Patent ID: 7824261

Claim:
A gaming machine comprising: (i) a display device on which a plurality of symbols are displayed; (ii) a memory for storing data concerning the plurality of symbols to be displayed on the display device; and (iii) a controller, wherein: the plurality of symbols include: one or more first symbols each treated as a symbol for shifting a base game to a feature game; and one or more second symbols each treated as a symbol substitutable for any one of the plurality of symbols except the first symbol during the base game, and treated as a symbol substitutable for all of the plurality of symbols during the feature game, including the first symbol; and the controller is configured to: (a) display a first subset of the plurality of symbols in a display region of the display device for the base game, the first subset including at least one first symbol and at least one second symbol; (b) shift the base game to the feature game in a case where a number of the first symbols displayed within the first subset reach a predetermined number during the base game; (c) display a second subset of the plurality of symbols in the display region of the display device for the feature game, the second subset including at least one first symbol and at least one second symbol; and (d) establish a retrigger for shifting the feature game to a next feature game in a case where a judgment is made that a condition for a first trigger that the number of the first symbols in the second subset reaches the predetermined number is satisfied, or a case where a judgment is made that a condition for a second trigger that a sum of the number of the first symbols in the second subset that is less than the predetermined number and a sum of a number of the second symbols in the second subset reaches the predetermined number is satisfied.