Bounty 98 Hot 1

Bounty 98 Hot 1 Review

Judging from the 2 previous installments in the Hot 1 range, the team hadn’t quite made up their mind where to go with this series. The second game was very different from the first, as it didn’t come with the reel upgrading cycles you get in the debut release.

This whole Bonus Collection Upgrade concept makes a comeback in this 3rd installment however, and the atmospheric wild west soundtrack does more to set the mood than the okay visual presentation. Bounty 98 Hot 1 is arguably the best release so far in the Hot 1 series, not least due to the strong math model upgrades. The 98.02 % RTP makes this game stick out in a very positive way, and the 3,728x potential is also a notable improvement.

Bounty 98 Hot 1 Slot Features

The mid-level animal symbols pay between 1.66 and 3.33 x your stake for 5 of a kind, and the 2 top-tier gunslinger symbols pay 10 and 25 x for the same, respectively. The busty cowgirl Wild steps in for all pay symbols to help complete winning combinations, and the Wild can land on reels 2, 3 and 4 only.

You’ll notice that the top and bottom positions on the 3 middle reels are locked as the game starts, and these positions are unlocked via the Bonus Collection system. The revolver cylinder Bonus symbols can land on the 3 middle reels only, and this upgrades the relevant reel(s) in the following order:

• The 1st bonus symbol opens up the bottom 4th reel position (you get a 5x Gunslinger bonus payout the first time you collect a bonus symbol per cycle).
• The 2nd bonus symbol opens up the top 5th reel position.
• The 3rd bonus symbol adds an x2 multiplier to the top and bottom positions. The multiplier boosts all wins these 2 positions are involved in.
• The 4th bonus symbol triggers the bonus round.

The Bonus Round triggers when a bonus symbol lands on a fully upgraded reel, and this awards 10 free spins. The reel set improvements from the base game are carried over, and the triggering reel/reels are upgraded with extra x2 multiplier wilds added to the reel strips. In addition, bonus symbols now serve as x2 multiplier wilds, and the final free spin triggers the Hot 1 countdown.

The Hot 1 feature is basically the grand finale of the bonus round (as well as the whole reel set upgrade cycle). One of the 3 middle reels is chosen randomly, and it’s then fully upgraded with the extra top and bottom x2 multiplier positions (if not already). In addition, a wild is added to the top and bottom positions, which increases your likelihood of a multiplier-boosted win.

The Bonus Round cannot be retriggered in any way, so extra spins cannot be won. If all grid positions are unlocked, the number of win ways increases to 1,125, at best, and everything resets once you return to the base game after a bonus round trigger.

Finally, non-UK players, and anyone eligible, may take advantage of the Bonus Buy option (98.1 % RTP). This will set you back 50x your stake, and you get a triggering spin that also upgrades the reels randomly so that at least 1 reel is capable of triggering the bonus round. Pre-collected bonus symbol upgrades are restored after the purchased bonus round is finished.

The 200 Spins Bounty 98 Hot 1 Slot Experience

You get a decent taste of the base game cycle, before we purchase the Bonus Round at 0:53 into the 3-minute highlights video. We got all but the top middle position opened, and you can see how our climactic Hot 1 final spin played out by hitting the play button below.

Review Summary

While the team did something quite different in their second Hot 1 release, Bounty 98 Hot 1 circles back to the first Hot 1 debut release. It’s far from a pure copycat job however, as it comes with a few notable improvements. The Morricone-inspired soundtrack is excellent, but we see no reason to fade it into the background for every small win. Also, the square spinning spin button might distract from the spinning action on the reels.

We kind of like the reel enhancing cycles now that we’ve gotten used to them, and everything builds up to the tense and climactic Hot 1 final free spin. It’s a massive anti-climax if nothing much comes from it though, with the countdown and all. The 98.02 % RTP is exceptionally good, but it only applies if you complete a full cycle. The 3,728x potential has also been improved since the first game, and there might be enough here to make some mainstream waves.

If you appreciate Bounty 98 Hot 1 Slot you should also try:

Legion Hot 1 - is the first Hot 1 debut release, and you’ll collect shields to enhance the regular grid in similar steps as in the game at hand. The bonus round comes with a climatic final Hot 1 Spin, and you can win up to 2,525x your stake in this low volatility alternative that also comes with a lower RTP.

Medusa Hot 1 - is the Greek mythology second installment in the Hot 1 range, and you get a mystery respin when only 2 scatters land. The bonus round comes with sticky scatters, and these cycle through all the premium symbols. The Hot 1 final spin turns all sticky scatters wild, and the max win is a more solid 7,500x your stake.

Wild Duel - is a cartoonish wild west slot, and you get to see marshals and outlaws shoot it out as dueling characters on opposite sides of the regular 5x3 grid. Duels abound in the bonus round, and up to 3 multiplier wild modifiers are unleashed when the marshals win. This can lead to payouts up to 10,000x your stake.