Game apparatus and storage medium storing game program

• US 20050282634A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi, Narita, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,618,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters

Abstract

A game system includes a plurality of game apparatuses that can carry out short-range wireless communication with one another. Link strength is detected for wireless communication between a parent apparatus and a child apparatus selected as a communication partner thereof. If the link strength is not equal to or more than a predetermined value, the image of a rare item piece is not displayed and the image of a normal item piece alone is displayed even though the partner has the rare item pieces in its possession, for example. Also, the use of the rare item is not permitted. On the other hand, if the link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value, the use of the rare item is permitted and, if the combination of rare item pieces is successful, for example, the rare item is used.

Claims

1. A game apparatus that can carry out short-range wireless communication with at least one other game apparatus, comprising:

an item data storing means for storing item data including at least a first item possessed by this game apparatus itself;

a link strength detecting means for detecting a link strength for wireless communication between this game apparatus and said other game apparatus;

a strength value determining means for determining whether or not the link strength detected by said link strength detecting means is equal to or more than a predetermined value; and

a game processing means for permitting the use of said first item when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a possessed item receiving means for receiving partner'"'"'s possessed item data related to an item possessed by said other game apparatus;

a possessed item determining means for determining whether or not said other game apparatus possesses the first item based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data; and

a possession state displaying means for displaying a message to the effect that said other game apparatus possesses the first item when said possessed item determining means has determined that said other game apparatus possesses the first item.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a possessed item receiving means for receiving partner'"'"'s possessed item data related to an item possessed by said other game apparatus; and

an item display control means that displays an image of the first item possessed by said other game apparatus based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value, and that does not display the image of the first item possessed by said other game apparatus when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is not equal to or more than the predetermined value.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said item data storing means stores item data further including a second item, and

said game processing means permits the use of said second item alone when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is not equal to or more than the predetermined value, and permits the use of both of said first item and said second item when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a possessed item receiving means for receiving partner'"'"'s possessed item data related to an item possessed by said other game apparatus; and

an item display control means that displays the images of both of the first item and the second item possessed by said other game apparatus based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value, and that displays the image of the second item alone possessed by said other game apparatus based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is not equal to or more than the predetermined value.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said first item is an item of high rarity that is difficult to obtain according to the progress of a game, and said second item is an item of low rarity that is easy to obtain according to the progress of the game.

7. A storage medium storing a game program executed in a game apparatus comprising an item data storing means for storing item data including at least a first item possessed by this game apparatus itself and capable of carrying out short-range wireless communication with at least one other game apparatus, wherein

said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus to perform:

a link strength detecting step of detecting a link strength for wireless communication between this game apparatus and said other game apparatus;

a strength value determining step of determining whether or not the link strength detected in said link strength detecting step is equal to or more than a predetermined value; and

a game processing step of permitting the use of said first item when said strength value determining means has determined that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value.

8. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 7, wherein

said game program causes the processor of said game apparatus to further perform:

a possessed item receiving step of receiving partner'"'"'s possessed item data related to an item possessed by said other game apparatus;

a possessed item determining step of determining whether or not said other game apparatus possesses the first item based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data; and

a possession state displaying step of displaying a message to the effect that said other game apparatus possesses the first item when it is determined in said possessed item determining step that said other game apparatus possesses the first item.

9. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 7, wherein

said game program causes the processor of said game apparatus to further perform:

a possessed item receiving step of receiving partner'"'"'s possessed item data related to an item possessed by said other game apparatus; and

an item display controlling step of displaying an image of the first item possessed by said other game apparatus based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data when it is determined in said strength value determining step that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value, and not displaying the image of the first item possessed by said other game apparatus when it is determined in said strength value determining step that said link strength is not equal to or more than the predetermined value.

10. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 7, wherein

said item data storing means stores item data further including a second item, and

in said game processing step, the use of said second item alone is permitted when it is determined in said strength value determining step that said link strength is not equal to or more than the predetermined value, and the use of both of said first item and said second item is permitted when it is determined in said strength value determining step that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value.

11. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 10, wherein

said game program causes the processor of said game apparatus to further perform:

a possessed item receiving step of receiving partner'"'"'s possessed item data related to an item possessed by said other game apparatus; and

an item display control step of displaying the images of both of the first item and the second item possessed by said other game apparatus based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data when it is determined in said strength value determining step that said link strength is equal to or more than the predetermined value, and displaying the image of the second item alone possessed by said other game apparatus based on said partner'"'"'s possessed item data when it is determined in said strength value determining step that said link strength is not equal to or more than the predetermined value.

12. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 10, wherein

said first item is an item of high rarity that is difficult to obtain according to the progress of a game, and said second item is an item of low rarity that is easy to obtain according to the progress of the game.