Shooting game apparatus, storage medium storing a shooting game program, and target control method

• US 20050176503A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Yoshio, Yamano, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

A shooting game apparatus includes an LCD for displaying a target and an operating button for a player to perform operation of shooting the target. For example, an enemy character is switched between an ineffective state in which it is never damaged even if an attack hits it and an effective state in which it is damaged if an attack hits it. Different images are displayed depending on whether the target is in the ineffective state or in the effective state. In case where the target is in the effective state, when a player character enters into a state of being continuously damaged because it is positioned in such an area as it receives continuous damage, for example, the target is switched into the ineffective state.

Claims

1. A shooting game apparatus provided with at least a display means and an operating means in which a player plays a game by operating said operating means to shoot a target displayed on said display means, comprising:

a target state control means for controlling switching of said target between an ineffective state of being never damaged even if an attack hits the same and an effective state of being damaged if an attack hits the same;

a target image generation means for displaying an image that is different between a case where said target is in the ineffective state and a case where said target is in the effective state, on said display means; and

a player state determination means for determining at least whether or not the player is in a state of being continuously damaged, wherein

said target state control means switches said target to the ineffective state when said player state determination means determines that the player is in the state of being continuously damaged in the case where said target is in the effective state.

2. A shooting game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a player position storage means for storing at least a position where the player can take a shot in a game space, wherein

said player state determination means determines that the player is in the state of being continuously damaged when a prescribed position is stored in said player position storage means.

3. A shooting game apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a player character generation means for generating and displaying a player character on said display means; and

a non-player character generation means for generating and displaying a non-player character on said display means, wherein

said target image generation means displays said target on said non-player character.

4. A shooting game apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a non-player character position storage means for storing a position of said non-player character in the game space, wherein

said target state control means is activated when a prescribed relationship is established between the position stored in said player position storage means and the position stored in said non-player character position storage means.

5. A shooting game apparatus provided with at least a display means and an operating means in which a player plays a game by operating said operating means to shoot a target displayed on said display means, comprising:

a player character display control means for displaying and controlling an image of a player character on said display means, based on input from said operating means;

a non-player character display control means for displaying and controlling an image of a non-player character on said display means;

a player character position storage means for storing a position of said player character in a game space;

a target state control means for controlling switching of said target between an ineffective state of being never damaged even if an attack hits the same and an effective state of being damaged if an attack hits the same; and

a target image generation means for displaying an image that is different between a case where said target is in the ineffective state and a case where said target is in the effective state, on said non-player character, wherein

said target state control means switches said target to the ineffective state when a prescribed position is stored in said player character position storage means in the case where said target is in the effective state.

6. A shooting game apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a game field generation means for generating a game field for playing a shooting game in which at least said player character and said non-player character are displayed, and for displaying the same on said display means, wherein

said game field generation means generates at least a first area where said player character is continuously damaged and a second area where said player character is never damaged in said game field;

said target state control means switches said target to the ineffective state when a position contained in said first area is stored in said player character position storage means in the case where said target is in the effective state.

7. A shooting game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said target state control means holds said target in the ineffective state until a position contained in said second area is stored in said player character position storage means, after switching said target to the ineffective state.

8. A storage medium storing a shooting game program for allowing a game apparatus provided with at least a display means, an operating means, and a processing means to function as a shooting game apparatus in which a player plays a game by operating said operating means to shoot a target displayed on said display means, wherein

said shooting game program causes a computer of said game apparatus to execute following steps of:

a target state control step of controlling switching of said target between an ineffective state of being never damaged even if an attack hits the same and an effective state of being damaged if an attack hits the same;

a target image generation step of displaying an image that is different between a case where said target is in the ineffective state and a case where said target is in the effective state, on said display means; and

a player state determination step of determining at least whether or not the player is in a state of being continuously damaged, wherein

said target state control step switches said target to the ineffective state when said player state determination step determines that the player is in the state of being continuously damaged in the case where said target is in the effective state.

9. A storage medium storing a shooting game program according to claim 8, wherein

said shooting game program causes the computer of said game apparatus to further execute a player position storage step of storing a position where the player can take a shot in the game space, wherein

said player state determination step determines that the player is in the state of being continuously damaged when a prescribed position is stored by said player position storage step.

10. A storage medium storing a shooting game program according to claim 9, wherein

said shooting game program causes the computer of said game apparatus to further execute following steps of:

a player character generation step of generating and displaying a player character on said display means; and

a non-player character generation step of generating and displaying a non-player character on said display means, wherein

said target image generation step displays said target on said non-player character.

11. A storage medium storing a shooting game program according to claim 10, wherein

said shooting game program causes the computer of said game apparatus to further execute a non-player character position storage step of storing a position of said non-player character in the game space, wherein

said target state control step is activated when a prescribed relationship is established between the position stored by said player position storage step and the position stored by said non-player character position storage step.

12. A target control method of controlling a target by a computer of a shooting game apparatus in which a player plays a game by operating an operating means to shoot said target displayed on a display means, including:

a target state control step of controlling switching of said target between an ineffective state of being never damaged even if an attack hits the same and an effective state of being damaged if an attack hits the same;

a target image generation step of displaying an image that is different between a case where said target is in the ineffective state and a case where said target is in the effective state, on said display means; and

a player state determination step of determining at least whether or not the player is in a state of being continuously damaged, wherein

in said target state control step, said target is switched to the ineffective state when it is determined in said player state determination step that the player is in the state of being continuously damaged in the case where said target is in the effective state.

13. A target control method according to claim 12, further including:

a player position storage step of storing a position where the player can take a shot in the game space, wherein

it is determined in said player state determination step that the player is in the state of being continuously damaged when a prescribed position is stored in said player position storage step.

14. A target control method according to claim 13, further including:

a player character generation step of generating and displaying a player character on said display means; and

a non-player character generation step of generating and displaying a non-player character on said display means, wherein

in said target image generation step, said target is displayed on said non-player character.

15. A target control method according to claim 14, further including:

a non-player character position storage step of storing a position of said non-player character in the game space, wherein

said target state control step is activated when a prescribed relationship is established between the position stored in said player position storage step and the position stored in said non-player character position storage step.