Bouncy Bombs – (HACKSAW GAMING) SLOT REVIEW

Bouncy Bombs: Slot Overview

Not so long ago, the Megaways game engine by Big Time Gaming seemed to dominate the slot game landscape, with numerous studios adopting it for its popularity and versatility. While some developers leveraged it creatively, others appeared to jump on the bandwagon for the sake of trendiness. Currently, the trend has shifted towards scatter-paying slots, catching the attention of many developers who are now exploring ways to integrate this mechanic into their games. In this wave, Hacksaw Gaming has introduced its own twist with the online slot Bouncy Bombs, incorporating not just scatter effects but also multiplier symbols and cascading features, alongside an extensive array of bonus buy options. The addition of unique multiplier symbol adjustments makes it an intriguing option for fans of scatter mechanics.

Reflecting on Hacksaw Gaming’s early days, known for its engaging and charming releases within the Pocketz series—titles like Stick ‘Em, Om Nom, and Cubes come to mind—Bouncy Bombs revisits this whimsical style. The game is set against a dreamy backdrop of blue and pink hues, populated by Toonz-like characters and a standout big blue jelly mushroom, complete with a smaller counterpart perched atop, adding a layer of endearing charm to the game’s atmosphere. This setting invites players into a world brimming with cuteness and the promise of fun gameplay.

Despite its penchant for crafting visually charming games, Hacksaw Gaming focuses on creating robust gameplay mechanics, as seen with Bouncy Bombs. This slot strikes a balance with medium volatility, offering gameplay dynamics that can swing in various directions. It boasts a default Return to Player (RTP) rate of 96.22%, with three alternative RTP models also available. The game unfolds on a 6-reel, 5-row grid, eschewing traditional ways or paylines for a system where wins are generated by landing eight or more matching symbols anywhere on the grid. The cascading wins feature then removes winning symbols, allowing new ones to fall into their place. Players can set their stakes ranging from 10 cents to $/€100 per spin.

In Bouncy Bombs, the lower-value symbols are represented by candies in red, orange, green, blue, and purple, while the higher-value symbols feature fruit with playful eyeballs—strawberries, oranges, apples, and berries. Wins for an 8-symbol scatter pay range from 0.2 to 2 times the bet, escalating to a payout of 50 to 400 times the bet for gathering 19 or more scatters. These payout values are quite attractive, especially when considering the potential multiplier effects. However, it’s notable that Bouncy Bombs does not include wild symbols, which means players rely on the scatter wins and multipliers to boost their winnings.

Bouncy Bombs: Slot Features

Bouncy Bombs enriches its gameplay with a mix of cascading wins, multiplier symbols, and free spins, with Hacksaw Gaming introducing innovative twists to the multiplier symbol mechanics. Additionally, players are treated to five distinct bonus options accessible via the feature buy menu.

Bomb Multipliers: These special symbols amplify wins in exciting ways:

  • Normal Bomb: Appears with a multiplier of x2, x3, or x4.
  • Revealing Bomb: Unveils a multiplier value of x5, x10, x25, x50, or x100 upon explosion.
  • Cascading Dynamite Bomb: Initially shows a value of x5, x10, x15, x20, or x25, doubling with each new cascade.

Bombastic Bonus Feature: Securing 3 FS (free spin) scatters in the base game awards 10 Bombastic Bonus free spins, enhancing the likelihood of activating base game mechanics. Additional free spins are granted for landing more FS symbols during this round.

Bombastic Fantastic Bonus Feature: Triggering this feature with 4 FS scatters grants 10 free spins, with a Bomb Multiplier guaranteed on each spin. This feature can be retriggered following the same criteria as the Bombastic Bonus.

Bonus Buy Options: Bouncy Bombs offers several feature buy opportunities to suit different volatility preferences:

  • BonusHunt FeatureSpins: Costs 3x the bet, significantly increasing the chance of triggering a bonus game with an RTP of 96.38%.
  • Normal FeatureSpins: Each spin, costing 25x the bet, ensures at least one bomb and one win, with an RTP of 96.27%.
  • Revealing FeatureSpins: Priced at 75x the bet, this guarantees a revealing bomb and win per spin, maintaining an RTP of 96.27%.
  • Bombastic Bonus: Available for 100x the bet with an RTP of 96.29%.
  • Bombastic Fantastic Bonus: This premium option costs 200x the bet and holds an RTP of 96.27%.

These diverse features and bonus buy options provide players with multiple pathways to enhance their gaming experience and potential winnings in Bouncy Bombs.

Bouncy Bombs: Slot Verdict

Discussing Bouncy Bombs inevitably draws comparisons to Pragmatic Play’s scatter-paying sensation, Gates of Olympus, which set a high standard in the genre following its explosive entrance onto the slot scene. Gates of Olympus has served as a yardstick for many subsequent scatter-paying games, owing to its blend of cascading wins, scatter pays, multiplier symbols, and free spins—a formula akin to spreading Nutella on a waffle for its undeniable appeal and widespread adoption. Hacksaw Gaming, known for its ingenuity, has tweaked these elements in Bouncy Bombs to offer players a novel, if not entirely groundbreaking, gaming experience.

When compared directly, Bouncy Bombs presents a more formidable challenge than the more evenly balanced Gates of Olympus, despite the latter’s high volatility and Bouncy Bombs’ medium volatility (which shifts to low in the feature buy modes). Bouncy Bombs tends to deliver more dead spins or minor wins, which can make the base game feel somewhat tedious at times. The introduction of FeatureSpins accelerates progress toward free spins, fulfilling their intended purpose.

A notable difference in the bonus rounds of Bouncy Bombs is the absence of a cumulative total win multiplier, diverging from some players’ expectations based on other games. While multiplier symbols may appear more frequently during these rounds, the game does not allow for the gradual building of a win multiplier through the feature. Success hinges on landing significant wins in individual spins.

Nonetheless, Bouncy Bombs boasts the potential for substantial rewards, with the capacity to deliver wins up to 10,000 times the bet across all modes of play. The game’s higher multiplier values and desirable symbol payouts underscore its explosive potential. As such, Bouncy Bombs offers scatter slot enthusiasts a familiar yet distinctively challenging experience, balancing between thrilling victories and the risk of sudden downturns.