Program for object movement stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and object movement game apparatus

• US 8,167,721 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujisawa, Yasuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/611,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20110059792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• 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 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• 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 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz

Abstract

Initially, a move target object is set from a plurality of objects. Next, a movement direction of the set move target object is decided. Next, for the decided movement direction, it is determined whether or not a rotation movement condition or a flip-over movement condition is satisfied. Next, when it is determined that the rotation movement condition is satisfied, the move target object is moved in a rotated form thereof in the movement direction, and when it is determined that the flip-over movement condition is satisfied, the move target object is moved in a flipped-over form thereof in the movement direction.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing an object movement game program for causing a computer of a game apparatus, including an input device and a display device, to execute:

arranging a plurality of objects in a virtual game field, and causing the display device to display an image of the plurality of arranged objects;

setting a move target object which is a target to be moved, from the plurality of objects;

deciding a movement direction of the set move target object based on an input from the input device;

determining whether or not a rotation movement condition or a flip-over movement condition is satisfied with respect to the decided movement direction;

moving the move target object in a rotated form thereof in the movement direction when the rotation movement condition is satisfied; and

moving the move target object in a flipped-over form thereof in the movement direction when the flip-over movement condition is satisfied.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the rotation movement condition is that a single predetermined point on a perimeter facing in the movement direction of the move target object contacts another object, and

the flip-over movement condition is that two predetermined points on a perimeter facing in the movement direction of the move target object contact another object.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the objects each have a plurality of vertices,

the object movement game program causes the computer to further:

execute determining whether or not two vertices of the move target object are each a move vertex having a predetermined positional relationship with respect to another object, and

the rotation movement condition is satisfied when one of the two vertices is the move vertex, and the flip-over movement condition is satisfied when the two vertices are both the move vertex.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the two vertices of the move target object are two vertices facing in the movement direction of the move target object.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein

when none of the two vertices is the move vertex, neither the rotation movement condition nor the flip-over movement condition is satisfied, and the move target object is not moved in the movement direction.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the move target object is moved in the movement direction by rotation using the determined move vertex as a pivot, and

the move target object is moved in the movement direction by flip-over using a line connecting the determined two move vertices as a symmetry axis.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

of the two vertices of the move target object, a vertex contacting another object is the move vertex.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the object movement game program causes the computer to further execute:

determining whether or not each vertex of the move target object is a move vertex contacting another object, and

emphasizing a determined move vertex and causing the display device to display the move vertex.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the object movement game program causes the computer to further:

execute repeatedly detecting a designated position in the virtual game field based on an input from the input device, and

a movement direction of the move target object is decided based on a change in the designated position.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the object movement game program causes the computer to further:

execute causing the display device to display an indication indicating that the move target object can be moved, at a position to which the move target object can be next moved.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the display device displays an indication of an identifiable state of the move target object which will have been moved in a rotated or flipped-over form thereof, at a position to which the move target object can be next moved.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the move target object is set based on an input from the input device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the object movement game program causes the computer to process a puzzle game,

the object movement game program causes the computer to further:

execute determining whether or not an arrangement of the plurality of objects is in a predetermined state, and

a form of the move target object which will have been moved varies between when the move target object is moved in a rotated form thereof in the movement direction and when the move target object is moved in a flipped-over form thereof in the movement direction.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein

whether or not a line diagram represented by the plurality of objects is in a game completed state in which a first point and a second point are connected is determined.

15. A game apparatus comprising:

an input device;

a display device;

an object display control device configured to arrange a plurality of objects in a virtual game field, and cause the display device to display an image of the plurality of arranged objects;

a move target object setting device configured to set a move target object which is a target to be moved, from the plurality of objects;

a movement direction deciding device configured to decide a movement direction of the set move target object based on an input from the input device;

a move condition determining device configured to determine whether or not a rotation movement condition or a flip-over movement condition is satisfied with respect to the movement direction decided by the movement direction deciding device;

a rotation movement control device configured to move the move target object in a rotated form thereof in the movement direction when the move condition determining device determines that the rotation movement condition is satisfied;

a flip-over movement control device configured to move the move target object in a flipped-over form thereof in the movement direction when the move condition determining device determines that the flip-over movement condition is satisfied.