Abstract: Methods for enhancing a mechanical reel game are disclosed. According to one method, a game is initiated by spinning a plurality of mechanical reels in response to a player wager, wherein each mechanical reel has a plurality of game symbols. The gaming machine ascertains whether a triggering event is established during the game. In response to a triggering event, one or more video images are presented and overlay one or more the mechanical reels to obscure the game symbols on the mechanical reels in response to the triggering event. In one embodiment, the video images include one or more video depictions of game symbols. The mechanical reels obscured by the video images are fixed, and the mechanical reels not obscured by the video images are spun. One or more paylines are evaluated for winning outcomes based on the combination of the video depictions of game symbols and the game symbols presented on the mechanical reels on the one or more paylines.