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
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
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
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
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
Conclusion
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.
