We’ve all heard the expression “big kahuna”, but how many of us actually know what it means? The most popular definition is a Hawaiian shaman, which is precisely what Big Kahuna, the non-progressive video slot from Microgaming, appears to be based on. This one has 5 reels and 9 unfixed paylines, which means wins can be formed both horizontally and diagonally. The game is developed around a tribal theme. The feature flourishes include scatter symbols, Wilds, and no less than two mini-games. Are you interested to know more about this unique reeled machine? Then continue reading our full review below.

Big Kahuna Slot Machine: Explore Tips, Paytable and Bonus Features

This is a non-progressive slot released to the online gambling community back in February of 2004. This seems like a lifetime ago, especially when comparing the Big Kahua slot with the modern reeled adventures.

The game’s developer and provider is Microgaming, and if you are here, we assume that you are a true fan interested in discovering everything this i-tech giant has created over the years. Well, welcome to the legacy. Let’s explore, shall we?

Funky Theme

The Hawaiian-themed game is fast-paced and amusing, but in order to make it more attractive to players, developers from Microgaming have added two exciting bonus features.

Kahuna is a Hawaiian word and it loosely translates as a “shaman”, “magician”, or a “priest”. And this is probably the reason why the slot has this title – the main character of the game is a Hawaiian shaman, the Big Kahuna himself, which is depicted as several different symbols. The reels have the typical five by three structure and the symbols are large, covering the entire screen. The graphics are a bit outdated, but they can still be described as high-quality and visually appealing. The colors are bright, bold and create the fun, exotic atmosphere associated with everyone’s favorite Aloha State.

Paytable Explained

You will be spinning five reels with three rows. The maximum number of active paylines is nine. This is a so-bright-you-need-shades slot, packed with comical two-dimensional symbols that reflect the theme. You can make a maximum bet of 45 coins per spin, or a minimum of 0.5, and the return-to-player percentage is 96.2%. All wins pay left to right except the scatter, which pays wherever it lies.

Special Icons

• The highest-paying icons – the ones you really want to see appear on the grid – include the Big Kahuna Wild, which has the ability to pay up to 8,000 when five are found on an active line, and when the gamer is playing at max bet. It also pays 1,000 for four, 200 for three, 10 for two and two for two. In addition to granting pay-outs as outlined above, the Wild can stand in for other symbols to help form winning combos. However, there is a caveat: it can only help complete winning combinations using the fruit symbols.
• The Scatter icon is the grinning monkey. Two or more of these icons found on active payline will payout in the shape of three credits for two symbols, 10 for three, 25 for four and 200 for five. Scatter wins, as ever, are multiplied by the total number of credits staked. The scatter triggers the game’s bonus rounds.
• The bonus symbols include a volcano and a tribal mask. Of course, the icons are also among the best-paying in the game, so you will be doubly satisfied when you uncover them.

Regular Symbols

Here, symbols include tribal masks, a shaman, a golden volcano, a monkey and an iguana. There are also modern takes on old-school fruit machine symbols of raspberries, pineapples, melons, oranges, kiwi fruits, and coconuts.

• The tribal mask, which grants pay-outs of up to 4,375, is another fine one to find. The figure is, of course, for five, but you could win 2,900 for four or 1,650 for three.
• The volcano, which pays up to 2,500 for five, also grants 1,000 for four or 625 for three.
• Among the other symbols, the dancing shaman pays 500 for five, 150 for four, 25 for three or 10 for two.
• The iguana pays the same, except only five credits for two, and the orange pays 250, 80 and 20, with no win granted for two.
• The kiwi fruit pays 200, 50 and 15, and so on down the line.
• The least valuable symbol is the raspberry, which pays 100 for five, 20 for four and 10 for three.

Bonuses and Additional Winning Possibilities

Big Kahuna has two bonus games: The Volcano bonus and the Mask bonus.

Volcano Bonus

This is a brief bonus which one feels could have been extended a little bit – if you can land three, four of five of the volcano symbols on an active payline you will be taken to a new screen.

Here you must sacrifice a piece of fruit to the statue by dropping it in the volcano. Each of the pieces of fruit is worth a different prize amount so it’s potluck which one you pick.

Mask Bonus

This is slightly more involved mini-game and to trigger it you need to land three, four or five of the Tiki mask symbols on an active payline.

You will now be taken to a screen displaying ten Tiki masks and all you have to do is pick them one by one, revealing a prize behind each until you find the one showing ‘Collect’, at which point the game is over.

Best Casinos to Play Big Kahuna Slot Machine At

Though the game is old, some of the online operators still have it in their lobbies. Here are some of the websites we recommend players explore in order to play the release:

• Cabaret Club is an experienced and well-known platform with more than ten years of experience and a license from the Malta Gaming Authority. There are more than seven language adaptations to its content.
• Ruby Fortune was established back in 2003. This is also a Malta-compliant gambling destination. It welcomes international traffic with multiple languages, currency, and banking options. Withdrawals are fast.
• Lucky Nugget is a platform that’s been around for more than two decades. Its MGA permit is strengthened with the license from the government of Kahnawake. There are welcome and ongoing promotions.
• Platinum Play is familiar to many players because it’s been around since 2003. Poker and bingo rooms are added to the selection of games. The latter is delivered by numerous content creators.
• 7 Sultans brand was launched back at the end of the 1990s. This is a Microgaming-powered place to bet and win. It has instant, downloadable, and mobile options and a selection of all game cohorts.

More Games by Microgaming

• Game of Thrones Power Stacks by Microgaming is a second slot of this studio dedicated to the legendary TV series. It delivers lots of valuable features, as well as some of the beloved characters.
• Deadmau5 is a unique slot inspired by the career of a famous DJ. This is a laid-back release with quality visuals and the original soundtrack, as well as with a plethora of bonus features.
• Sisters of Oz was created together with the Triple Edge Studios. This is a progressive release inspired by the popular tale. It promises lots of action along with some decent potential payouts.

We Recommend

Island adventures are favored by many content creators. These are usually fun, colorful, and entertaining. Here are some of the latest arrivals to our lobby:

• Ignite the Night by Relax Gaming has medium-to-high variance and ten fixed win lines. This is a game set in one of the islands of Hawaii. It has free spins and a bonus round among its highlights.
• Wai Kiki by 1x2 Gaming is also a medium-to-high variance game. It has twenty-five fixed win lines and a nice beach vibe to it. There are bonus rotations and a mini game triggered by the third reel.
• Cuba Libre by Capecod Gaming delivers some authenticity of the island of freedom, with its strong rum and blue water. There are also free spins and two bonus sessions. Visit the review for more details.