Buffalo Thunder Slots

Buffalo Thunder is a 5 reel, 40 pay line slot machine developed by Novomatic for land based and online casinos.

Buffalo (bison) once roamed North America in massive herds. Unfortunately, bison nearly became extinct amid commercial hunting, slaughter, and bovine diseases introduced by domestic cattle.

Thankfully, buffalo have survived and continue to roam America.

This has led to several software companies creating slot machines in honor of these large, powerful animals. Novomatic is one of these companies, adding Buffalo Thunder to a collection of similarslot machines.

How does Buffalo Thunder compare to these other games?

We’ll answer this question by offering comparisons to a couple of Buffalo themed slot machines later.

But first, let’s discuss Buffalo Thunder’s atmosphere, sound effects, animations, pay table, graphics, bonuses, and betting options.

Buffalo Thunder takes place on the Great Plains, which is reflected by the long grass and butte in the background. The grass looks realistic, and the butte does a good of completing thebackground.

The only complaint we have is that the background looks really dark, like a heavy rain is coming any second. Perhaps this is done to reflect the title, but Novomatic would’ve done a better job ofsetting the atmosphere by lightening up the sky.

You’ll also notice that the reels are outlined by rustic stone, which further offers a western American feeling.

Buffalo Thunder’s background has all the elements of a good atmosphere. But again, it would look better with a lighter colored sky.

The main game doesn’t feature any music, but you’ll hear some sound effects. These include a generic tune while the reels are spinning, which will remind you of walking through a Vegas casino.

The most annoying part of the music appears after winning payouts, when the combination of a ticking clock and an alarm sound plays. This continues until you decide whether you want to gamble orcollect your winnings.

Sound effects include a chant during most low payouts, a gallant sound when the wild icon appears a thump when the tribal mask lands on the reels, and a powerful tune when buffalos provide wins.

This game has a few animations that involve the high paying symbols.

Animations include: the wild icon shooting yellow thunder out of the words, the white buffalo pawing dirt and turning its horns at the screen, the brown buffalo blowing air out of its nose, theeagle’s shadow flying across a rock, the lizard’s shadow crawling across a rock, the screen zooming in on the mask’s blue eyes, and the letters flashing.

Buffalo Thunder Pay Table and Graphics

As mentioned in the introduction, many slot companies have made Buffalo themed games. But we’ve narrowed this down to a couple of slot machines to compare to Buffalo Thunder, which you can seebelow.

Buffalo is one of Aristocrat’s Xtra Reel Power games, meaning it gives you 1,024 ways to win. But considering that the minimum bet is $0.40 per spin, this is similar to a 40 pay line slot likeBuffalo Thunder.

One strange thing about this slot machine is the background noise, which sounds like a carnival. This is the last thing that you’d expect to hear from a game that’s about buffalo and otherwildlife.

The weirdness doesn’t end here because you’ll also hear what sounds like a frat boy yelling buffalo when the wild symbol forms a winning payout.

This seems like an attempt at humor by Aristocrat, but it’s a poor decision when the background noise is already bad.

The rest of the game seems serious, with different animals like a cougar, deer, eagle, and wolf lining the reels. The symbol graphics are decent, but not of the same quality of Buffalo Thunder.

The background is also less inspiring since it doesn’t feature much detail and is too dark.

Overall, Buffalo is a mediocre slot machine that doesn’t measure up to Buffalo Thunder.

As the title suggests, Blazin’ Buffalo combines buffalos with fire to create a unique atmosphere.

Every time that you spin the reels, they’ll catch fire at the bottom. If you hit a big win, a giant buffalo jumps at the screen and leaves a trail of fire.

The free spins also use this element since the first reel fills with blazing wilds while you spin for prizes.

Beyond all of the fire, Blazin’ Buffalo is like the other games that we’ve discussed, including wild animals and a western setting.

The animals – bear, buffalo, eagle, ram, and rattlesnake – feature even better graphics than Buffalo Thunder.

Thanks to the superior graphics and unique fire theme, Blazin’ Buffalo is a more entertaining slot than Buffalo Thunder. But the latter is good if you’re just looking for a regular wildernessslot without too many frills.

Buffalo Thunder isn’t original in its theme, nor is it filled with special features that’ll amaze you. But this game does have a few redeemable qualities, beginning with its atmosphere.

This slot offers a realistic depiction of the Great Plains, which makes you feel like you’re in Montana or Wyoming. The symbols also look good, especially the detail in both buffalos.

Buffalo Thunder offers a couple of special features in free spins and the Gamble option. The free spins begin with a little introduction video that takes you across the plains, while the Gamblefeatures have a nice background.

You’ll also have plenty of player options, including the ability to change the game’s language, alter graphics quality, and change pay lines from 1 to 40.

As discussed before, there are some downsides to this slot, beginning with the low win frequency and RTP. These two elements combine to chip away at your bankroll, especially if you’re playingall 40 pay lines.

Another drawback is how free spins are the lone bonus that you can unlock. Considering that you only get 5 free games and they don’t come very often, this won’t be enough to satisfy many players.

We also don’t think that Buffalo Thunder does enough beyond its realistic background to differentiate itself from similar games.

If you want a game with an authentic wilderness feel, then Buffalo Thunder isn’t a bad choice. But it doesn’t offer many surprises to keep the attention of more serious slots players.