Game apparatus and control method therefor

• US 20050277456A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masahiro Sakurai, mobcast, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bandai Company Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.), Masahiro Sakurai, Q Entertainment, Inc.
• Inventors: Mizuguchi, Tetsuya, Sakurai, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking

Abstract

Display control is made so that meteor blocks (101-104) falling from the outer space are piled up on the surface of earth. When the player operates a cursor (106) for piled up meteor blocks (105) to designate them as objects to be operated, and presses a button, the meteor blocks are vertically re-arranged. When the meteor blocks of the same type line up as a result of re arranging, they can be ignited and launched. When the meteor blocks rise up to the outer space, they can be cleared. On the other hand, when the meteor blocks stall halfway, they cannot be cleared, and fall on the surface of earth again.

Claims

1. A computer program product executed on a computer having an operation unit which inputs an operation to a game, a display unit which displays information associated with the game, and a storage unit which stores data required to execute the game, the computer program making the computer execute:

a step of generating display data of falling objects which are displayed to fall from an upper portion to a lower portion in a predetermined display area on the display unit, and storing the display data in the storage unit;

a step of reading out the generated display data of the falling objects from the storage unit, and displaying the falling objects to fall from the upper portion to the lower portion in the predetermined display area;

a step of changing, when the falling objects reach a falling stop position in the display area, the display data to display the falling objects as stop objects whose falling movement stops, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit;

a step of designating the predetermined number or less of stop objects in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit; and

a step of changing, when the stop objects are designated, the display data of stop objects to re-arrange positions of the designated stop objects in accordance with a re-arrange instruction from the operation unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

2. The program product according to claim 1, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute:

a step of changing, when the re-arranged stop objects and stop objects which are located around the re-arranged stop objects form a predetermined combination, display data of a plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination to display data that express rising objects which rise from the lower portion to the upper portion in the predetermined display area on the display unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit; and

a step of changing, when the rising objects reach a predetermined clear position in the display area, the display data to clear display of the rising objects.

3. The program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute:

a step of designating, when a plurality of rising objects are rising, the predetermined number of rising objects included in the plurality of rising objects in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit; and

a step of changing the display data of the rising objects to re-arrange positions of the predetermined number of designated rising objects in accordance with a re-arrange instruction from the operation unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

4. The program product according to claim 3, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute a step of changing, when stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are designated in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit, the display data of the stop objects to rise the designated stop objects within a range that does not reach the clear position, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

5. The program product according to claim 4, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute a step of changing, when the stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are rising and a display position of the stop object matches a display position of the falling object, the display data of the stop object and the falling object to clear the stop object and the falling object, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

6. The program product according to claim 4, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute a step of changing, when the stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are rising and a display position of the stop object matches a display position of the rising object, the display data of the stop object to display data expressing a new rising object, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

7. The program product according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined combination is formed by three or more re-arranged stop objects and stop objects located around the re-arranged stop objects, which have the same type, and line up vertically or horizontally.

8. The program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute a step of changing not only display data of a plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination but also display data of other stop objects located above the stop objects to be display data that express the rising objects, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

9. The program product according to claim 8, wherein said computer program makes the computer further execute a step of inhibiting, when both the number of the plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination and the number of the other stop objects located above the stop objects do not satisfy a condition that permits the stop object to rise, the display data of the stop objects from being changed to display data that express the rising objects, or changing the display data of the stop objects to display data that express rising stop objects which stop rising before the clear position is reached, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

10. A game apparatus having an operation unit which inputs an operation to a game, a display unit which displays information associated with the game, and a storage unit which stores data required to execute the game, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating display data of falling objects which are displayed to fall from an upper portion to a lower portion in a predetermined display area on the display unit, and storing the display data in the storage unit;

means for reading out the generated display data of the falling objects from the storage unit, and displaying the falling objects to fall from the upper portion to the lower portion in the predetermined display area;

means for, when the falling objects reach a falling stop position in the display area, changing the display data to display the falling objects as stop objects whose falling movement stops, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit;

means for designating the predetermined number or less of stop objects in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit; and

means for, when the stop objects are designated, changing the display data of stop objects to re-arrange positions of the predetermined number of designated stop objects in accordance with a re-arrange instruction from the operation unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for, when the re-arranged stop objects and stop objects which are located around the re-arranged stop objects form a predetermined combination, changing display data of a plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination to display data that express rising objects which rise from the lower portion to the upper portion in the predetermined display area on the display unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit; and

means for, when the rising objects reach a predetermined clear position in the display area, changing the display data to clear display of the rising objects.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for, when a plurality of rising objects are rising, designating the predetermined number of rising objects included in the plurality of rising objects in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit; and

means for changing the display data of the rising objects to re-arrange positions of the predetermined number of designated rising objects in accordance with a re-arrange instruction from the operation unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising means for, when stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are designated in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit, changing the display data of the stop objects to rise the designated stop objects within a range that does not reach the clear position, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for, when the stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are rising and a display position of the stop object matches a display position of the falling object, changing the display data of the stop object and the falling object to clear the stop object and the falling object, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising means for, when the stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are rising and a display position of the stop object matches a display position of the rising object, changing the display data of the stop object to display data expressing a new rising object, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, the predetermined combination is formed by three or more re-arranged stop objects and stop objects located around the re-arranged stop objects, which have the same type, and are juxtaposed vertically or horizontally.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for changing not only display data of a plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination but also display data of other stop objects located above the stop objects to be display data that express the rising objects, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for, when both the number of the plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination and the number of the other stop objects located above the stop objects do not satisfy a condition that permits the stop object to rise, inhibiting the display data of the stop objects from being changed to display data that express the rising objects, or changing the display data of the stop objects to display data that express rising stop objects which stop rising before the clear position is reached, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

19. A method of controlling a game apparatus having an operation unit which inputs an operation to a game, a display unit which displays information associated with the game, and a storage unit which stores data required to execute the game, the method comprising:

a step of generating display data of falling objects which are displayed to fall from an upper portion to a lower portion in a predetermined display area on the display unit, and storing the display data in the storage unit;

a step of reading out the generated display data of the falling objects from the storage unit, and displaying the falling objects to fall from the upper portion to the lower portion in the predetermined display area;

a step of changing, when the falling objects reach a falling stop position in the display area, the display data to display the falling objects as stop objects whose falling movement stops, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit;

a step of designating the predetermined number or less of stop objects in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit; and

a step of changing, when the stop objects are designated, the display data of stop objects to re-arrange positions of the predetermined number of designated stop objects in accordance with a re-arrange instruction from the operation unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

a step of changing, when the re-arranged stop objects and stop objects which are located around the re-arranged stop objects form a predetermined combination, display data of a plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination to display data that express rising objects which rise from the lower portion to the upper portion in the predetermined display area on the display unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit; and

a step of changing, when the rising objects reach a predetermined clear position in the display area, the display data to clear display of the rising objects.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

a step of designating, when a plurality of rising objects are rising, the predetermined number of rising objects included in the plurality of rising objects in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit; and

a step of changing the display data of the rising objects to re-arrange positions of the predetermined number of designated rising objects in accordance with a re-arrange instruction from the operation unit, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising a step of changing, when stop objects fewer than the predetermined are designated in accordance with a designation instruction from the operation unit, the display data of the stop objects to rise the designated stop objects within a range that does not reach the clear position, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of changing, when the stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are rising and a display position of the stop object matches a display position of the falling object, the display data of the stop object and the falling object to clear the stop object and the falling object, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising a step of changing, when the stop objects fewer than the predetermined number are rising and a display position of the stop object matches a display position of the rising object, the display data of the stop object to display data expressing a new rising object, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

25. The method according to claim 20, the predetermined combination is formed by three or more re-arranged stop objects and stop objects located around the re-arranged stop objects, which have the same type, and are juxtaposed vertically or horizontally.

26. The method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of changing not only display data of a plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination but also display data of other stop objects located above the stop objects to be display data that express the rising objects, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising a step of inhibiting, when both the number of the plurality of stop objects which match the predetermined combination and the number of the other stop objects located above the stop objects do not satisfy a condition that permits the stop object to rise, the display data of the stop objects from being changed to display data that express the rising objects, or changing the display data of the stop objects to display data that express rising stop objects which stop rising before the clear position is reached, and storing the changed display data in the storage unit.