Puzzle game apparatus and computer readable storage medium having puzzle game program stored thereon

• US 8,167,714 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tawara, Masaki, Sukekuni, Yuuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DiToro, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/987,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/31, 463/30, 463/37, 715/254
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0428 Crosswords
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0612 Electronic puzzles

Abstract

In a solution area which has a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix thereof, a connective cell, which is obtained by interrelating a predetermined plurality of cells with one another, is displayed. Further, a normal numerical clue, which is caused to correspond to a row and a column in the matrix and represents the number of cells to be marked in the corresponding row and column, is displayed. Still further, a large numerical clue, which represents the number of cells to be marked in a contiguous form over a plurality of adjoining rows or a plurality of adjoining columns, is displayed so as to range over the plurality of rows or the plurality of columns. In accordance with an operation performed by a player, specific cells are marked, and then whether or not a set of the marked cells presents a figure which is a solution of a puzzle having been previously set.

Claims

1. A puzzle game apparatus, comprising:

a display device;

a user input device, and

a processor executing a program stored on a non-transitory storage medium, the program when executed by the processor causes the game apparatus to;

display a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix;

display a clue area in which a plurality of numbers each representing the number of cells to be marked, wherein the clue area is adjacent the cells in the solution area;

display in the clue area a normal numerical clue which corresponds to a row or a column in the matrix and represents the number of cells to be marked in the corresponding row or column, wherein the normal numerical clue is displayed in a region of the clue area corresponding to the row or the column;

display in the clue area a large sized numerical clue simultaneously with the normal numerical clue, wherein the large numerical clue represents the number of cells to be marked in a contiguous form over a plurality of adjoining rows or a plurality of adjoining columns in the matrix, wherein the large sized numerical clue is displayed in a region of the clue area adjacent the rows or columns including the cells corresponding to the number of the large sized numerical clue, and the region spans the plurality of adjoining rows or the plurality of adjoining columns corresponding to the large sized numerical clue;

identify a cell to be marked, among the cells in the solution area, in accordance with an operation by a player;

mark and display the identified cell; and

determine whether or not a set of the marked cells presents a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle.

2. A puzzle game apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a user input device, and

a processor executing a program stored on a non-transitory storage medium, the program when executed by the processor causes the game apparatus to;

display on the display device a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns;

perform a connective cell setting process to cause a plurality of cells, among the cells arranged in the solution area, to interrelate with one another;

perform a connective state process which indicates the cells caused to interrelate with one another by the connective cell setting process to form the connective cell;

display a clue area in which is displayed a plurality of numbers, each representing a number of cells to be marked among the cells arranged in the solution area, wherein the clue area includes a clue area adjacent the columns and rows of cells in the solution area;

displaying a normal sized numerical clue, which corresponds to a row or a column in the matrix and represents the number of cells to be marked in the corresponding row or column, wherein the normal sized numerical clue is displayed in a region of the clue area of the display aligned with the corresponding row or column;

displaying a large sized numerical clue which represents the number of cells of one of the connective cells to be marked in a contiguous form over a plurality of adjoining rows or a plurality of adjoining columns in the matrix, wherein the large sized numerical clue is displayed in a region of the clue area adjacent the rows or columns with the cells represented by the number of the large sized numerical clue and which spans and corresponds to the plurality of adjoining rows or the plurality of adjoining columns, wherein the large sized numerical clue is displayed simultaneously with the small sized numerical clue;

identifying a cell to be marked, among the cells in the solution area, in accordance with an operation by a player;

marking and displaying the identified to be marked cell; and

determining whether or not a set of the marked cells presents a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle;

wherein if any of said cells within said connective cell are marked, all of the cells within the connective cell are marked.

3. The puzzle game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the identified cell is included in the connective cell, the cell marking marks all cells in the connective cell.

4. The puzzle game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of the cells, which forms the connective cell, is displayed as being connected to one another so as to be displayed as the connective cell on the solution area.

5. The puzzle game apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising, storing cell information regarding each of the cells, and the stored cell information indicates which of the cells are included in the connective cell, wherein the stored cell information is read to determine which of the cells are to interrelate with one another in the connective cell.

6. The puzzle game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the game program when executed by the processor causes the game apparatus to:

store correct solution information which indicates a marking state corresponding to the correct solution, with respect to each of the cells arranged in the solution area; and

read the correct solution information, to generate the normal sized numerical clues and the large sized numerical clues.

7. A puzzle game apparatus, comprising:

a display device;

a user input device, and

a processor executing a program stored on a non-transitory storage medium, the program when executed by the processor causes the game apparatus to;

display a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns;

perform a connective cell setting process to cause a plurality of cells, among the cells arranged in the solution area, to interrelate with one another so as to form a connective cell;

perform a connective state display process which displays an indication that the cells caused to interrelate with one another by the connective cell setting process form the connective cell;

display a clue area in which a plurality of numbers are to be displayed as clues adjacent corresponding rows or columns of the matrix, each number representing the number of cells in the corresponding rows or columns to be marked, and the numbers each being aligned with the corresponding rows or columns;

display a large sized numerical clue in a region of the clue area adjacent to the rows or columns of the matrix including cells corresponding to the large sized numerical clue, wherein the large sized numerical clue represents the number of cells of the connective cell to be marked in the rows or columns spanning and adjacent to the large sized numerical clue;

identify a cell to be marked among the cells in the solution area, in accordance with an operation by a player;

display as being marked the identified cell; and

determine whether or not a set of the marked cells form a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle.

8. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a puzzle game program executed by a computer of a game apparatus, the puzzle game program causing the computer to:

display a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix thereof;

cause a plurality of cells, among the cells displayed in the solution area, to interrelate with one another so as to form a connective cell;

display a clue area in which a plurality of numbers, each representing the number of cells to be marked among the cells arranged in the solution area, are displayed;

display a small sized numerical clue, which corresponds to a row or a column in the matrix and represents the number of cells to be marked in the row or the column, said small sized numerical clue appearing in a region of the clue area adjacent the row or the column corresponding to the small sized numerical clue;

display a large sized numerical clue, which represents the number of cells in one of the connective cells to be marked in a contiguous form over a plurality of adjoining rows or a plurality of adjoining columns in the matrix, in a region of the clue area aligned with and adjacent plurality of adjoining rows or the plurality of adjoining columns which include the cells represented by the number of the large sized numerical clue, wherein the large sized numerical clue spans the plurality of adjoining rows or the plurality of adjoining columns having cells corresponding to the large sized numerical clue, and wherein the large sized numerical clue is displayed simultaneously with the small sized numerical clue;

identify a cell to be marked, among the cells in the solution area, in accordance with an operation by a player;

mark the identified cell, wherein the marking of the identified cell causes all cells to be marked that are within the connective cell which includes the identified cell;

display all of the cells in the connective cell as being marked; and

determine whether or not a set of marked cells presents a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle.

9. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a puzzle game program executed by a computer of a game apparatus, the puzzle game program causing the computer to:

display a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix;

display a clue area adjacent to the solutions area;

display a normal sized numerical clue which corresponds to a row or a column in the matrix and represents the number of cells to be marked in the row or the column, wherein the normal sized numerical clued is displayed in a region of the clue area corresponding to the row or the column;

display a large sized numerical clue which represents the number of cells to be marked in a contiguous form over a plurality of adjoining rows or a plurality of adjoining columns in the matrix, the large sized numerical clue displayed in a region of the clue area spanning and adjacent to the plurality of adjoining rows or the plurality of adjoining columns having the cells represented by the number of the large sized numerical clue, wherein the region spans and corresponds to the plurality of adjoining rows and the plurality of adjoining columns and the large sized numerical clue is displayed simultaneously with the normal sized numerical clue;

identify a cell to be marked, among the cells in the solution area, in accordance with an operation by a player;

mark and display the identified cell; and

determine whether or not a set of marked cells presents a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle.

10. A puzzle game system comprising:

a display device showing a matrix of cells and an adjacent clue area;

a user input device,

a processor and

a non-transitory storage medium storing a program which when executed by the processor causes the game apparatus to;

define connective cells each including cells in the matrix which are connected and interrelated, and a group of the connective cells form a solution group;

display in the clue area a first type of numerical clues each aligned with a row or column of the matrix, wherein the numerical clues of the first type each indicate a number of cells in the row or column aligned with the numerical clue of the first type included in one of the connective cells;

display in the clue area a second type of numerical clues which each indicate a number of cells in one of the connective cells, wherein each of the numerical clues of the second type is adjacent, spans and aligned with the rows or columns having the cells of the one of the connective cells corresponding to the clue of the second type;

repeatedly receive inputs made by the user wherein each input marks a cell in the solution area;

display each of the marked cells in the matrix, and

correlate the marked cells to the solution group;

wherein if any of said cells within said connective cell are marked, all of the cells within the connective cell are marked.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein all of the cells in each connective cell interrelate by automatically being displayed as marked cells when any one of the cells in the connective cell is marked.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further causes the game apparatus to determine if the marked cell is in one of the connective cells and thereafter displays as being marked all cells in the one connective cell.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the storage medium stores cell information indicating whether each cell in the solution area is in one of the connective cells, and

the processor further causes the game apparatus to read the cell information to determine whether the cell marked by the user input is included in one of the connective cells, and

upon determining that the marked cell is in one of the connective cells, display as being marked all cells in the one connective cell.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the storage medium stores information indicating which cells in the solution area are in each of the connective cells, and

the processor further causes the game apparatus to:

generate the small sized and large sized numerical clues based on the information indicating which cells are in each of the connective cells.

15. A method to play a puzzle game using a display device showing a matrix of cells and an adjacent clue area, a user input device, the method comprising:

defining connective cells each including cells in the matrix which are connected and interrelated, and a group of the connective cells are included in a solution group wherein if any of said cells within said connective cell are marked, all of the cells within the connective cell are marked;

displaying in the clue area small sized numerical clues each aligned with a row or column of the matrix, wherein the small sized numerical clues each indicate a number of cells in the row or column aligned with the small sized numerical clue included in one of the connective cells;

displaying in the clue area large sized numerical clues which each indicate a number of cells in one of the connective cells, wherein each of the large sized numerical clues spans and is aligned with the rows or columns having the cells of the one of the connective cells corresponding to the large numerical clue;

repeatedly receiving inputs made by a user wherein each input marks a cell in the solution area, wherein all cells are automatically marked that are within the connective cell which includes the cell marked by the input;

displaying each of the marked cells in the matrix, and

correlating the marked cells with the solution group.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising automatically displaying as marked cells all of the cells in one of the connective cells when any one of the cells in the one of the connective cells is marked by one of the user inputs.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining if the cell marked by the user input is in one of the connective cells and displaying as being marked all cells in the one connective cell.

18. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a puzzle game program executed by a computer of a game apparatus, the puzzle game program causing the computer to:

display a solution area having puzzles cells arranged in a matrix thereof;

set a plurality of connective cells each of which include a plurality of the puzzle cells;

display large sized numerical clues in a clue area adjacent to the solutions area, wherein each large sized numerical clue indicates a number of puzzle cells in one of the connective cells which are in the rows or the columns that are adjacent to and span the large seed numerical clue;

repeatedly identify individual puzzle cells in the solutions area to be marked in accordance with an operation by a player and displaying as being marked each of the identified puzzle cells;

in conjunction with each identification of the individual puzzle cells, identify each of the connective cells which includes the identified puzzle cell;

automatically display an indication the puzzle cells in the identified connective cell are interrelated; and

determine whether the marked cells form a correct solution of a puzzle.

19. In the computer readable non-transitory storage memory of claim 18 wherein the automatic display of the indication includes showing as being marked all of the puzzle cells in the identified connective cell.

20. A puzzle game system comprising:

a display device showing a matrix of cells and an adjacent clue area;

a user input device,

a processor and

a non-transitory storage medium storing a program which when executed by the processor causes the game apparatus to;

display a solution area having puzzles cells arranged in a matrix thereof;

set a plurality of connective cells each of which include a plurality of the puzzle cells;

display large sized numerical clues in a region of the solution area adjacent to rows or columns of the matrix, each large sized numerical clue spans rows or columns in the matrix and indicates a number of puzzle cells in one of the connective cells that are aligned with the large sized numerical clue;

repeatedly identify individual puzzle cells in the solutions area to be marked in accordance with an operation by a player and displaying as being marked each of the identified puzzle cells;

in conjunction with each identification of the individual puzzle cells, identify each of the connective cells which includes the identified puzzle cell;

automatically display an indication the puzzle cells in the identified connective cell are interrelated; and

determine whether the marked cells form a correct solution of a puzzle.

21. The puzzle game system of claim 20 wherein the automatic display of the indication includes showing as being marked all of the puzzle cells in the identified connective cell.

22. A method to play a puzzle game using a display device showing a matrix of cells and an adjacent clue area, a user input device, the method comprising:

display a solution area having puzzles cells arranged in a matrix thereof;

set a plurality of connective cells each of which include a plurality of the puzzle cells, wherein if any one of the cells within one of said connective cells is determined to have been identified by an operation of the player, all of the cells within the connective cell are marked;

display large sized numerical clues in a region of the solutions area adjacent to rows or columns of the matrix, each large sized numerical clue spans rows or columns in the matrix and indicates a number of puzzle cells in one of the connective cells that are aligned with the large sized numerical clue;

repeatedly identifying individual puzzle cells in the solutions area to be marked in accordance with the operation by a player and displaying as being marked each of the identified puzzle cells;

in conjunction with each identification of the individual puzzle cells, identify each of the connective cells which includes the identified puzzle cell;

automatically display an indication that all of the puzzle cells in the identified connective cell are interrelated; and

determine whether the marked cells form a correct solution of a puzzle.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the automatic display of the indication includes showing as being marked all of the puzzle cells in the identified connective cell.

24. A puzzle game system including a processor which executes a program stored in a non-transitory memory accessible by the processor, wherein the program when executed by the processor causes the system to:

generate an image including a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns and a clue area adjacent the rows and cells;

display the image using a display device;

establish connective cells wherein each connective cell includes a group of contiguous cells in the matrix, wherein if any one of the cells within one of said connective cells is determined to have been identified by an operation of the player, all of the cells within the connective cell are marked;

generate normal sized numerical clues and large sized numerical clues each corresponding to one of the connective cells, wherein each of the normal sized and large sized numerical clues indicate a number of cells to be marked in the corresponding connective cell;

display using the display device the normal sized numerical clues in the clue area, wherein each normal sized numerical clue is aligned with just one row or column and the number indicated by the normal sized numerical clue identifies the number of cells in the aligned row or column in the connective cell corresponding to the normal sized numerical clue;

display using the display device the large sized numerical clues in a region of the clue area adjacent the rows or columns including the cells corresponding to the number of the large sized numerical clue, and wherein each large sized numerical clue spans a plurality of adjacent rows or adjacent columns and the number indicated by the large sized numerical clue identifies the number of cells in the aligned, adjacent rows or columns in the connective cell corresponding to the large sized numerical clue;

identifying a cell to be marked in the solution area based on an operation by a player;

marking the identified to be marked cell, wherein all of the sells within the connective which includes the identified to be marked cell are also marked;

display all of the cells in the connective cell as being marked;

for a plurality of cells, repeating the steps of identifying the cell and marking and displaying the identified cell, and

determining whether the marked cells presents a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle.

25. A puzzle game system including a processor executing a program stored on a non-transitory storage medium, the program when executed by the processor causes the system to:

display using a display device a solution area having a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix;

display a clue area in which a plurality of numbers each representing a number of cells to be marked, wherein the clue area is adjacent the cells in the solution area;

display in the clue area a normal numerical clue which corresponds to a row or a column in the matrix and represents the number of cells to be marked in the corresponding row or column, wherein the normal numerical clue is displayed in a region of the clue area corresponding to the row or the column;

display in the clue area a large sized numerical clue, which represents the number of cells to be marked in a contiguous form over a plurality of adjoining rows or a plurality of adjoining columns in the matrix, wherein the large sized numerical clue is displayed in a region of the clue area adjacent the rows or columns including the cells corresponding to the number of the large sized numerical clue, and the region spans the plurality of adjoining rows or the plurality of adjoining columns corresponding to the large sized numerical clue;

identify a cell to be marked, among the cells in the solution area, in accordance with an operation by a player;

mark and display the identified cell; and

determine whether or not a set of the marked cells presents a figure which is a correct solution of a puzzle.