Buffalo Ascension Slot Machine

If you are not within earshot of someone playing a Buffalo game, are you even in a land based casino? It’s a philosophical question, far more fun than the annoying one about trees not making sounds if no one is there to hear them fall. Anyway, let’s take a look at one of the most popular recent titles in the hit Aristocrat series, Buffalo Ascension.

Now, obviously, Buffalo is not just a slot machine juggernaut, but the juggernaut of the modern casino floor. Though I stress I have not personally been around with a tape measure, I’d certainly bet very good money that no other slot game series takes up as much room on the casino floor as Buffalo. They are everywhere, and every time I go to a US casino, especially, there isn’t just one new Buffalo title but at least a couple.

So what we can say with absolute certainty is that Aristocrat has a proven winning formula with Buffalo, and they know it. In fact, I’m told that if you are ever lucky enough to visit Aristocrat’s Las Vegas headquarters, there is a life-sized buffalo in the lobby.

What about Buffalo Ascension specifically, though? What does it bring to the family, and why has it taken off in its own right since its launch? Let’s find out.

Buffalo. Wait, what do you mean that a single word is insufficient to cover this section in comprehensive detail? Okay, fine, I’ll answer it as if you’re stepping on a casino floor for the first time.

All Buffalo games are instantly recognisable and, frankly, impossible to replicate. I know many have tried, especially online, but you can’t just throw a buffalo on screen and expect it to be a Buffalo game. Real Buffalo games have a very specific set of symbols that also include an eagle, a cougar, an elk, a wolf, and some numbers. They always look the same, too.

There is also a strong American Plains theme, with strong leanings towards the Southwest. The wild symbol, much coveted especially when it acts as a multiplier, is a sunset (or sunrise) over Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border.

The sounds, too, are unapologetically Buffalo, but each animal has its own voice and accompanying animation, the sound of a stampede often in the background, and a nice little tune that makes you want to mosey on into the nearest saloon bar and tip an imaginary cowboy hat at an unsuspecting (and probably lovely once you get to know them) local varmint. The whole thing is glorious, and I will love it forever. 

Without doubt, a huge part of the Buffalo success story is familiarity. Basically, if you know how to play one Buffalo slot machine, you know how to play them all. Well, you know what you are looking for at least.

First of all, you want Buffalo. Lots of them. If you see a screen dominated by Buffaloes, with at least one on every reel (or a wild), you are about to get a really nice line pay.

However, I know that line pays whilst welcome, are not as sexy as bonuses. That’s what really gets the dopamine spiking, right? In that case, you need three coins. Expect to see two a lot.

You could be forgiven here for thinking to yourself ‘buffalos and coins… what makes Ascension special then?’ And you would be fully justified for the question. The Ascension is triggered by arrows in the middle three reels. They are pretty rare, I will warn you now.

In exchange for their scarcity, they do bring value. Get an arrow, and the reel it landed on will grow in height by one space. Not just for one spin either. It’ll stay that way until the bonus hits. That happens when you reach a specific height. More on that later.

What the arrows does do, though, is make Buffalo Ascension an Advantage Play (AP) game. Now, Advantage Play is a bit of a controversial topic in casinos, with some believing AP slot machines encourage aggressive ‘vulturing’ from players after another person’s machine. The logic is that the more an AP machine, like Buffalo Ascension, is played, the closer it is to delivering a bonus. In that sense, it is not entirely an RNG mechanic, as it directly rewards persistence, at least in theory.

Buffalo Ascension is also likely the largest and most popular Advantage Play slot machine available. A big reason for that is that it increases the number of ways to win as the arrows slowly grow the space available for symbols to land in. Therefore, it doesn’t just increase the likelihood of a bonus; it increases, in theory at least, the potential line pays in normal play too.

That is great if you are on the machine, and it’s the reason most play it. Not so great if you run out of money before it pays, though. In fact, it’s incredibly frustrating. 

At a glance:

• Layout: Variable
• Denominations: Multiple
• Minimum Bet: 75c
• Theme: American Southwest
• 4 Bonus Features: Stampede, Ultimate Stampede, Free Games, and Super Free Games
• Return to Player (RTP): Approximately 92 - 96% but dependent upon casino and local regulations
• Volatility: Medium to High

Let’s talk about the bonuses available on the Buffalo Ascension slot machine, because they are undoubtedly worth persisting for.

At the top of the screen, a line displays various types of bonuses. There will generally be some mix of Stampede, Ultimate Stampede, and Free Games with increased multipliers (x5 and x8 usually, as opposed to x2 and x3 in the standard free games).

When one of the middle three reels has received enough arrows to reach that line, you will trigger the bonus directly above it. It sounds simple, but as I say, the arrows are rare. Here is a quick summary of what each bonus does:

• Stampede: Buffalos will run down the reels, adding extra Buffalos to increase the line pay
• Ultimate Stampede: More Buffaloes, more reels, more passes
• Free Games: A ‘super’ version of the standard free games with higher multipliers

That is generally it, but the summary does it a little injustice, I think. The potential payouts from a screen of Buffaloes can be very big and, although over quickly, are definitely exciting. And the fact that you feel like you have earned it with persistent play just makes you enjoy it more.

In just about all Buffalo games, three coins mean free games. The Buffalo Ascension Slot Machine is no different. Getting three coins is also a lot easier than triggering one of the Arrow bonuses, too.

In Buffalo Ascension, the free games are very standard Buffalo fare. You start out with eight (usually, but can be more based on the number of coins you got in the trigger), wilds become multipliers (x2 and x3), and extra coins retrigger additional free games.

All Buffalo free games bonuses have the Buffalo signature personality. That is to say, you can easily find yourself getting only retriggers and dead spins. I swear you can actually hear the machine laughing at you when it does that. Maybe I am just paranoid.

The one difference with the Buffalo Ascension Slot Machine is that whatever the grid was when the free games were triggered remains for the bonus. So if you have grown reels before with arrows, the number of ways to win that it has unlocked still applies to the free spins.

Before you even hit spin on Buffalo Ascension, do yourself a favour and pop your player rewards card first. Always. It’s the kind of small move that makes a big difference later. The Buffalo Slot Machine is a medium to high volatility one, so it’s not ideal for racking up valuable player points, but it’s not necessarily bad for it either.

Now, let’s talk about the real casino survival tip, especially in Las Vegas and most other big casino spots. Rule number one: Appreciate your waitress. Seriously. In a lot of casinos, the free drinks start showing up once you’re marked as an active player and good tipper. So smile, say thank you, order whatever you’re feeling, and tip $3–$5 per drink. If you really want to make a good impression, I’d say give a bigger tip for the first drink, and I suspect you’ll then be shocked at how quickly your server starts wandering by.

If you play in Atlantic City, you will likely find that a lot of machines now have drink-order touchscreens built right in, and they’re tied to your play. Place a few bets, wait for that “Order Drinks” button to light up, and boom, your drink is on the way. No awkward waving. No hunting someone down. Just click and relax. Still tip when it arrives, though. Always tip.

Buffalo Ascension is standard Buffalo fun with a slight difference. Aristocrat has become exceptionally and exceedingly good at creating such games. The gameplay has been perfected over many different versions, and the sights, sounds, and feel of a Buffalo slot machine just feels like home for many seasoned gamblers now.

Granted, not every Buffalo variant you’ll see will be a hit. There are many that haven’t been and have quickly disappeared from the casino floor as a result. Buffalo Ascension is certainly not one of those, though.

And I know that Buffalo-fatigue can be a thing for slot players. That's just natural at this point. Buffalo Ascension has managed to almost make itself immune to that, though. It’s a really good game, especially if you can nab a machine with high middle three reels from the previous players’ efforts.