Top Buffalo Slots Ranked: Gold, Diamond, and More
Buffalo debuted in 2008 and quickly became a slot game legend. Now, with over 40 Buffalo titles in Aristocrat’s portfolio, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but we’ve narrowed it down to our five favorite Buffalo slot machines.
If you’ve played more than a handful of those 40 titles, you will know how difficult it is to name favorite versions among them. There are some great Buffalo games available, from the original Buffalo that started it all on the casino floor to the new Buffalo Gold Max power that is just landing with US online slots operators in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
But in looking back, these five were the ones that made the most memories, that we know other people loved as well, and that still attract a rabid following today. So, without further ado, here are our top five picks for all-time favorite buffalo slots.
Buffalo Gold
We know, we know. It’s sacrilege not to list the original Buffalo. But Buffalo Gold took a good game and made it great. Adding multipliers to the wilds and collecting the buffalo heads during the free spins so you could turn all those other animals into even more buffalos feels like magic.
When we moved from the original to Buffalo Gold, the RTP also went up a bit, from 94.8% to a bit over 96%. The volatility became much less choppy and settled down to a low to average hit frequency.
This isn’t to say that you can’t hit a ton of free spins and still have some massive jackpots with smaller average bets. I once saw a $4.80 bet return over $12,000 over about 90 free spins in the bonus round. You just have to get those golden Buffalo heads lined up.
Buffalo Chief
Buffalo Chief stands out for its 3456 ways to win. Unlike earlier Buffalo slot games, this one’s volatility is considered medium to high. Max wins are generally 4000x your bet, though some can have higher progressive jackpots.
RTP is still a very reasonable 95%, but the trick in the Buffalo Chief game is the gold coin scatters. If one of these coins shows as an eagle and lands in Wheel One, you will find yourself in a rarely seen mini Wheel of Fortune-type side game that can give you up to 50 white Buffalo Wilds.
There are two other bonus games that you can hit on the Buffalo Chief game, the Buffalo stampede, which is randomly triggered. This makes the middle three reels ten rows high instead of their usual six. This gives you up to 16,000 ways to win.
If you wish to hit the progressive jackpot, you will need one of the gold coins to come up Grand, Major, or Minor instead of their usual Liberty or Eagle motif. While we are not usually a fan of high-volatility games, especially Buffalo slots, we will make an exception for Buffalo Chief because it is just so darned fun to play.
Buffalo Gold Revolution
We know what you’re thinking: Buffalo has found a leader to stop their exploitation and put an end to their capitalist overlords, but no. Buffalo Gold Revolution actually refers to the wheel feature found at the top of the game. In this version of Buffalo slots, the spinning wheel feature awards all jackpots, free credits, and even Gold Buffalo or Free Games.
One of the other unique features of this game is the automatic wild multipliers. Otherwise, the game has updated graphics and a slightly different feel because of the wheel, but it has almost the same exact gameplay as Buffalo Gold. However, you will note that the minimum bet is a bit higher. Like most of the Buffalo slot machines, the RTP here is around 95%.
Buffalo Ultimate Stampede
This game requires a little patience, as you can collect symbols on each spin to fill up the reel meters. You can also collect prizes for every spin that will get you extra rows, up to seven more. Then, you also need to collect multipliers in order to finally get that stampede, which is where the big jackpots are.
Once that giant Bonus Screen in the middle is lit green, your meters are full, and you’re ready for the bonus round. In the bonus round, buffalo cash with a buffalo head will start to fill the screens. The more of these you collect during your bonus round, the more money you’ll earn.
These also can award you the Mini, the Maxi, or the Grand. As with most Buffalo-themed slot games, all free games are triggered by landing three coins. This is considered a lower volatility game and has an RTP of 94.8%.
Buffalo Diamond Extreme
Launched just last year, the Buffalo Diamond Extreme might be our favorite of the Buffalo slots games. And it’s not the innovative gameplay or the huge new progressive meter as much as the cinematic experience of playing Buffalo on an 86-inch 4K monitor with a superb sound bar. I mean, it just feels epic from the moment you sit down.
Three wheel coins trigger the wheel bonus, and one Extreme Coin and two or more regular wheel coins trigger the Extreme Bonus Wheel, which has enhanced bonus spins and free games. Either wheel can get you the Grand Jackpot as long as you are betting at least $3.75. The Progressive meter starts at $500,000, and someone recently hit one at the Venetian for over $2 million.
The bonus wheel’s graphics, sound, and excitement all work to put you in the zone. It makes playing this newer version of the almost 20-year-old Buffalo classic feel fresh and immersive again.
Conclusion
With so many choices, it is hard to pick just a handful of favorite Buffalo slot games, but these are the ones that stand out to me. Let’s not forget that you can play buffalo slots online as well; in fact, the best real money casinos on the internet are probably going to have dozens of different buffalo games for you to choose from right from one screen.
That should allow you to reignite your love of each of these great versions of the Buffalo franchise. Remember, if you want to win, you have to holler, Buffaloooo!