Bonanza Megaways Slot Overview
There aren’t many slots that you can truly describe as revolutionary. Games that have had a huge impact and inspired countless imitators. One slot that really fits that bill is Bonanza Megaways, the slot that unleashed the hugely popular, shape shifting Megaways game mechanic. Launched back in December 2016, this mining-themed slot remains one of the most popular Megaways releases of all time. Played using a 6-reel machine that offers up to 117,649 ways to win, it comes with a free spin bonus complete with expanding multipliers which can increase throughout the round. With max wins of 26,000 x bet, find out more about this all-time classic in our detailed and unbiased Bonanza Megaways review.
Bonanza Megaways Details, RTP, Payout and Volatility
Bonanza Megaways wasn’t the first slot to use the Megaways mechanic, that accolade goes to Dragon Born, but this mining-themed extravaganza was the slot that started the Megaways goldrush.
The action here plays out on a 6-reel machine. The revolutionary aspect being the number of symbols that appear on each reel change with each spin. You’ll see between 2 and 7 symbols on a reel on any spin. This impacts on the number of ways you can create a winning combination. The more symbols on show, the more active ways to win. If all the reels contain the maximum number of symbols, you’ll have 117,649 ways to win.
To land a winner, you’ll need to see 3 or more matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel. You can expect to see plenty of winning combinations land as the hit rate is 37.47%. That means on average, you hit a winner once every 2.67 spins. Compare that to the hit rate in Nolimit City’s Tombstone RIP slot, which is just over 9%.
You can go digging for riches in Bonanza Megaways at bet levels of between $/£/€0.20 and $/£/€20 per spin. Use the green arrows in the stake box to adjust your bet size. In some territories, but not the UK, you can set up to 100 autoplay spins, complete with win and loss limits.
The Bonanza Megaways RTP is 96% which is about average. The volatility here is in the medium to high range.
The most you can potentially win is 26,000 x bet, which is a huge improvement on the 12,000 x bet max win potential is used to be. It now matches the top prize in the Christmas Bonanza Megaways slot from Big Time Gaming. The best opportunities to land a bumper payday come courtesy of the free spin round where expanding multipliers can really get things moving.
Bonanza Megaways Theme, Audio and Symbols
The theme in Bonanza Megaways is mining. The reels are flanked by a waterfall and a miner’s hut. This isn’t a dark and grimy coalmine either but a rather shiny gold mine. The colourful symbols appear on stone blocks and stand out really sharply. That’s important given the number of symbols you can land on each spin.
Accompanying the imagery is a rather madcap, hillbilly-style soundtrack. It’s a real twanging toe-tapper and is a perfect fit for the mining theme. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but we rather liked it. If it’s a bit too much, just head to the settings where there’s an option to turn off the sounds.
You’ll see A to 9 royals alongside green, blue, red gemstones and a shimmering diamond. Land 6 of the diamond and you’ll pocket an award equal to 50 x bet. Above reels 2, 3, 4 and 5 is a cart which adds symbols to the reels directly below. The wild symbol (the sticks of dynamite) can land in this cart above the 4 central reels. As usual, the wild substitutes for everything apart from the scatter.
That scatter is a collection of gold letters that can spell the word GOLD. More on this shortly. Here are the payouts on offer from each symbol:
- 9: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 or 0.8 x bet
- 10: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.15, 0.25, 0.5 or 0.9 x bet
- J: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.15, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 x bet
- Q: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.2, 0.25, 0.6 or 1 x bet
- A/K: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 or 1.75 x bet
- Green Gemstone: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 or 2 x bet
- Blue Gemstone: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 0.25, 1, 1.5 or 2 x bet
- Red Gemstone: 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 1, 2, 2.5 or 7.5 x bet
- Diamond: 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 = 2, 5, 10, 25 or 50 x bet
Bonanza Megaways Mobile
You can go digging on smartphones and tablets at the best mobile casinos as well as desktop and laptop computers thanks to the Bonanza Megaways mobile slot. The gameplay is nice and smooth in the mobile version and even with all the moving parts, it’s very straightforward to play. The game is available for Android and iOS handsets, but I personally prefer playing slots with a bigger reel size on a larger screen to fully appreciate the visuals.
Bonanza Megaways Bonus Features
Reaction wins, free spins and multipliers are the main features on offer in Bonanza Megaways. Future slots using this mechanic packed in the extras but the offering here is pretty straightforward. There’s no shortage of action though. Read on as we take you through how all of the bonus features work.
Reaction Wins
Central to much of the best gameplay on offer in Bonanza Megaways are the Reaction Wins. Land a winning combination and those successful symbols are blasted off the reels and new ones drop in and replace them. A new payout consideration is then made with the new symbols in place. If that results in another winner, the process is repeated. The Reactions keep on coming until there’s one where no new winning combination is created. The Reactions can really come into their own during the Free Spins feature which we’ll look at now.
Free Spins with Expanding Multipliers
Spell out the word G.O.L.D with the scatter symbols during the base game to activate the game’s main bonus round. Your reward is 12 free spins. Any extra scatter that appears on the triggering spin add another 5 free spins to that total. The maximum available is 22.
The free spins action begins with payouts at the standard 1x multiplier rate. That figure can quickly rise though. Each time you land a Reaction win during the free spins, the value of that win multiplier increases by 1x. The multiplier doesn’t reset following a winless reaction either, it continues to rise throughout the round. There’s no cap on the multiplier either, it can keep on getting higher and higher.
Joining the action here is a new symbol. This trolley full of gold bars is a new scatter symbol which can land in the top position above the middle 4 reels. Land 3 or 4 of these on the same spin for a re-trigger. Another 5 or 10 free spins are then added to your total.
Bonanza Megaways Slot Verdict
Bonanza Megaways was a real game changing slot. It not only spawned some sequels, it also fuelled the boom in popularity of slots that use the Megaways mechanic. Without Bonanza Megaways there’s no Gonzo’s Quest Megaways, no Wheel of Fortune Megaways, no Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways. The list goes on.
The revolutionary Reaction wins combined with free spins and multipliers deliver a very impressive overall package. Especially when you factor in a 26,000 x bet max wins and volatility that is fairly high but not ridiculously so.
Hundreds of slots have gone on to use this game mechanic, but we still usually keep coming back to the classic Bonanza Megaways. We’re not the only ones to do so either. This is one of the best Megaways slots of all time. With its classy design, superb gameplay and terrific bonus round, it’s easy to see why. Bonanza Megaways is a classic slot and remains one of the best games around.
Bonanza Megaways Pros and Cons
Pros
- Fantastic gameplay
- The most popular Megaways slot
- Now 26,000 x bet max wins
Cons
- None
If You Like the Bonanza Megaways Slot
Bonanza Megaways proved to be such a smash hit it spawned a series of spin off releases. Bonanza Megapays is very similar to the original. You’ll find the same reaction wins, free spins and multipliers. The big addition here is a progressive jackpot element. The Mega Jackpot is seeded at £/€/$ 300,000 but can get much, much bigger.
Then there’s Bonanza Falls, which features similar design to the original as well as the classic Reaction wins. The big addition is the Megadozer Free Spins feature. Look out for gold coins which appear above the reels and drop onto them and deliver multiplier wilds, more free spins, repeating symbols or expanding multipliers. With an RTP of 96.51% and a max win of 93,540 x bet, this super volatile slot was a worthy follow up to the classic Bonanza Megaways.
