Storage medium storing game program, game apparatus and game controlling method

• US 8,439,750 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US12/756,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 345/626, 463/30
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a camera, and with this camera, images in a plurality of poses decided in advance are imaged. From the imaged image in the plurality of poses, an image of a game character in each pose is created. In a battle game and a match-up game, the image in the pose corresponding to a motion according to an operation by a player is read, and by utilizing the read image in the pose, a character is displayed on a battle screen and a match-up screen.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a game program to cause a computer of a hand-held game apparatus to at least perform:

imaging, via a camera of the hand-held game apparatus, a subject corresponding to each of a plurality of postures;

selecting at least one image out of said plurality of subject images on the basis of operation information according to an operation by a user;

displaying the selected subject image on a display,

selecting one motion from a plurality of motions on the basis of the operation information according to the operation by the user, and

selecting the image corresponding to the selected motion out of said plurality of subject images.

2. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein said game program causes said computer to further perform:

predetermined game processing, and

selecting at least one image out of said plurality of subject images on the basis of the operation information according to the operation by the user during execution of said predetermined game.

3. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

said imaging images said plurality of postures for each person of said plurality of subjects, and

said image selecting selects one subject person from persons of said plurality of subjects, and selects at least one image from the subject images in correspondence with said plurality of imaged postures as the one selected subject.

4. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

said game program causes said computer to further perform notifying the user of an instruction corresponding to each of said plurality of postures when said imaging images said subject.

5. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 4, wherein

said notifying displays a guide image corresponding to each of said plurality of postures on said display.

6. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 5, wherein

said guide image includes a mask image which transmits a part corresponding to each of said plurality of postures, and

said game program causes said computer to further perform through image displaying which displays a through image of the imaged subject at the back of said mask image on said display.

7. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 4, wherein

said game program causes said computer to further display the imaged subject on said display.

8. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

said game program causes said computer to further perform:

storing a voice corresponding to each of said plurality of postures, and

when the selected image of said subject is displayed on said display, reading the stored voice corresponding to the posture indicated by said image and outputting the same.

9. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein

said game program causes said computer to further perform:

inputting the voice corresponding to each of said plurality of postures by using a microphone, and

storing the voice input.

10. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

said game program causes said computer to further perform:

imaging a background representing a background image to be displayed on said display together with the image of said object when the image of said subject is displayed on said display, and

displaying an index as to a reference position for displaying the image of said subject on said display when the background is imaged.

11. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

said hand-held game apparatus comprises a hit judging area storage which stores a hit judging area set to each subject images in advance in correspondence with each of said plurality of postures, and

said game program causes said computer to further perform hit judging processing by utilizing the hit judging area set to the posture corresponding to the one selected image on the basis of the operation information in correspondence with the operation by at least said user.

12. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 11, wherein

said hit judging area includes a first judging area in a case that a hit judging is made on the basis of the operation information according to the operation by said user and a second judging area in a case that a hit judging is made on the basis of the operation information according to an operation by a user different from said user or an operation by said computer.

13. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 11, wherein

said hit judging area is changed in at least one of a position, a shape and a size depending on a display manner of said image.

14. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

said game program said computer to further perform:

executing a one-player game or a two-player game according to a selection by a user, and

changing a content of an instruction to be input between said one-player game and said two-player game.

15. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 1, wherein

the imaged subject is a portrait image, and

said game program causes said computer to further perform image processing for displaying said portrait image on said display.

16. The non-transitory storage medium storing a game program according to claim 15, wherein

said game program causes said computer to perform displaying a through image of said imaged subject on said display.

17. A hand-held game apparatus comprising:

an imager which images a subject corresponding to each of a plurality of postures;

an image selector which selects at least one image out of said plurality of subject images imaged by said imager, via a camera of the hand-held game apparatus, on the basis of operation information according to an operation by a user; and

a selected image displayer which displays the subject image selected by said image selector on a display, wherein

the image selector selects one motion from a plurality of motions on the basis of the operation information according to the operation by the user, and selects the image corresponding to the selected motion out of said plurality of subject images.

18. A game controlling method comprising:

(a) imaging, via a camera of a hand-held game apparatus, a subject corresponding to each of a plurality of postures,

(b) selecting at least one image out of said plurality of subject images created in (a) on the basis of operation information according to an operation by a user,

(c) displaying the subject image selected in (b) on a display;

(d) selecting one motion from a plurality of motions on the basis of the operation information according to the operation by the user, and

(e) selecting the image corresponding to the selected motion out of said plurality of subject images.

19. A hand-held game system comprising:

an imager which images a subject corresponding to each of a plurality of postures;

an image selector which selects at least one image out of said plurality of subject images imaged by said imager, via a camera of the hand-held game system, on the basis of operation information according to an operation by a user; and

a selected image displayer which displays the subject image selected by said image selector on a display, wherein

the image selector selects one motion from a plurality of motions on the basis of the operation information according to the operation by the user, and selects the image corresponding to the selected motion out of said plurality of subject images.