Game apparatus and game program

• US 20050159197A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tawara, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,677,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/426 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

The player can enter an instruction by touching a touch panel with a stick of a finger. On a second LCD 12 provided with the touch panel is displayed a touch panel image including a plurality of button switch images 52-55, 56a, 57, and 58, and the player can enter a desired instruction by touching a button switch image associated with the desired instruction. Thus, the player is able to provide an instruction concerning the action of a selected character 50 with a simple operation compared to an operation by means of an operation switch, for example, a simultaneous operation of A button and B button.

Claims

1. A game apparatus for executing a game which allows a first player to control an action of a first game object and which allows a second player or a computer to control an action of a second game object, the game apparatus comprising:

game image display means;

touch panel display means provided with a touch panel;

a plurality of button switches;

second object action execution means for executing the action of the second game object regardless of whether the first game object is active;

first action execution means for detecting that a button switch is singly operated and executing a first action of the first game object in accordance with a detection result;

second action execution means for detecting whether button switches are simultaneously or sequentially operated or whether a button switch is repeatedly operated, and executing a second action of the first game object that is different from the first action in accordance with a detection result;

game progression control means for allowing the game to progress in accordance with results of execution of the second object action execution means, the first action execution means, and the second action execution means, and displaying a game situation on the game image display means;

touch panel display control means for displaying a button switch image including at least one touch panel image on the touch panel display means;

association means for associating the second action with the button switch image; and

alternate second action execution means for, if the touch panel detects a contact with the button switch image displayed on the touch panel display means, executing the second action associated with the button switch image by the association means.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a number of types of action of the first game object is greater than a number of button switches.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a combination of button switch images which varies depending on the game situation.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an attribute value of the first game object.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a first one of the button switch images includes a second button switch image different from the first button switch image, and

the association means associates the first button switch image with a predetermined action, and associates the second button switch image with an action which is a subdivision within a category of the predetermined action.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the button switch image includes an animated image which displays a second action associated with the button switch image.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the association means assigns a part of the second action to a button switch image included in one of the touch panel images, and assigns none of other parts of the second action.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on whether the first game object'"'"'s team or the second game object'"'"'s team possesses the ball.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an area in which the ball lies.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program which causes a computer of a game apparatus to execute a game which allows a first player to control an action of a first game object and which allows a second player or a computer to control an action of a second game object, the game apparatus comprising game image display means, touch panel display means provided with a touch panel, and a plurality of button switches,

wherein the game program causes the computer to act as:

second object action execution means for executing the action of the second game object regardless of whether the first game object is active;

first action execution means for detecting that a button switch is singly operated and executing a first action of the first game object in accordance with a detection result;

second action execution means for detecting whether button switches are simultaneously or sequentially operated or whether a button switch is repeatedly operated, and executing a second action of the first game object that is different from the first action in accordance with a detection result;

game progression control means for allowing the game to progress in accordance with results of execution of the second object action execution means, the first action execution means, and the second action execution means, and displaying a game situation on the game image display means;

touch panel display control means for displaying a button switch image including at least one touch panel image on the touch panel display means;

association means for associating the second action with the button switch image; and

alternate second action execution means for, if the touch panel detects a contact with the button switch image displayed on the touch panel display means, executing the second action associated with the button switch image by the association means.

11. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein a number of types of action of the first game object is greater than a number of button switches.

12. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a combination of button switch images which varies depending on the game situation.

13. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an attribute value of the first game object.

14. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

a first one of the button switch images includes a second button switch image different from the first button switch image, and

the association means associates the first button switch image with a predetermined action, and associates the second button switch image with an action which is a subdivision within a category of the predetermined action.

15. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the button switch image includes an animated image which displays a second action associated with the button switch image.

16. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the association means assigns a part of the second action to a button switch image included in one of the touch panel images, and assigns none of other parts of the second action.

17. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on whether the first game object'"'"'s team or the second game object'"'"'s team possesses the ball.

18. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

the game is a team sport game using a ball, and

the touch panel display control means displays on the touch panel display means a touch panel image including a button switch image which varies depending on an area in which the ball lies.