Gaming machine and method having feature game highlighting

A method of highlighting scatter symbols on a gaming machine to enable both standard game play to and feature game play, comprising:

• providing a housing and a device for accepting currency;
• providing a control unit having a memory, a processor and control circuitry mounted in the housing for generating a matrix of symbols, the control unit is in communication with the device for accepting currency;
• the device for accepting currency is selected from the group consisting of, a card reader, a coin acceptor, a bill acceptor, and combinations thereof;
• providing a display mounted on the housing in communication with the control unit, the display includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer;
• displaying a background with the first layer;
• and
• displaying the matrix of symbols on the second layer, to enable simultaneous viewing of at least a portion of the background and the matrix of symbols;
• selectively displaying at least one scatter symbol in the matrix of symbols, and a highlighting the at least one scatter symbol with the third layer;
• enabling standard game play based on the matrix of symbols and paylines defined thereon;
• enabling feature game play when the at least one scatter symbol is highlighted with the third layer.

A gaming machine capable of generating and highlighting scatter symbols during standard game play to enable simultaneous standard game play and feature game play, comprising:

• a housing and a device for accepting currency;
• a control unit having a memory, a processor and control circuitry mounted in the housing for generating a matrix of symbols having rows and columns;
• the control unit is in communication with the device for accepting currency;
• the device for accepting currency is selected from the group consisting of, a card reader, a coin acceptor, a bill acceptor, and combinations thereof;
• a display mounted on the housing in communication with the control unit, the display including a first layer for displaying the background, a second layer overlying the first layer for displaying the matrix of symbols, and a third layer;
• the control unit causes the display to display the matrix of symbols over the first layer, to enable simultaneous viewing of at least a portion of the first layer and the matrix of symbols;
• third layer being capable of highlighting the at least one scatter symbol,
• control unit causes the display to display at least one scatter symbol in the matrix of symbols, and selectively highlights the at least one scatter symbol with the third layer by highlighting any column where the at least one scatter symbol appears and by highlighting the at least one scatter symbol;
• enabling standard game play based on the matrix of symbols and paylines defined thereon;
• enabling feature game play when the at least one scatter symbol is highlighted;
• whereby selectively highlighting the at least one scatter symbol and the column where the at least one scatter symbol appears enables standard game play and feature game play to simultaneously occur.