Gaming system, gaming device, and method for providing a cascading symbols game having magnetic symbols and target symbols

A gaming system comprising:

• a housing;
• a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;
• an acceptor, and
• a cashout device;
• at least one display device supported by the housing;
• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
• (a) responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,
• (b) for each play of a game:
• (i) cause the at least one display device to display a matrix of symbol positions including a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions,
• (ii) cause the at least one display device to display one of a plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions of the matrix, the plurality of symbols including at least one predetermined target symbol and at least one predetermined magnetic symbol, wherein said at least one target symbol and said at least one magnetic symbol are each predetermined independent of when the display of one of the plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions of the matrix occurs,
• (iii) if and because the displayed symbols include a first designated number of the magnetic symbols displayed in association with a second designated number of the target symbols, said first designated number being at least one and said second designated number being at least one:
• (A) for each displayed magnetic symbol which is displayed in association with one of the target symbols:
• (I) determine whether any symbol is displayed between said magnetic symbol and said associated target symbol, and
• (II) if at least one symbol is displayed between said magnetic symbol and said associated target symbol:
• (1) cause the at least one display device to display a shift of said magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol into a symbol position adjacent to said associated target symbol, the shifting resulting in an empty symbol position,
• (2) for each empty symbol position having a displayed symbol above said empty symbol position, cause the at least one display device to display a shift of said displayed symbol downward into that empty symbol position, resulting in a different empty symbol position, and
• (3) cause the at least one display device to display one of the plurality of symbols in any empty symbol position, and
• (B) repeat (b)(iii), and
• (iv) if the displayed symbols include the first designated number of the magnetic symbols and the second designated number of the target symbols and said first designated number of magnetic symbols are not displayed in association with said second designated number of target symbols, not cause the at least one display device to display the shift of said magnetic symbols toward the target symbols, and
• (v) thereafter cause the at least one display device to display an award for any displayed winning symbol combination, and
• (c) responsive to a cashout input being received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

A gaming system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor for each play of a game, cause the processor to:
• (a) cause a display device of a mobile device to display a plurality of symbol positions,
• (b) cause the display device of the mobile device to display one of a plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions, the plurality of symbols including at least one predetermined target symbol and at least one predetermined magnetic symbol, wherein said at least one target symbol and said at least one magnetic symbol are each predetermined independent of when the display of one of the plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions occurs,
• (c) if and because the displayed symbols include a first designated number of the magnetic symbols displayed in association with a second designated number of the target symbols, said first designated number being at least one and said second designated number being at least one, for each such displayed magnetic symbol:
• (i) cause the display device of the mobile device to display a shift of said magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol, said shifting resulting in an empty symbol position, and
• (ii) cause the display device of the mobile device to display one of the plurality of symbols in the displayed empty symbol position, and
• (d) if the displayed symbols include the first designated number of the magnetic symbols and the second designated number of the target symbols and said first designated number of magnetic symbols are not displayed in association with said second designated number of target symbols, not cause the display device of the mobile device to display the shift of said magnetic symbols toward the target symbols, and
• (e) thereafter, if any winning symbol combination is displayed:
• (i) cause the display device of the mobile device to display an award for each displayed winning symbol combination,
• (ii) cause the display device of the mobile device to display a removal of at least one symbol from at least one displayed winning symbol combination,
• (iii) cause the display device of the mobile device to display one of the plurality of symbols in each empty symbol position, and
• (iv) repeat (c) and (e).

A gaming system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor for each play of a game, cause the processor to:
• (a) cause a display device of a mobile device to display a matrix of symbol positions including a plurality of rows of symbol positions and a plurality of columns of symbol positions,
• (b) cause the display device of the mobile device to display one of a plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions of the matrix, the plurality of symbols including at least one predetermined target symbol and at least one predetermined magnetic symbol, wherein said at least one target symbol and said at least one magnetic symbol are each predetermined independent of when the display of one of the plurality of symbols in each of the symbol positions of the matrix occurs,
• (c) if and because the displayed symbols include a first designated number of the magnetic symbols displayed in association with a second designated number of the target symbols, said first designated number being at least one and said second designated number being at least one:
• (i) for each displayed magnetic symbol which is displayed in association with one of the target symbols:
• (A) determine whether any symbol is displayed between said magnetic symbol and said associated target symbol, and
• (B) if at least one symbol is displayed between said magnetic symbol and said associated target symbol:
• (1) cause the display device of the mobile device to display a shift of said magnetic symbol toward the associated target symbol into a symbol position adjacent to said associated target symbol, the shifting resulting in an empty symbol position,
• (2) for each empty symbol position having a displayed symbol above said empty symbol position, cause the display device of the mobile device to display a shift of said displayed symbol downward into that empty symbol position, resulting in a different empty symbol position, and
• (3) cause the display device of the mobile device to display one of the plurality of symbols in any empty symbol position, and
• (ii) repeat (c), and
• (d) if the displayed symbols include the first designated number of the magnetic symbols and the second designated number of the target symbols and said first designated number of magnetic symbols are not displayed in association with said second designated number of target symbols, not cause the display device of the mobile device to display the shift of said magnetic symbols toward the target symbols, and
• (e) thereafter cause the display device of the mobile device to display an award for any displayed winning symbol combination.