If a respin with no new Fish and no Fisherman occurs, the feature ends. Landing a Fisherman secures the total prize on the Hunter fish and any single Fish present on the reels.
Bonus Game
Landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatters anywhere in view at the same time awards 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins, respectively. During the round, all base mechanics are present, but there's also an additional progress bar visible underneath the grid. It collects all Fisherman symbols landing on the reels. For every four steps, you receive 5 additional spins and a multiplier applied to all future Fish collections. It grows to x2, x3, and x5 after the first, second, and third checkpoint.
Feature Buy
The game comes with several options of boosted spins and instant bonus triggers.
1.5x = Bonus Boost, with a double chance of triggering the Bonus Game.
5x = Bonus Boost Plus, with a 5-times higher chance of triggering the Bonus Game
10x = Hunter Bet, with a guaranteed Hunter Respins trigger if at least one Fish symbol lands.
80x = Regular Bonus Game.
250x = Hunter Spins.
Final Thoughts on Bass Hunter
When we browsed through Thunderkick's catalogue, we were quite surprised by the absence of classic fishing slots, which most providers seem to include these days. Perhaps that's the reason for the Bass Hunter release, simply to check the box and be done with it. Or maybe it's a clever strategic move to produce it so late in the game. Hard to say, but with the absolute flood of these types of slots coming directly from Reel Kingdom/Pragmatic Play, plus all the other studios chasing the buck, we just can't see Bass Hunter as a candidate to break through. It looks nice, it's functional, but it doesn't offer anything fresh in terms of the theme. The same royals, the same fishing gear, and the same fish roll through the reels for the umpteenth time. No matter how much gold and polish you throw on them, they remain indistinguishable from a multitude of other games in the genre.
With the Big Bass Bonanza series evolving in various directions and counting probably around 30 instalments at the time of writing this review, it's also undeniably challenging to come up with unique features added to the familiar format. Bass Hunter makes a respectable attempt, though, with the predator fish that collects cash prizes from other smaller specimens and awards respins. When triggered in the base game, it adds another layer of anticipation and unpredictability, allowing for potentially much higher prizes. Free Spins benefit from it with extended sessions, which can transform into genuinely long streaks if the Hunter happens to invade the waters frequently. It's in no way a breakthrough for fishing slots, but it may give some players a reason to give it a go, especially when lined up against the games only with the base cash-collecting setup.
Bass Hunter offers a classic fishing slot experience, focusing on familiar cash collections enhanced with respins.
