Introduction to Bonanza More Gold
Bonanza More Gold is a video slot from Big Time Gaming, once again resonating with an iconic banjo tune and violent explosions that elevated an inconspicuous release from 2016 to cult status. After a decade, almost to the day, we receive a full-fledged sequel to the legendary Bonanza Megaways, a game that's responsible for spreading BTG's unique win evaluation mechanism like wildfire. Some may argue that two follow-ups had already been live for a while, but Bonanza Megapays is more of a remake with jackpot functionality added on top and Bonanza Falls provides a slightly different experience with its dozer-style addition. Bonanza More Gold, alongside the familiar gameplay based on reactions and an unlimited progressive multiplier in Free Spins, brings a range of new features to enhance the bonus round experience. Spin the wheel and reveal your upgrades, from guaranteed minimum symbol count per reel and easier retriggers to new types of Wilds and higher multiplier increments. Let's find out if the improved setup competently carries on the legacy.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Bonanza More Gold is a video slot from Big Time Gaming with 6 reels, 2-7 rows, and up to 117,649 ways to win. Within the bet selection panel, you can pick your stake from a range of options, starting from a Min.bet of 0.2 up to a Max.bet of 33. The game comes with a default RTP of 96.52%, promising reliable long-term returns in line with the industry average. However, several alternative variants of 94.29%, 91.43%, and 86.33% are also available, so be sure to verify the version you're playing. Due to the game's high volatility, you should expect high wins to be less frequent but more valuable on average, with the maximum possible win reaching 100,000x the bet in any single game round.
Bonanza More Gold is a spitting image of its predecessors, utilising the same assets and almost the same scene composition. With a classic like this, any alterations in the visuals would probably be considered a travesty in the eyes of players, so such a decision is understandable. The only additions to the scene are those that accommodate new features, namely the two wheels packed with upgrades, spinning lazily behind the main playing panel. A cheerful banjo tune playing the iconic western song picks up whenever you start spinning, instantly bringing back the memories of the original Bonanza Megaways. The game looks and works smoothly on all modern devices, so you can fire it up on any PC, smartphone, or tablet.
The paytable introduces two sets of distinct regular symbols, which award payouts when at least 3 matching instances (or 2, in the case of the top symbol) align on neighbouring reels, starting from the leftmost one. Among the low-paying ones, there are playing card ranks, including 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A, awarding from 0.8x to 1.25x the bet for a complete way of 6. The high-paying group contains green, blue, and red gemstones, plus a shiny round diamond. Matching 6 premium symbols on a winning way awards prizes ranging from 1.75x to 20x the bet. In addition to regular icons, there are Wilds represented by a cart with dynamite and Scatters appearing as golden plates spelling the word GOLD.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Bonanza More Gold?
You can win up to 100,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Bonanza More Gold?
The features are Cascading, Free Spins, and Power Play & Feature Buy.
Cascading
Cascades, or Reactions, as Big Time Gaming calls them, trigger whenever you hit a winning combination. Symbols involved in it disappear, making room for new instances to enter the grid and potentially award more successive wins. The sequence continues until no new combinations can occur.
Free Spins
Hitting at least 4 Scatters spelling the word GOLD anywhere on the grid in a single spin triggers 12 Free Spins. Each additional Scatter in the combination awards 5 extra initial spins. During the round, Scatters take the form of carts with gold bars, and they can only appear on the top horizontal reel. Hitting 3 or 4 at the same time grants 6 or 12 additional spins, respectively. An unlimited win multiplier starts at x1 and increases by 1 with every triggered cascade, multiplying all wins accordingly in the meantime.
Before you begin the bonus, a Feature Wheel will spin to award one of the following upgrades, which will be present throughout the round.
Increased Ways = a minimum of 4 symbols per reel guaranteed to land every time.
x2 Wild = all Wilds land with an x2 multiplier.
Retrigger Surge = 2, 3, or 4 Scatters award 3, 6, or 12 extra spins.
Wild Bomb = adds Barrel Wilds to the top reel, which expand in one or two directions.
Multiplier Doubler = win multiplier starts at x2 and increments by 2 after each cascade.
Multiplier Boost = win multiplier starts at x5.
Classic Free Spins = no active upgrade.
Super Upgrade = spin the Super Wheel for one of the enhanced upgrades.
The Super Wheel contains the following options:
Super Increased Ways = a minimum of 6 symbols per reel guaranteed to land every time.
Super Retrigger Surge = 1, 2, 3, or 4 Scatters award 1, 3, 6, or 12 extra spins.
x4 Wild = all Wilds land with an x4 multiplier.
Power Play & Feature Buy
You can activate the Power Play mode for 5x your active stake per spin, where at least 10,000 Megaways are available every time. It's also possible to access Free Spins in two modes for a fixed buy-in that scales with your bet.
140x = Free Spins with one spin on the regular Feature Wheel.
300x = Free Spins with one spin on the Super Feature Wheel.
Final Thoughts on Bonanza More Gold
The original Bonanza Megaways was always all about Free Spins and its unlimited multiplier combined with a variable number of ways. Hence, packing all enhancements into the bonus round in Bonanza More Gold makes absolute sense. Would some players appreciate extras in the base game to keep them occupied until they hit the coveted GOLD text spelt out on 4 Scatters? Sure, especially those who didn't have the chance to experience the appeal of the previous release. However, to build on the legendary volatility and win potential of that game and elevate those aspects for punters who got charmed by them over the last ten years, channelling the enhancements exclusively into Free Spins seems like the ideal move. With the jaw-dropping 100,000x max win on offer, the sequel empowers the very essence of what made Bonanza Megaways a worldwide hit.
Regarding the individual additions (and they should be regarded individually since you can only have one of them present at a time) they may not feel all that explosive from the get-go. Should some synergies between them be possible, it may have made a better impression. But expanding Wilds, x2 Wilds, increased minimum ways, bigger multiplier increments, and easier retriggers don't feel like groundbreaking features that could massively impact a bonus playthrough on their own. In fact, you can already get the feel of how most of them perform in three instalments of the Max Megaways series. Still, since the Megaways and the unlimited multiplier proved to be such a strong combination, each of those upgrades effectively improves its capabilities, in one way or another leading to extracting more power from the core mechanism. Fans of the original will undoubtedly appreciate an extra boost during the legendary bonus, and new players will be able to experience the might of Bonanza Megaways in a meatier version.
Bonanza More Gold builds on the classic charm and power of the original with a range of familiar extras packed into the bonus round.
