Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win
The original Bison Moon was only released in June 2023, but just a few months later, Northern Lights Gaming came up with a second edition. The first game wasn’t very special to be honest, but Northern Lights Gaming went ahead anyway and came up with a follow-up already. Most of what is seen in Bison Moon Ultra Link & Win looks like the original game which means you’ll be going to the North American prairie. In addition you’ll get a Buffalo Stampede bonus feature which we consider a perfect addition to the already wide range of bonus features in this pokie. It can also help activate both main attractions, as well as award wilds for more significant base game wins. Also, you get the jumbo blocks in the free spins round, which we’ve seen before in the so-called moon games. The main feature of the game is called the Ultra Link & Win feature in this follow-up, of course, and it now comes with unlockable rows for extra positions. Fill the playing field to win the doubled 10,000x Grand Jackpot, but unfortunately the 12,500x top win potential has not changed since the first game. Still, this is a jackpot pokie that hands out some extra prizes.
Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win Review
Many developers of online pokies are known for using their best-performing titles for sequels and although we’re a bit fed up with some providers lacking originality, Pragmatic Play and Play’n Go in particular, some other studios still have some credits. Northern Lights Gaming is a rather new provider that works as a partner studio of Games Global and decided to do the same with their Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win game. Only a few months after releasing their original Bison Moon pokie they decided to come up with the Link & Win edition. In this new, or not so new pokie players are invited to head back to the prairie in North America for yet another adventure in the wild west. If you’re familiar with the original pokie, then we hate to spoil it as you won’t have to expect a jaw-dropping gaming experience in Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win. This new instalment uses the Win Booster, free spins bonus feature, and Link & Win jackpot as seen in the original game. The top win is once again capped at 12,500x the stake. If you’re wondering whether this newer version is worth your spin, then let’s add here that the partner studio of Games Global has indeed incorporated a few changes aiming to enhance your spins on this pokie game.
Nice to know
| Launched | 26 October 2023 |
| RTP | 96.13% |
| Volatility | High |
| Software | Northern Lights Gaming (partner Games Global) |
| Features | Additional Free Spins, Bonus Bet, Bonus Game, Bonus symbols, Fixed Jackpots, Free Spins, Mega Symbol (3x3), Reelset Changing, Respins, Scatter symbols, Wild |
| Theme | Safari |
| Paylines | 10 |
| Grid Layout | 5-3 |
| Min. bet/line | $ 0.10 |
| Max win | x12,500 |
| Jackpot | Yes, 750x the bet |
Positive points
- ✅ Average Base RTP
- ✅ Different Bonus Features
- ✅ High Volatility
- ✅ (Fixed) Jackpot Pokie
- ✅ Payouts of 12,500x The Bet
Negative points
- ❌ Ranging RTP
- ❌ Lower RTP
Review Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win
Duck and stay safe. Be cautious as a stampede of wild animals is moving in your direction in this new title by Northern Lights Gaming. When a stampede makes its way it is actually seen as a good thing as this means that you can get ready for the bonus feature and potentially even for one of the jackpots that are integrated in the game. If that sounds good then we suggest you make it this way and play Bison Moon Ultra Link & Win at our recommended selection of fully licensed NZ pokie sites. These online casinos have been thoroughly audited and reviewed by the team here at pokie Gods to ensure they offer an exceptional user experience, are trustworthy, safe, secure, and boast the best selection of online pokies in their portfolio including Bison Moon Ultra Link & Win.
How to Play
The grid of the Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win is a standard 5×3 layout that works with 19 fixed paylines. This is why the gameplay shouldn’t be too difficult to understand, even if you consider yourself a novice gamer. For Kiwis who want some detailed explanation of how to get started with Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win, here is how to play the pokie game:
- Go to your favourite online casino and sign up for an account. It is advisable to stick to recommended online casinos that are listed on our website as these are available for New Zealanders.
- Start by locating the game in the lobby and then loading the game. On the right side of the reels, you’ll see a chip icon where the stake can be adjusted to make your real money spins. The betting range starts from $ 0,10 up and goes up to $ 20.
- Go ahead and click on the menu button to get access to the paytable. The paytable shows all the info about the winning symbols and their values as well as the rules of the game.
- When you’re ready and you’ve set your stake, it is time to click on the spin button on the game screen. This will let you start with the base game.
- Playing the Bison Moon Ultra Link & Win pokie always needs to be a fun experience. This is why we want to stress the importance of responsible gaming.
- Before you make your real money spin, set a budget. In fact, we advise you to do this before your gaming session.
- Most of our recommended online casinos work with self-exclusion and cooling-off periods. Make use of these options as they are meant to help you control your spendings.
Symbol Wins
Moving on to the symbols you’ll see the different Jack to Ace royals, and different animals on the screen. These animals include canyon wildlife regulars, such as eagles, wolves, and raccoons. The bear is the best paying symbol, giving you payouts of 25x the stake for combos of 5 of a kind. As expected and in line with the original game, the bison is the pokie’s wild symbol. Bisons can appear on any reel, both stacked or alone, whilst they can also substitute for all other symbols in the game. There are also 5 wild symbols in the game that pay out up to 500x the stake. The Free Spin scatters and Link & Win jackpot symbols can also be found in this game, providing players with some extra ways to stack up their prizes. Keep reading to read more about how these work. Here is everything you need to know about the symbols Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win:
| Symbol | Payout for 3 | Payout for 4 | Payout for 5x |
| J | 0.3 | 0.5 | 2x the bet |
| Q | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.5x the bet |
| K | 0.4 | 0.7 | 3x the bet |
| A | 0.5 | 0.8 | 4x the bet |
| Raccoon | 0.8 | 1.5 | 7.5x the bet |
| Eagle | 1 | 2 | 10.x the bet |
| Wolf | 1.2 | 2.5 | 15x the bet |
| Bear | 2 | 5 | 25x the bet |
| Wild | Substitutes for symbols + pays up to 500x the bet | ||
| Free Spins Scatter | 3+ activates Free Spins feature | ||
| Ultra Link&Win | 6-14 activates Ultra Link & Win feature | ||
Bonus Features
The Bison Moon Ultra Link & Win pokie is brought to you with three main bonus features and a Win Booster ante bet feature. These features include added wilds, free spins and jackpot prizes. Below, we’ll delve into the different bonus features in Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win. Some of the bonus features of the original game are maintained whilst others are new. Making your way to the bonus phase is what sets Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win apart from what is seen in the regular Bison Moon game. It is therefore extremely important to pay some attention whilst you make your way to the bonus features. We’ll start with the Bison Stampede feature:
Bison Stampede Feature
The Bison Stampede feature is activated randomly, this can happen after every base game spin, the Bison Stampede feature throws some extra special symbols onto the reels. When this happens, first a number of flaming bison heads will appear. This will then transform into either Link & Win, Wild or Scatter symbols. Any extra wins are then calculated and added to your balance.
Free Spins Feature
The free spins feature is activated by landing 3 scatters during the base game. Doing this will give you a total of 10 free spins. When this happens, you are transported to new reels, where the middle 3 reels are combined to make up a 3×3 jumbo symbol. This will help you to form winning combinations. The Link & Win jumbo block counts as 9 individual symbols too. Landing a scatter jumbo block will add 10 extra free spins.
Ultra Link & Win Feature
Landing between 6 and 14 Ultra Link & Win symbols, will make sure that you are transported to a new set of reels as well. This follows the same approach as in the Free Spins Feature. The new set of reels will see 4 locked rows and 3 unlocked rows. All triggering Link & Win symbols are then held on the reels and you receive 3 respins.
During this bonus feature in this game, each position that is not held will spin individually. During respins only Link & Win symbols or blanks land, and any additional Link & Win symbols are held in place. You will also reset the respin counter for each extra Link & Win symbol you land. Each symbol will come with a cash prize worth 1-20x or one of 3 jackpots. These jackpots aren’t mind blowing but will give you some extra welcome prizes:
- Mini: 50x the stake.
- Minor: 150x the stake.
- Major: 750x the stake.
Win Booster Feature
The Win Booster button can be found on the left of the reel and adds extra Ultra Link & Win symbols to the reels, boosting your chance of activating the Ultra Link & Win feature. The Win Booster Feature costs 2.5x the stake which is something to bear in mind. Making use of this feature is only recommended to those who enjoy a large bankroll and are able to make moderate use of this feature. The Win Booster Feature is an optional feature, players are not forced to make use of it. The Win Booster option also increases the pokie’s RTP to a percentage of 96.56% and comes with a hit frequency rate of 29.79%.
Payout Metrics
Bison Moon Ultra Link & Win works with a rather average RTP of 96.13% whilst it also comes with a high volatility range. This means that players will relatively quickly run out of budget, especially novice players will need to prepare themselves so that all rules are understood before making their real money spins. The RTP is a bit higher than in the original Bison Moon Link & Win pokie, which had an RTP rate of 96.08%. This online casino game also offers top wins of 12,500x the bet, which is identical to the original title. The Win Booster option also increases the pokie’s RTP rate to a percentage of 96.56%. Furthermore, Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win comes with a hit frequency rate of 29.79%.
Summary
Coming across new games every day we don’t enjoy every new pokie, but despite not being perfect, we had a good time playing this one. We have to say that we didn’t have very high expectations as Northern Lights Gaming hasn’t yet impressed us, despite being an official partner studio of one of the industry’s giants Microgaming. Although Northern Lights Gaming sees the spin-off of the original Bison Moon pokie (2022) as an improvement, we didn’t come across many wows in this 2023 successor. The graphics of Bison Moon Ultra: Link & Win are very similar to the original pokie whilst the top win of 12,500 the bet is maintained. The free spins and the win booster made it to this part as well. If you’re lucky to make it to the bonus feature then you will see some differences. Other than in the previous part, you will have an Ultra mode to enjoy, which explains the ‘Ultra Link & Win’ tag. The Bison Stampede bonus feature is also a nice introduction which makes the second part worth it. That is, if you make your way to the bonus round. If that is your objective and you want a better version of the original Bison Moon Ultra game then this Link & Win game might be what you’re looking for. If you’re just a recreational player the standard Bison Moon Ultra version might be sufficient to find the fun you’re after.
