Bullshark Brawl

Bullshark Brawl: Slot Overview

Kids of the 80s or 90s may remember Street Sharks, a cartoon series about crime-fighting entities that were half human and half shark. This was from a time when human-animal hybrids were popular, as evidenced by other shows such as Biker Mice from Mars, Mighty Ducks and the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A nostalgic old school cartoon binge is one possible explanation for the creation of the online slot Bullshark Brawl. Designed by software provider Bullshark Games, it tosses sharks, wrestling and multiplier symbols into the ring, to, well, who knows what will happen. If this unusual blend of effects sounds enticing, then let's get it on in one of the stranger slots to roll off Bullshark Game's production line.

With a title which mirrors the name of the company producing it, Bullshark Brawl kick-started a train of thought to explain the crossover. There were even thoughts that the studio would use Bullshark Brawl to humorously take pot shots at thinly veiled competitors in the industry, but no, it's not like that. It's actually weirder, and sees a group of sharks dressed up like Mexican wrestlers, hanging out in an alleyway, with one of them huffing and puffing on the spot. One word to describe the thematic setup is, odd. Not necessarily bad odd, but it is a little baffling how and why this game came to be. Shouldn't complain though, there's enough disappointment when studios fail to show originality in their games, so for now at least, how about we celebrate Bullshark Brawl's bizarre uniqueness.

Bullshark Brawl's squared circle is a 5x4 grid, evaluating winning combinations from the leftmost reel across 20 paylines. Players may choose a stake of $/€0.10 to $/€100 per spin, though tights and mask are optional. Rated 4 out of 5, the game operates with a highly volatile math model and an RTP of 96.27%, though a lower return option has also been designed.

On the low side of the paytable are 10-A symbols, followed by a bull referee, and four shark wrestlers. A line of 5 matching low pays awards 2x the bet, and a line of 5 matching premium symbols pays 5x to 50x the bet. Wilds substitute for all symbols on the paytable, and they pay 100x if 5 wilds create a winning line.

Bullshark Brawl: Slot Features

Bullshark Brawl's features are multiplier symbols, Rookie Rumble and King of the Ring bonus rounds - with special symbols, a pre-bonus gamble, and feature buys.

Multiplier Symbol

On each spin, 0-3 multiplier symbols can randomly be unlocked. This can be any pay symbol or wild, getting a value of x2 to x100, as indicated by the boxes next to the reels. The third multiplier symbol will always be a high-pay or wild symbol. If a multiplier symbol is part of a win, its multiplier value is applied to the payout. If a wild symbol is chosen as the multiplier symbol, the multiplier is applied to all wins the wild is part of. If a wild is a multiplier symbol and it is in a win with another multiplier symbol, then the multiplier values are added before being applied. In the base game, multiplier symbols reset with each new spin.

Bonus Gamble

Before bonus rounds begin, players have the chance to start the feature or gamble. When gambling, a wheel with blue, green, and red segments spins. Blue awards one extra multiplier symbol at the start of the feature. Green awards +x10 to the starting values of the initially unlocked multiplier symbols, while red means no multiplier symbols are unlocked at the start of the feature.

Multiplier Symbol Unlocker & Multiplier Booster

During bonus rounds, multiplier symbol unlockers may land when there are fewer than three multiplier symbols unlocked. The unlocker symbol unlocks an extra multiplier symbol before transforming into a regular pay symbol. Also, multiplier booster symbols may land when at least one multiplier symbol is unlocked. It shoots 1-3 boosts of x1 to x25 to unlocked multiplier symbols before transforming into a regular pay symbol. The same multiplier symbol can be boosted multiple times.

Rookie Rumble

Hitting 3 scatters in the main game triggers Rookie Rumble's 10 free spins. This round keeps the base game mechanics, with some changes. For instance, the feature starts with 1 unlocked multiplier symbol active till the end of the bonus, and each scatter that lands awards +1 free spin. Multiplier symbols have progressive multipliers, and landed scatters turn into regular pay symbols.

King of the Ring

Getting 4 scatters awards King of the Ring and 12 free spins. This bonus has the same mechanics as Rookie Rumble, except that players get 2 unlocked multiplier symbols at the start of it.

Feature Buys

In Bullshark Brawl, it is possible to activate BonusHunt FeatureSpins for 3x, causing each spin to be 5 times more likely to trigger a bonus game, or Shark Slam FeatureSpins for 50x, where all three multiplier symbols are unlocked with random values. Rookie Rumble may be bought for 100x or King of the Ring for 200x the bet.

Bullshark Brawl: Slot Verdict

Bullshark Brawl was a bit of a head scratcher. There didn't seem to be any obvious link between the game and Bullshark Games, the developer, despite the obvious titular connection. Perhaps there is a deep, gotta be part of the inner circle, in-joke happening here that anyone outside the studio will struggle to grasp. Or maybe it's time to take the tin foil hat off and stop grasping at conspiracies. Whatever the case, Bullshark Brawl is an odd mash-up of anthropomorphic sharks, lucha libre vibes and slot mechanics, pulled together and thrown into the ring - who said originality has been squeezed out of the online slot industry?

For such a colourful slot populated with over-the-top characters, Bullshark Brawl could actually be quite slow going at times. Despite its eyebrow-raising shark-wrestler theme, the base game could drag when multiplier symbols were failing to appear. Outside the multiplier symbols, nothing else can land on the grid and spice the action up. Line wins or dead spins, that's it, as the multiplier symbols are hanging out in the changing room, pulling on masks and oiling up. When multipliers do make an appearance, Bullshark Brawl starts to step up. The system is more restrictive than having a good old global multiplier, since at best, up to three types of symbols can be multiplied, though wilds do expand the situation. Multipliers persist in free spins, but again, they're restricted to just three types of symbols. Decent outcomes are technically possible, helped along by unlockers and boosters, but the built-in limitations can feel restrictive.

Like a wrestling duo, Bullshark Brawl tag teams between bizarre novelty and an entertaining gambling experience. It might seem sparse at times when multipliers aren't playing ball, but they can elbow into the action and contribute to a game capped at 10,000x the bet, though this is only achievable in bonus games. Players who like to flirt with unconventional slots might be drawn to Bullshark Brawl, though it may help willing participants if they're able to embrace the borderline absurdist situation of sharks in lucha masks beefing downtown.