Wild Wild Bass 3: Slot Overview

If you’ve been worried there aren’t enough bass-themed online slots, you can relax—studios seem more than happy to keep them coming. The latest entry arrives from developer Stakelogic and is called Wild Wild Bass 3. As with the two earlier bass titles, the Big Catch and the Insane Catch features are still the most distinctive parts of Wild Wild Bass 3, although some might say doing it three times running dulls the novelty. This time, though, Wild Wild Bass 3 also introduces a free spins round, which the previous games didn’t include, so it’s worth a closer look.

Just like the earlier releases—and fishing slots in general—Wild Wild Bass 3 delivers a sunny, outdoorsy vibe on the open sea, with fish drifting by under bright skies. There isn’t a whole lot more to add about Wild Wild Bass 3’s presentation, other than it’s as upbeat and colorful as most fishing-themed slots players are likely to see.

Wild Wild Bass 3 runs on a 6-reel grid with rows set in a 3-3-4-4-4-4 pattern, creating 2,304 ways to win, though this figure rises to 5,625 during certain features. Bets range from 10 c to $/€200 per spin, and players who want to bypass the base game can purchase any of the three main bonus rounds through the buy feature menu. Pressing spin activates a highly volatile math model with a default RTP of 96.04%, although the exact RTP may be lower depending on the casino.

Looking at the paytable, the lower-paying symbols are the 9 to A card ranks, paying 1-2 times the bet for a 6-of-a-kind hit. Land 6 tackle boxes, rings, floats, birds, or rods instead, and you’ll collect 2.5 to 15 times the bet. Fisherman wild symbols show up only on the first two reels, replace all regular pay symbols, and are also used to activate certain features.

Wild Wild Bass 3: Slot Features

The returning Big Catch and Insane Catch mechanics are back again, and this time they’re complemented by a free spins bonus round as well.

Big Catch

Hit 2 wild symbols to activate the Big Catch feature. Reels 3, 4, 5, and 6 extend by one position, and any Bass money symbols currently visible are collected. Bass symbols can land on reels 3-6 only and show a cash value while on screen. With the reels extended, the ways to win increase to 5,625.

Insane Catch

Insane Catch begins when an Insane Catch symbol appears during the Big Catch or when you land 2 wild symbols plus the Insane Catch symbol on reel 6. This awards 2, 3, or 5 spins in which reels 1 and 2 are converted to a single multiplier reel. On each Insane Spin, a multiplier of x1 to x10 is displayed on the multiplier reel, while reels 3-6 spin 20 independent positions. During the feature, only Bass, Insane Catch, or blanks can land on reels 3-6. Bass money values are paid on every spin, with the multiplier applied to those values. Each Insane Catch spin starts with the grid cleared. Landing Insane Catch symbols adds additional spins. Also, mystery symbols can appear during Insane Catch. These reveal a random multiplier of x2, x3, x4, or x5, which multiplies Bass symbols on the reels before the reel multiplier is applied.

Free Spins

Scatter symbols appear on reel 6. Landing 2 wilds and the scatter awards 10 free spins. During free spins, wild symbols are collected when they land. Once 6 collected wild symbols are reached, the win multiplier increases by +1. The win multiplier is applied to the total win when the free spins round ends. Landing 2 wilds plus a scatter retriggers +5 additional free spins.

Bonus Buy

With Wild Wild Bass 3’s bonus buy, players can purchase free spins for 100x the bet, the Big Catch feature for 50x the bet, or the Insane Catch feature for 100x the bet.

Wild Wild Bass 3: Slot Verdict

Playing through Wild Wild Bass 3 did, admittedly, bring up a few gloomy thoughts—namely how many fish-themed games are already out there, how familiar many of them feel, and how often new releases seem designed to ride the wave of what’s worked for others. Put all that together and you end up with something like Wild Wild Bass 3. Sorry if that comes across a touch sharp, but getting through yet another bass slot was a bit of a slog, especially with so many fishing games around and with Wild Wild Bass 3 being the third entry in the line. Still, it does include elements the first two didn’t, giving fans of the earlier WWB games something different to test out.

That said, it’s not a massive shake-up, since the added piece is essentially a free spins round featuring a growing win multiplier. The multiplier is applied at the end of the feature, similar to what we saw recently in Nine To Five, rather than being applied immediately when wins land, which is slightly unusual. It’s a solid addition, so there’s no real issue with it being here. It’s a bit disappointing that the win potential hasn’t been increased, though, because the win cap remains 10,000x the bet in both the base game and free spins. Sequels don’t have to raise the ceiling, but it does feel a little odd when they don’t.

Some players won’t care that Wild Wild Bass 3 sticks with the same cap if they like the free spins presentation, which is decent enough. Even so, the new bonus round didn’t really make the overall task of reviewing fishing slots feel any less relentless. Then again, maybe we shouldn’t complain too much. Just imagine what future gamblers might be dealing with—Wild Wild Bass 69 or Big Bass Bonanza 420, or something along those lines, in the 26th century. Not a pleasant thought.