Big 5 Slot Machine

Sharpen your senses and prepare for the riskiest and, perhaps, most rewarding hunting trip you have ever undertaken.

And all you need is your computer, while no animals will be hurt in the process. Big 5 by Microgaming is indeed a video slot game that takes players on a virtual safari into the African wilderness. This classic game requires no previous hunting experience, only a thirst for big wins and an interest in retro games.

Read our full review of Big 5 to learn all the tips you will need to make your hunting trip successful, and bring home the big game.

Locked and Loaded

The term Big 5 is a reference to the five large African wild animals that are the most difficult to hunt, according to professional hunters.

All five are indeed depicted right on the game screen: the elephant, the lion, the buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros. Besides these beautiful animals, the game screen is mostly occupied by the reels, the paytable and the command bar at the bottom.

Big 5 remains a true retro slot game, with few visual details and plenty of old school sound effects to accompany the spinning of the reels.

Go Big or Go Home

Forget about complicated game rules, Big 5 keep things extremely simple and allows players of all levels of experience with slot game to have a good time and start betting on the reels easily.

As in many retro slot games, all you have is a simple matrix of 3 reels with a single payline right in the middle. Your goal is to line up combination of symbols on that payline in order to pocket the cash rewards associated with them. Use the command buttons at the bottom of the game screen to adjust your bet settings, while keeping in mind that larger wagers can easily lead to bigger wins.

The spin button starts up the reels, while the bet max shortcut lets you go all-in with a single click. Big 5 is organised around a coin system, where you can not only determine the coin value but also the number of coins you wish to bet on your next spin. Use the bet one switch to do so, and you will be about to be either 1, 2 or 3 coins. The paytable will light up accordingly, thus allowing you to keep an eye on what sorts or cash prizes are at stake at the moment. Let’s take a look at what your options are in the next section.

Classic Symbols and a Special Prize

As we have mentioned before, Big 5 works with a coin system that determines which king of rewards you are entitled to. The more coins you bet, the higher the rewards become, naturally.

Regardless of your initial wager, the lowest-paying combinations involve a cherry symbol on the rightmost reel and any other symbol, or symbols, on the two first positions. This configuration leaves players enough room to score modest wins frequently.

Moving upwards in terms of cash value, we have the bar sign and all-cherry combinations. There are two different sorts of bar signs available, those with a number 5 pasted on top being even more valuable. But the most valuable symbol of all has to be the lion. The king of the jungle is worth up to 2400 credits, if you are willing to bet three coins on your next spin.

Venture into the wild

Big 5 is a textbook example of a well-designed vintage slot game. The sound effects are especially realistic, players will feel like they are at the pub playing on their favourite machine. With its simple settings and atmosphere, Big 5 is one of those accessible games that most players will be able to tame and master easily after a few spins.

On the down side, the cash rewards available are probably not as high as you would expect if you are used to playing more modern slot games. The game does offer relatively good chances to score modest wins often, but lacks any kind of bonus features of symbols such as wilds or scatters. Regardless of how well you are doing on your safari, there will be no free spins of bonus games. Prospective players should keep that in mind, but if you are looking for a quick game with good winning possibilities and a lion in it, then you have probably found your new favourite available at a ton of Microgaming casinos.