Big Bamboo 2

Big Bamboo 2: Slot Overview

Even amongst a portfolio which contains a robust, enviable catalogue of powerhouse performers, developer Push Gaming's mega hit Big Bamboo is one of the standouts. Released in 2022, it entertained predominantly through a mystery symbol reveal feature and a free spins upgrade mechanic. On paper, that might not sound overly amazing, yet Big Bamboo had the special sauce to make it extraordinarily playable. Since then, Push Gaming has touched on the bamboo thing a few times in Big Bam-Book, Bamboo Ways, and Happy Bamboo, for example, but has now gone all in on a full-blown sequel titled Big Bamboo 2.

Naturally, bamboo appears in the background, but instead of being lost in a dense wild forest of the stuff as in part one, the base game peers out through a circular opening onto a bamboo forest beyond, like visiting a well-tended Chinese garden. Bamboo can grow to 30 meters high, and it's strong, too, so much so that it is used for scaffolding throughout Asia despite the rise of steel. Trigger free spins, and just like getting deeper into the game, players move deeper into the bamboo grove. Big Bamboo 2's artwork is comparable to the original, yet it's clear there has been a visual glow-up, hinting at gameplay, which also nods to the past while embracing the present with a host of new upgrades.

The layout is the same as before, as symbols spin on a 5x6 gaming area where 50 winning lines evaluate winning combinations of 3 or more of a kind. The default RTP has ticked up to 96.36%, and the 'very high' volatility, the studio's words, is something to consider before risking real coins. If it's a go, players may stake $/€0.10 to $/€100, while having access to a Push Bet and bonus buys.

Playing card suits are the low pays, awarding 0.8x for a 5 OAK winning combination. Then there are birds, monkeys, warthogs, and panda premium symbols, which are worth 12x-100x when a 5-of-a-kind lands on the reels. Wilds are present in the game, too, replacing any regular paying symbols in a combination. They land on all reels and have the same payout value as the panda.

Big Bamboo 2: Slot Features

Big Bamboo 2 brings a bit of old and new in the form of Mystery Bamboo symbols, the Golden Bamboo Feature, the Lucky Bamboo Feature, free spins, a Push Bet, and feature buys.

Mystery Bamboo Symbol

The Mystery Bamboo is a reveal symbol that can land anywhere in the bonus game and free spins. It can reveal pay symbols, wilds, or Golden Bamboo symbols. When it reveals Golden Bamboo symbols, the Golden Bamboo feature triggers after winning combinations are evaluated, and these symbols may be revealed:

• Instant Prize Symbol - Carries a value of 1x to 5,000x.
• Multiplier Symbol - Multiplies the values of Instant Prize symbols and Collector symbols by x2 to x10. The Multiplier position then spins again.
• Collector Symbol - Collects all Instant Prizes and Collector symbols, causing any empty positions to spin again. The Collector symbol remains in its position after being collected by another Collector symbol, so it does not spin again.
• Lucky Bamboo Symbol - Triggers the Lucky Bamboo Feature after the other mechanics have completed.
• Bonus Scatter Symbol.

Lucky Bamboo Feature

The Lucky Bamboo feature begins with 3 spins, resetting whenever a Golden Bamboo symbol lands. Only Golden Bamboo symbols and blanks appear. Each Golden Bamboo adds a style Bronze frame or upgrades an existing one (Bronze → Silver → Gold → Diamond). The feature ends when spins run out or all frames reach max level. Each frame then reveals a prize: Bronze pays any value, Silver at least 5x, Gold at least 25x, and Diamond at least 1,000x.

Free Spins

3+ scatters trigger free spins. 3 scatters give 6-8 spins, 4 scatters give 7-9 spins and convert 2 low symbols, and 5 scatters give 8-10 spins and convert all 4 low symbols to Mystery Bamboo. You can gamble for a better version unless you already have the top one - losing cancels the feature.

During free spins, a meter collects scatters and Extra Spins. Every 4 collected symbols upgrades the level, converting another low symbol, adding spins, and boosting the multiplier: +4 spins (x2), +3 (x3), +3 (x5), and +2 (x10). Upgrades apply after each spin, and once all 4 symbols are converted, scatters stop appearing.

Mystery Bamboo can trigger the Golden Bamboo feature, adding or upgrading frames that stay for the entire round. Empty frames spin for prizes whenever the feature triggers. Extra Spin symbols award 1-3 additional spins.

Push Bet & Feature Buys

Activating the Push Bet increases the stake by 50% to increase the chance of triggering free spins. At 5x the bet, players can guarantee 2 or more Mystery Symbol Stacks, or filling the grid with Golden Bamboo symbols costs 250x. Additionally, 500x buys the Lucky Bamboo Feature, 150x buys free spins, or 1,200x buys free spins triggered by 5 scatters.

Big Bamboo 2: Slot Verdict

Push Gaming could have gotten away with calling the sequel Bigger Bamboo, since Big Bamboo 2 is easily the larger game in many ways. For one thing, it's got a more refined look and going back to inspect the original really reinforced that. The first release actually looks kind of primitive by comparison, though it remains a great game, no doubt. Greater than the sequel? That's up for debate, but the two are quite different in several regards, and while Big Bamboo 2 is bigger, not everyone may love the way the upgrades have altered the experience.

The RTP distribution has changed partly due to the new Lucky Bamboo feature and the Huff N' Puff frame upgrade method. This new feature is a potential RTP hog as reflected by its substantial buy cost. The price tag pales in comparison to the 5 scatter trigger free spins round, though, indicating how dramatic it can be when all low pays are converted to Mystery Bamboo revealing symbols. And revealing remains the heart and soul of Big Bamboo 2. Whether it be in the base game, free spins or the Lucky Bamboo phase, Coins being revealed, multiplied, or collected are as much of a major thrill generator in the sequel as they were before. Push Gaming has been doing the mystery reveal thing for a while now, Razor Shark was released in 2019, for instance, and Bigger Bamboo is a reminder that the studio does do it well.

Big is certainly one way of describing Big Bamboo 2's winning potential, too, which has put on weight to hit the 75,000x the stake mark. However, add some here, and you've got to take it away from somewhere else, meaning Big Bamboo 2 may have the potential of being a more brutal ride than the original. But, it's also got the potential to elevate the reveal and reward experience, something that Push Gaming excels at, to the next level for gamblers willing to take the sequel on.