Unlike many things you have ever seen in the slot weird, Big Bopper Slots is unique in the realm of slot games in that it is an officially licensed affair. Drawing its namesake from JP Richardson Jr, everything in the game is themed to the classic rock of the 1950s. Whether or not this means something to you will likely determine how good of a time you have with this game. While it is appreciated, and everything about the game is very well done, given the source material, what is on offer here may not resonate with everyone. For the older crowd among us, and die hard music fans, Big Bopper Slots will likely be appreciated. For everyone else, it is certainly a solid game, but most of the value of it will likely be lost on you.
Premise
Unknown to many today, Richardson was a big name in rock and roll that was very influential in many ways. He did Chantilly Chase, and went out in typically tragic rockstar fashion, taken from us early in a plane crash, sitting next to Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens at the time. This moment is what people refer to when they say the “day music died,” just to give you an idea of how big of an influence he and has peers were.
Making an analogy, this is a slot themed game about an Elvis type that not many people today are likely familiar with.
Presentation
Thankfully, this is were Big Bopper Slots shines. Everything is taken from classic rock and roll, even featuring old video footage and songs from Bopper himself. It all has a nice, sober, musical appeal that is somewhat akin to Hard Rock Cafés look with a twist. There are Coke bottles, vinyl albums, aviator shades, and leather jackets fit for the Fonz himself. They clearly did a good job capturing the feel of the era, and a lot of money went into getting all of this material together to make into a pretty decent game.
Mechanics
As we are proud to report, Big Bopper Slots, despite being a licensed game, does not manage to disappoint here. Featuring a progressive jackpot and an instant win feature, there is a lot to like here for those in it to win it. The multipliers also go up to 250, making it a little light on that end, but we feel the ability to randomly win it big at any moment more than makes up for it.
Everything else about it is fairly standard, but that is not to say it is bad. The point of this game is the licensed footage, and the gameplay plays it safe to support that.
Likes
+ Production values are technically off the chart
+ Wonderful use of the theme
+ They really capture the man and the era very well
+ Can almost hear the music playing it
Dislikes
- They picked an odd figure to license given contemporary tastes
- The gameplay is fairly safe and uninventive
- The theme is relied on a little too heavily for players that are not into it
Who is this Game For?
This game is suitable for players of all types. In particular, it should appeal to:
* Players new to digital slots and looking for something relatively accessible
* Moderate intensity players that have gotten their feet plenty wet in the online slots world and are looking for something a little more involved
* Jaded slot vets
* People that mostly want to win a bunch of money playing digital slot games
* Players looking for slot nostalgia for the similarities and differences this slot has to other games
* People more used to normal video games that are looking to get their feet wet in the world of online slots
Who is the Game NOT For?
Although we enjoy this slot, it is not for everybody. In particular, it may not be your cup of tea if this describes you in any fashion:
* Averse to winning money online
* Looking for something truly innovative in the genre
* You find the theme in any way offputting
Is it Buggy?
In the time we spent playing this game, we did not encounter any bugs, problems, or errors. The same cannot be said for all slots of this genre, so we commend the developers for a job well done on that. We also encountered no issues in processing winnings or payments, and everything ran very smooth just like you would expect across many varied devices in a variety of ecosystems and operating systems.
Conclusion
Unlike many other games that tried what they have pulled off here, Big Bopper Slots is unique in that it is largely supported by vintage video footage of a cultural icon in the music industry. Everything about the game was made to support that, and the production values are top notch for that reason. Given the figure they chose, however, this is both the game’s greatest strength and biggest weakness. If you are a fan of the era, you will thoroughly appreciate what is on offer here and enjoy every second of it. If you are not, however, which we suspect will include many people, then you may feel like you are somewhat missing the point of the game. It may spark your interest in the man and the era enough to entice you, so we still recommend everyone giving it a try.
