Buffalo Diamond Slot
Few could have envisaged the massive success story Buffalo would become upon its release. The popularity of the original Buffalo slot has spawned a sensational series of buffalo-themed casino slot machines developed by Aristocrat – including Buffalo Gold, Buffalo Grand and Buffalo Moon. Buffalo Diamond stomps onto the plains as the latest game in the ever-growing series.
Buffalo Diamond was proudly unveiled at Aristocrat’s expansive booth during the 2018 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas. Released to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Buffalo in style, Aristocrat went all out to ensure the eyes of those in attendance were firmly focused on their booth for the much-anticipated reveal of Buffalo Diamond.
To help with that, the established gaming manufacturer ordered an eye-catching buffalo cake from Freed’s Bakery – a name that will be familiar to those of you who watch Food Network’s Vegas Cakes series. To say the unveiling of Buffalo Diamond was a success would be a major understatement. The cake wasn’t too bad, either.
Will spinning the dazzling reels of Buffalo Diamond leave you feeling as satisfied as a slice of buffalo cake left attendees at G2E, we hear you ask? Keep reading this review to find out.
Buffaloes Charge Across the Screen
Buffalo Diamond has been custom-built for Aristocrat’s powerful flame55 format, making it the first 4K release in the flourishing Buffalo series. This is the same cutting-edge tech used to house Mariah Carey and Game of Thrones: Fire and Blood, two of the hottest releases from Aristocrat in recent years. For this reason, you should expect to be greeted by breathtaking visuals and immersive sound effects on loading Buffalo Diamond.
Boasting a honeycomb reel structure of 4-5-6-5-4, Buffalo Diamond utilizes Reel Power technology to offer a jaw-dropping 2,400-ways-to-win. Coins range in value from a minimum of 0.01 to a maximum of 20. This equates to a max bet of 600 credits per spin.
Revamped Symbols Bring the Reels to Life
What will you see while exploring the Great Plains of North America this time around? If you’ve played the original Buffalo slot, then all the symbols on the pay table of Buffalo Diamond will be familiar. Aristocrat, one of the largest slot machine manufacturers in the world, has given the same 13 symbols that featured in Buffalo a modern makeover for Buffalo Diamond, with each looking even crisper displayed in 4K.
As usual, royals are worth the least. You’ll see 9, 10, J, Q, K and A symbols, each of which stands out in its own bold color. In terms of premium symbols, watch out for American eagles flying onto the reels. These are joined by prowling mountain wolves and lightning-fast cougars. A gang of elks can also help pocket big wins. However, as the stars of the game, it’s herds of high-paying buffaloes you’ll want to see charging across the reels to scoop the game’s top prize.
And keep an eye out for those special sunset wild symbols shining brightly across the reels. Aside from the usual substituting powers of a wild symbol, these sunset wilds reveal a 2x or 3x win multiplier during the free games feature.
Treasures in the Dirt
As you explore the remote plains, keep a watchful eye for dazzling diamonds and gold coins glistening in the dirt. An accumulation of diamonds will boost the number of free games you receive upon triggering the potentially game-changing Wheel Bonus. There are three different colors of diamonds to look out for: green, blue and purple. Each time a diamond sparkles on the fifth reel, the free games counter of the corresponding diamond will be increased by one. Accumulating diamonds is great, but you’ll be hoping for the chance to exchange them for free games by activating the Wheel Bonus.
A gold coin represents the scatter symbol in the free Buffalo Diamond slot machine. You’ll need to land three of these simultaneously to access the Wheel Bonus. A waterfall-style wheel will then spin, flanked by a set of gold arrows. What you win will be determined by the segment these arrows point toward as the wheel grinds to a halt.
Interestingly, a multiplier bonus is applied to each of the three different levels of free games. Wins from green diamonds are multiplied by 2x, while blue diamonds multiply all wins by 3x. The highest multiplier of 4x is reserved for free games triggered by purple diamonds. It’s even possible to secure more free games by finding two gold coins.
It’s not just free games you could win on Buffalo Diamond, though. You’ll notice a Grand Jackpot meter increase in value above the reels after each spin, worth at least 500,000 credits. This is the value it resets to each time it is won. Due to the Grand Jackpot of Buffalo Diamond being a wide-area progressive jackpot, you’ll notice that its value goes up at an extremely fast rate.
The Best Buffalo Yet?
Absolutely. Aristocratic couldn’t have thought of a better way to mark the tenth anniversary of Buffalo than the release of Buffalo Diamond. The theoretical hold of 5% to 12% might not sound impressive, but that is typical of a progressive slot – and it’s perhaps the only negative here.
Speaking of progressives, why not quadruple your chances of becoming a jackpot winner by playing Buffalo Grand before trying Buffalo Diamond? It was the first sequel to Buffalo, boasting a total of five jackpots – the largest of which is the elusive Grand Jackpot.
But back to Buffalo Diamond. It looks sensational and perfectly illustrates the graphics power of flame55 technology. Aristocrat has also delivered in terms of bonus features. The accumulation of diamonds, which can then be exchanged for free games upon triggering the Wheel Bonus, adds another interesting twist. And who doesn’t love the chance to scoop a progressive jackpot?
Simply put, get ready to join a stampede and spin the reels of Buffalo Diamond.
