Astute readers would have noticed that Bonanza Megaways is currently Bigwinboard’s highest-scoring slot machine. Big Time Gaming may be at a loss for how to enhance the experience beyond what is currently there. It’s as if Da Vinci were staring at the Mona Lisa, pondering how he could improve her appearance. The Australian development company has the answer: they’ve slapped on a progressive jackpot called Bonanza MegapaysTM.
The production company envisions this new technique being used in all of the major casinos. If everything goes according to plan, solid wins will be dropping every couple of days on it, which is great news for chasers. Is there anything more I need to know about this Bonanza with a jackpot? Even if you’re already familiar with the Big Time Gaming cracker, you might not notice these little tweaks. Put on your hard helmets and we’ll go have a look.
The superficial appearance has not changed significantly. The visuals are slightly more high-definition, with potentially more finely textured rocks, crisper grass, and more vivid flowers. The only noticeable change is a large MEGAPAYS notification replacing the waterfall that previously poured out of the logo. Oh, and the screen’s upper half features four jackpots with reward amounts advertised. Except than that, it’s the same old Bonanza, even down to the epic banjo twang that plays as the reels start turning.
The new Megapays version has a higher maximum bet of £/€30 each spin, up from the previous maximum of £/€20, and a higher minimum wager of 20 p/c. The odds of winning the jackpot increase in proportion to the size of the stake placed. But, and this is crucial, regardless of how much money is wagered, anyone can win the jackpot or any of the other prizes. In keeping with the egalitarian ethos, Bonanza Megapays is accessible from any platform, including smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. In order to create place for the jackpots, the return to player percentage (RTP) has been adjusted, going from 96% to 96.40%. Each wager adds 0.15% (Mini), 0.13% (Midi), 0.12% (Major), and 0.11% (Mega) to the jackpot. The combined RTP for all four Megapays jackpots is 9.44%.
Without a question, Bonanza was the slot machine that made Megaways famous. In retrospect, hardly many could have foreseen the system’s long-term impact. Symbols on the jackpot version’s dynamic reels range from 2 to 7, and there are an additional 4 spaces for cart symbols above reels 2 to 5. With up to 117,649 possible paylines, the amount of symbols on screen fluctuates with each play. With the Reaction mechanism in play, you can never predict how a spin would end out.
The payout structure is the same as before. That breaks down to low pay of 9-A royals, medium pay of three minerals, and high pay of a diamond. Three rocks can form winning combinations worth between 2 and 7.5 times the initial wager for combinations of three or more. Getting two diamonds in a row is the only way to win anything, and getting six in a row is worth 50 times your wager. Last but not least, the wild sign is represented by the smoking dynamite sticks, which only show up in the carts. To assist complete a winning combination, the wild symbol can stand in for any of the other pay symbols.
Benefits of Playing Bonanza Megapays Slots
This is the feature list equivalent of Megaways 101. It may seem mundane now, but its radical newness at the time was a welcome change. Free Spins, progressive multipliers, and the brand-new progressive jackpot are all available to players, in addition to Reactions. Naturally, the action revolves on the Reaction feature, which occurs after each victory and clears the board of winning symbols so that new ones might fall in their place. As long as I keep scoring goals, I will keep getting hits in a row like this.
The same 4 scatter symbols that spelled G, O, L, and D before will now activate 12 bonus games. In this case, the victory multiplier begins at x1 and increases by +1 with each successive Reaction. If 3 or 4 scatters land on the bonus reel, you’ll receive an additional 5 or 10 free spins, accordingly.
Megapays, the new twist, is up next. Each wager contributes a little amount to one of four progressive jackpots, which get larger over time. Happens at random throughout play and shifts the action from the mine to a setting outside a five-star hotel. However, unlike in many slots, BTG’s jackpot round does not involve spinning a wheel. As an alternative, a 6×7 grid is used, and one symbol is picked at random to be the Megapays sign. Once play has begun, any more spins will be awarded by the Megapays symbol being gathered at the bottom of the reels. The bonus round will end if no further Megapays symbols emerge. Prizes are awarded as follows if 4 or more Megapays Symbols have been collected:
The Mini jackpot is won with 4-7 symbols and has a starting value of €100.
The Midi jackpot is won for 8-11 symbols and starts at €1,500.
The maximum payout is €20,000 for 12–14 symbols, known as the Major jackpot.
If you get 15 symbols, you win the Mega jackpot (€300,000 minimum).
Slot Review: Bonanza Megapays
The main gameplay is easily understood by anyone who has played the original. With the inclusion of the Megapays jackpot mechanism, however, what was already one of the finest slots ever made became one of the best jackpot slots in the history of online gambling. The jackpots provide players of all experience levels more reason to give Bonanza a try in the hopes of hitting the mega jackpot and the chance to win 3,000,000x the initial wager.
Even though it’s been a while, Bonanza still seems current. It was a watershed moment that influenced how many gamblers regarded slot machines. Developers, too, as seen by the plethora of clones that have appeared subsequently. To describe a game, the expression “This is just Bonanza with X” is commonly used. The term “Bonanza with a progressive jackpot” now describes what we have. You might as well switch to the Megapays version of Bonanza if you’re going to keep playing the game. However, given that the jackpot game receives a portion of the RTP, players should be aware that Bonanza Megapays does not function identically to the conventional version during “normal” play. When compared to other types of progressive jackpot slots, however, the RTP is acceptable.
The thrill of trying to win the jackpot in Bonanza Megapays is unparalleled. Since the original Bonanza is widely considered to be one of the finest “grinding games,” thanks to its reputation for providing a great deal of value and playability, the addition of a jackpot system is a natural fit.