Wild Wild Buffalo Slot Machine

Just when you thought you’d seen every Aristocrat Buffalo slot machine, along comes another one. 

Wild Wild Buffalo has been around for a while now, actually, since 2021, to be exact, but I would say it’s one of the lesser-known variations. However, it’s packed full of all the usual iconic branding, exciting gameplay, and, in my opinion, even more spectacular visuals. In fact, Wild Wild Buffalo is so good, it picked up the Slot of the Year Award at the 2022 Global Gaming Awards.

Wild Wild Buffalo might centre around our beloved bison once again; however, the game itself has very different features from all the regular Buffalo games we know and love. With a Wild Wild bonus, a Jackpot Wheel Feature, Free Games, and a Bonus Wheel, wins can come in a variety of ways. That includes the exciting Cash-on-Reel Buffalos that will have you screaming at the screen. Or maybe that’s just me?! 

Saddle up as we take a ride through the Wild Wild Buffalo slot machine and all it has to offer - yeeha!  

Every casino player worth their salt has played an Aristocrat Buffalo game. After all, they have been around for 18 years, with the original Buffalo launching in 2008. There are now over 25 different Buffalo variations, including Buffalo Link, Buffalo Ascension, and Buffalo Gold. 

Although each Buffalo slot is different, there is an overriding similarity that ties the brand together. The American Plains theme, the eagle, cougar, and elk symbols, and that all-too-familiar but glorious soundtrack. However, Wild Wild Buffalo breaks the mold a little.

The first difference you’ll notice is the cabinet. Wild Wild Buffalo is located in the Neptune Double cabinet with its stacked, curved 49-inch monitors, 4K graphics, expansive virtual button deck, and custom-designed, adjustable sound chair. Sound’s cool, right? Guess what? It absolutely is.

The cabinet alone makes it jump out on a casino floor; the height and curvature really catch the eye. Then comes the color. Aristocrat has taken the usual brown and gold theming and Vegas’d it up a little with purple and pink neon, making the game really pop. 

Players get the full immersive experience when playing Wild Wild Buffalo. The curved cabinet top, combined with the sound chair, brings you even closer to the action. You feel enclosed in, somehow, and you can lose yourself in the sharp, striking graphics, and did I mention the glorious soundtrack?

Wild Wild Buffalo differs from other Buffalo games because it takes the familiar Buffalo branding, but combines it with the Wild Wild gameplay mechanic. In effect, it's a hybrid.

Rather than fixed reels across the board, Wild Wild Buffalo has two identical reels at the front, followed by three expanded reels. Match symbols across the reels for line pays, but what you really want is three Wheel symbols to trigger the bonus or two Wild symbols in the first two reels. This opens up all sorts of possibilities to win big, which I’ll go into below. In the meantime, here are some key stats to keep in mind when playing the Wild Wild Buffalo slot machine. 

At a glance:

• Layout: 5 Reel Game with variable rows
• Denominations - Multiple
• Bet Levels from $0.75 - $7.50 on a 1c denomination
• Theme: American Southwest
• 5 Progressive Jackpots - Mini, Minor, Major, Super and Grand
• 4 Bonus Features - Wild Wild Feature, Jackpot Wheel, Bonus Wheel, Free Spins
• Return to Player (RTP): Approximately 90 - 95% but dependent upon casino and local regulations

There are technically four bonus features in Wild Wild Buffalo, but two of them can only be activated by landing one of the others. Let’s try to break it down.

At any point during the base game, a Wild symbol can land on both reels 1 & 2. When that happens, rows of Cash-on-Reels Buffalo stampede through reels 3, 4 & 5. This is where the screaming usually happens! Land Cash-on-Reel buffalo in successive reels and you’ll win all of the amounts on the screen. 

If you get no Buffalo Cash symbols, then the Wild, Wild symbols will still be applied to the regular symbols for line pays. However, it's the Buffalo’s that you want. Generally, when they land, they tend to arrive in herds of 2, 3, or 4, so the totals can add up, especially when you get them across all three reels. 

Land three wheel symbols on the reels, and you’ll trigger the Jackpot Wheel Bonus. Two wheels will then appear on the screen, with the Jackpot Wheel at the top. This is filled with various segments as follows:

• Progressive Jackpots - land on a progressive jackpot segment and you’ll win that value. The Grand Jackpot can be $500,000 plus, so it’s worth winning!
• Free Spins - segments have various amounts of Free Games - 8 Free Games, 10 Free Games, 15 Free Games, etc.
• Bonus Wheel - some progressive jackpot segments will also include ‘Bonus Wheel’. If you land on a segment that has a progressive & Bonus Wheel, it will direct you to the second wheel, which is full of multipliers from 2x to 10x. Spin that wheel, and whatever multiplier it lands on will be applied to the progressive value you’ve won.

The great news about landing the Jackpot Wheel is that you continue to spin until you hit the Free Spins. So, you can spin once, hit a progressive, spin twice, hit a progressive with a jackpot bonus multiplier, and continue to spin until it eventually lands on a Free Spins segment. So you can rack up the wins before the Free Games even begin.

The even better news about this bonus is that once the Free Games start, the Wild Wild feature gets an upgrade with 2x and 3x multipliers. Land those in reels 1 & 2, followed by Cash-on-Reel Buffalo symbols in reels 3, 4, and 5, and those wins can be nothing short of spectacular! Better still, you can prolong the excitement by landing two wheel symbols, which bring unlimited retriggers. 

The best advice I can give to a land-based casino slots player is to join the players' reward program and always play with your card. Whether you’re a high roller or a low spender, you can still receive perks by logging your play. So, insert your card before playing Wild Wild Buffalo and pick up points while you do. It could lead to some free play or perks, such as discounts on restaurants, drinks, and show spend, or even free overnight stays.

Another solid piece of advice is to be nice to your waitress! Be friendly and tip well (between $3 - $5 per drink), and you’ll see lots more of them as you play. Of course, some casinos don’t offer free waitress service, but there’s often still a complimentary drinks service for players in-house, so you might as well enjoy those freebies if you can.

When a new slot wins ‘Slot of the Year’, you’ve got to sit up and take notice. Competition is fierce, so you know it must have something special to stand out. Aristocrat has been very clever in combining the familiarity of the Buffalo brand with the innovation and freshness of a new game mechanic, and it's a winning formula. The metric, by the way, was borrowed from Aristocrat’s old Tarzan game, which probably never got quite the love it deserved. 

The fact that you can play the Wild Wild Buffalo slot machine from as little as 75c means it's accessible to all. Plus, the $7.50 max bet appeals to high rollers, too. The chance to hit those life-changing progressives with Forever free spins and multipliers is a big draw. However, it's the Cash-on-Reels Buffalo that provides the biggest thrill, even in the base game. This is one of my go-to games in Las Vegas, not necessarily for wins, but for enjoyment.