By Doug Holmes
Summary:
- Pragmatic Play releases Big Bass Halloween Splash 1000 slot
- Min/max bet: 0.10/250
- Max payout: 20,000x
Developed together with Reel Kingdom, Pragmatic Play’s new “Big Bass Halloween Splash 1000” is built on the popular Big Bass Splash 1000 slot, adding a Halloween theme that features a Dracula-inspired fisherman, costumed fish, pumpkins, bats and coffins.
While the seasonal graphics give the game a different look, the core gameplay will feel familiar to players who have tried other entries in the Big Bass series.
The slot uses a 5×3 grid with 10 paylines and offers a maximum win of 20,000x the bet. Its medium volatility differs from the high volatility of its predecessor.
The default RTP isset to 96.50%, although alternative versions with RTPs of 95.50% and 94.50% also exist.
The symbols combine standard card ranks with Halloween-themed premium icons. The lower-paying symbols run from 10 through Ace, while the higher-paying symbols include spooky fish, coffins, fishing rods, bats, and monster trucks.
Five matching low-paying symbols award between 5x and 10x the bet, depending on the symbol.
Premium symbols offer larger payouts, ranging from 20x to 200x the bet for five of a kind. These regular symbols form the basis of the base game, but much of the slot’s potential is tied to the Money symbols and Fisherman Wilds that appear during free spins.
Special Features
Landing three, four, or five Scatter symbols will award you 10, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. You can collect two Scatters in a cauldron, which could trigger the bonus.
The base game also offers player a respin opportunity, which could bring in a third Scatter when two appear, while an additional Scatter may arrive randomly after the initial spin result.
Before the free spins begin, players select one of six pumpkins. The choice can reveal an upgrade or no reward, with upgrades that can affect Wilds, fish symbols, special features, the starting level, or the number of spins.
The Fisherman Wild is central to the bonus round. When it lands, it collects the values of Money symbols on the screen. Every fourth Wild collected triggers 10 more free spins and increases the collection multiplier.
The multiplier increases to 2x at the second level, 3x at the third, and 10x at the fourth. Once the fourth level has been reached, the feature cannot be retriggered again. Any retriggered spins begin after the current batch ends, and the increased multiplier applies to those spins.
When Pumpkin symbols land on the rightmost reel during free spins, you can choose from six pumpkins and cross your fingers to unlock an upgrade.
Any upgrade revealed takes effect on the following spin, and the game guarantees at least five free spins at the current level after an upgrade is revealed.
Available upgrades include more Fisherman Wilds, more fish symbols, a higher chance of special features, a starting position at level two, or two additional spins at the beginning of the round and on each retrigger.
Three additional features can appear during free spins: Trick or Treat, Spider, and Bazooka.
During Trick or Treat, the Fisherman symbols appearing without fish may add Money symbols to the reels at the end of the spin.
During the Spider feature, when fish appear without a Fisherman symbol, spiders may bring Fisherman Wilds onto the screen. When Fisherman symbols appear without fish as part of the Bazooka feature, symbols other than the Fisherman symbols may be changed into something else.
The new slot also has an ante bet that increases the stake by 50% in exchange for a higher chance of triggering free spins, with more Scatter symbols appearing on the reels.
Players can also buy the regular free spins feature for 100x the bet or the Super Free Spins feature for 450x. The Super Free Spins option offers a higher chance of landing Money symbols worth 1,000x the bet.
All in all, the new release is a good choice for fans of the franchise looking for a Halloween-themed version. However, and maybe as expected, its appeal mostly rests on familiar mechanics and not seasonal presentation than on originality.
