In the casino industry, slot themes come and go, with the iGaming scene overflowing with aesthetic ideas and graphical reimaginings that vary drastically from one another. Few unique-looking releases have managed to go on and create a genre; however, the Fishin’ Frenzy slot is one such slot which managed to achieve exactly this.
What began as a simple, colourful fishing slot from Blueprint Gaming has grown into a powerhouse franchise, spawning numerous sequels, such as Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways, and inspiring dozens, if not more, of slots in this genre. It is not just one of the most recognisable game series in the world of online slots, but it is also the blueprint for an entire subgenre.
As a result of this, we have taken a look back at where it all began, taking a deep dive into how the Fishin’ Frenzy franchise has completely redefined what fishing-themed slots can be.
Fishin’ Frenzy’s History
Fishin’ Frenzy was originally released by Reel Time Gaming in September 2014. However, it was distributed widely through Blueprint Gaming’s platform, hence their close association with the franchise. At first glance, the game was a simple idea: bringing a bright fishing trip-themed slot with colourful symbols to the market.
Hidden within its simplicity, though, was a gameplay mechanic that would go on to become iconic, arguably being a revolutionary one due to the fact that it has since been adopted by a myriad of games since its debut in Fishin’ Frenzy. The original game stood out not because of flashing animations or intricate mechanics, but because it combined clever innovation with a highly refined blueprint, something which struck a chord with players in the casino space. From these humble beginnings, a new genre was born that would go on to dominate in the years to come.
Why Fishin’ Frenzy Became So Popular?
Although the foundations paint a clear picture of why Fishin’ Frenzy became so popular, we will dive deeper into a handful of the core design elements that not only made this original a success but also served as a template for other spin-offs and sequels to follow.
Visuals That Nailed The Theme
Fishin’ Frenzy fully leaned into its identity, coming with no abstract styling or a generic vibe at all. Instead, this boasts clean, animated art direction that really captures the essence of the open water. The backdrop of the deep blue sea and the rippling waves overhead gave the game back a unique charm that felt instantly different to many other high-octane fruit machine-inspired games that were dominating the scene at the time. The overall aesthetic design of the first Fishin’ Frenzy was a breath of fresh air, despite being situated underwater, that fully leaned into the fishing thematics and didn’t take itself too seriously at the same time.
Cast Of Fishing Themed Symbols
The set of symbols first incorporated in Fishin’ Frenzy becomes memorable instantly, solidifying the theme even further. The inclusions of fishing rods, bait boxes, life buoys and seagulls alongside the card symbols that had fish tails embedded into their designs were all carefully chosen icons to reinforce the visual identity of this release. It was this attention to detail that laid the groundwork for many other entrants in the same genre that would follow, as many spin-offs would go on to present their own iterations of such symbols in their own paytables.
Fisherman Wild Collect Mechanic
Where the genre-defining innovation kicked in was through the inclusion of the fisherman wild collect mechanic. During the bonus round of Fishin’ Frenzy, the fisherman symbol acts as a regular wild; however, it comes with an extra twist, too. There is a series of fish symbols included by Blueprint Gaming, all of which could have prize values displayed on them that vary depending on the fish size. If the fisherman happened to appear alongside any fish symbols, he could then collect those fish and add their respective prize values to a box displayed next to the 5×3 set of reels.
This addition was a huge shift in gameplay design as suddenly, wilds were no longer just substituting symbols, now having the ability to bring extra nuanced characteristics to the table and participate in new ways. This mechanic became a landmark moment for the fishing genre of games, and today, dozens of releases have followed this format.
Growing Family Of Fishin’ Frenzy Variants
One of the ways in which Fishin’ Frenzy continued to redefine the fishing genre was through Blueprint Gaming’s series of sequels, which they would then go on to produce. One of the smartest things the developers did was not letting the formula go stale, expanding the franchise with a collection of tweaks and deviations instead of just endlessly repeating the original game.
Each new title in the Fishin’ Frenzy Series explored a different element of gameplay, all whilst retaining the core DNA of the original instalment. Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways, for example, added up to 15,625 paylines and a shifting 6×5 playgrid, whereas Fishin’ Frenzy Jackpot King would go on to introduce a progressive jackpot system. These are just two entrants in the series as Fishin’ Frenzy Prize Lines added a unique hybrid format between slots and bingo, with the Fishin’ Frenzy Scratchard ditching slot gameplay entirely.
No matter the series’ approach, the original visuals and style of the formative title made an appearance, solidifying the original as a true innovator who had gone on to establish its own branded identity.
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