Video game apparatus, method and device for controlling same, and memory cartridge for video games

• US 5,649,862 A
• Filed: 08/05/1994
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1991
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakaguchi, Hironobu, Itou, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sager, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US08/286,188
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 273/85 G, 273/148 B, 273/313, 273/316, 273/434, 273/435, 273/DIG. 28, 364/410, 463/7, 463/8, 463/30-31, 463/36-38, 348/552, 340/323 R, 395/118, 395/133, 395/152, 395/162, 395/164
• US Class Current: 463/44
• 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

Disclosed in a video game of enhanced realism in which actual combat is closely simulated. The game is so adapted that an enemy character on a display screen may launch an attack against a player character on the same screen, even while the player character is in the process of inputting a command, at elapse of a set time period specific to the enemy character. The attack is made without an interruption in the flow of time of the game.

Claims

1. A memory cartridge for program control of a computer for a video game including a CPU for executing processing in accordance with a program, a memory for use during program execution by said CPU, a display processing unit for displaying a game video screen on a display unit under control of said CPU, and an input unit for inputting action commands;

said memory cartridge storing a program, said program including instructions for;

causing the display unit to display a player character and an enemy character on a display screen,

causing the player character to execute an action commanded in response to an action command inputted from said input unit,

causing the enemy character to execute a predetermined action,

causing a counter associated with each player and enemy character, to count a time, which is assigned to each of the player and enemy characters, from an end of said commanded action and said predetermined action of each of the player and enemy characters, respectively,

causing said counter to generate a signal for each of the enemy and player characters when the time counted is equal to the time assigned thereto,

in response to said generated signal, allowing said input unit to input the action command for the player character, and proceeding to execution of the action in accordance with the inputted action command, and

in response to said generated signal, processing the predetermined action in accordance with a predetermined action schedule for the enemy character.

2. A memory cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the program stored in the memory cartridge, and executed by said CPU includes further instructions for:

causing said display screen to display a command input request requesting input of an action command indicating a type of action,

causing a counter to count a predetermined time for action preparation conforming to the type of action in response to the input action command, and

executing the commanded action when the time for action preparations elapses.

3. A memory cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the program stored in the memory cartridge, and executed by said CPU includes further instructions for:

causing a counter to count a predetermined time for action preparations conforming to an action in accordance with a predetermined action schedule for the enemy character, and

executing the action for the enemy character in accordance with the predetermined action schedule when the time for the action preparations elapses.

4. A memory cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an active mode and a wait mode are provided, and

wherein the program stored in the memory cartridge, and executed by said CPU includes further instructions for:

when said active mode has been selected, activating the instructions for causing the counters associated with the player and enemy characters to count, and

when the wait mode has been selected, deactivating the instructions for causing the counters associated with the player characters to count.

5. A memory cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the program stored in the memory cartridge, and executed by said CPU includes further instructions for changing a speed of counting the time assigned to each character in response to an input designating the speed of the passage of time.

6. A memory cartridge for program control of a computer for a video game having a CPU for executing processing in accordance with a program, a memory for use during program execution by said CPU, a display processing unit for displaying a game video screen on a display unit under control of said CPU, and an input unit for inputting action commands, the video game including characters comprising enemy and player characters, said memory cartridge storing a program, the program including instructions for:

causing a counter to clock a time, which is assigned to each of the enemy characters, from an end of a previous attack of one of the characters irrespective of input of the action command for the player character,

causing the counter to generate a signal for the one of the characters when the time clocked is equal to or greater than a predetermined time assigned to the one of the characters, and

in response to said generated signal, processing an action in accordance with a predetermined action schedule if the one of the characters is an enemy character.