Game apparatus, storage medium storing a game program, and game controlling method

• US 20070052712A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Shinya, Yokoo, Kenichi, Watanabe, Yasunari
• Granted Patent: US 7,884,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• 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 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6692 using special effects, generally involving post-processing, e.g. blooming
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a first LCD and a second LCD, and on the first LCD, a two-dimensional game screen including objects positioned in a two-dimensional coordinate is displayed. When a two-dimensional coordinate of a specific object out of the objects positioned in the two-dimensional coordinate satisfies a predetermined condition, a three-dimensional coordinate of each of the objects is calculated on the basis of the two-dimensional coordinate of each of the objects. The object is modeled in the calculated three-dimensional coordinate, moved by a predetermined animation, and then shot by a virtual camera. Accordingly, a game screen of an image (animation) of the three-dimensional virtual space shot by the virtual camera is displayed on the second LCD.

Claims

1. A game apparatus, comprising:

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a first virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of the first object and the second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image panoramically or planarly representing the first virtual game world on the basis of an arrangement state by the object arranging means, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between the first object and the second object satisfies a predetermined condition in the first virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a virtual camera in a three-dimensional second virtual game world on the basis of at least one of a first object position and a second object position in the first virtual game world, arranging at least one of the first object and the second object in the second virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting the second virtual game world with the virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least one of said first object and said second object which are arranged, and displaying it on a second display portion.

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

a camera setting means for determining at least one of a position and a direction of said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position and said second object position in said first virtual game world when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative;

a first object position determining means for determining said first object position in said second virtual game world on the basis of said first object position in said first virtual game world; and

a second object position determining means for determining said second object position in said second virtual game world on the basis of said second object position in said first virtual game world, wherein

said camera setting means determines at least one of a position and a direction of said virtual camera in such a manner as to shoot both of said first object and said second object.

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

a camera position determining means for determining a position of said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position in said first virtual game world when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative;

a first object position determining means for determining said first object position in said second virtual game world on the basis of said first object position in said first virtual game world;

a second object position determining means for determining said second object position in said second virtual game world on the basis of said second object position in said first virtual game world; and

a camera direction determining means for determining a direction of said virtual camera in such a manner as to shoot both of said first object and said second object.

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

a camera position determining means for determining a position of said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position in said first virtual game world when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative;

a second object position determining means for determining said second object position in said second virtual game world on the basis of said second object position in said first virtual game world; and

a camera direction determining means for determining a direction of said virtual camera in such a manner as to shoot said second object.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second game image display controlling means sets said virtual camera in said second virtual game world on the basis of at least said first object position in said first virtual game world, arranges at least said second object in said second virtual game world, generates said game image by shooting said second virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least said second object, and displays it on said second display portion.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said second game image display controlling means includes a camera direction determining means for determining a direction of said virtual camera on the basis of at least said second object position in said second virtual game world.

7. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second game image display controlling means includes a camera direction determining means for determining a direction of said virtual camera on the basis of a direction or a moving direction of at least said first object in said first virtual game world.

8. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said determining means determines whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object in said first virtual game world is below a predetermined distance.

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

an input accepting means for accepting an operation input from a player when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, and

a object action state determining means for determining an action or a state of at least one of said first object and said second object in said first virtual game world in response to the operation input accepted by said input accepting means.

10. A game apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a coordinate input means for inputting a coordinate to a second display to display the game image generated by said second game image display controlling means, wherein

said input accepting means accepts the operation input from a player by said coordinate input means when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative.

11. A game apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a input region setting means for setting an input region to said second display portion which displays the game image generated by said second game image display controlling means on the basis of at least one of said first object position and said second object position in said first virtual game world, wherein

said object action state determining means determines an action or a state of at least one of said first object and said second object in said first virtual game world according to the comparison result between the coordinate by the operation input from the player accepted by said input accepting means and said input region set by said input region setting means.

12. A game apparatus, comprising:

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a two-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image representing said two-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of an arrangement state by said object arranging means, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said two-dimensional virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a virtual camera in a three-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of at least one of a first object position and a second object position in said second virtual game world, arranging at least one of said first object and said second object in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least one of said first object and said second object which are arranged, and displaying it on a second display portion.

13. A game apparatus, comprising:

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image shot by a virtual camera which is directed to a fixed direction on the basis of the arrangement state by said object arranging means and shoots said three-dimensional virtual game world including at least one of said first object and said second object, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said three-dimensional virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a virtual camera on the basis of at least one of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera, and displaying it on a second display portion.

14. A game apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a camera setting means for determining at least one of a position and a direction of said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, wherein

said camera setting means determines the direction of said virtual camera in such a manner as to include both of said first object and said second object.

15. A game apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a camera position determining means for determining the position said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, and

a camera direction determining means for determining the direction of said virtual camera in such a manner as to shoot both of said first object and said second object.

16. A game apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a camera position determining means for determining the position of said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, and

a camera direction determining means for determining the direction of said virtual camera in such a manner as to shoot said second object.

17. A game apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said second game image display controlling means sets said virtual camera on the basis of at least said first object position, generates said game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least said second object, and displays it on said second display portion.

18. A game apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

said second game image display controlling means includes a camera direction determining means for determining the direction of said virtual camera on the basis of at least said second object position.

19. A game apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said second game image display controlling means includes a camera direction determining means for setting said virtual camera on the basis of at least said first object position, and determining the direction of said virtual camera on the basis of at least a direction or a moving direction of said first object.

20. A game apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said determining means determines whether or not the positional relationship between said first object and said second object is below the predetermined distance.

21. A game apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

an input accepting means for accepting an operation input from the player when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, and

said object action state determining means for determining an action or a state of at least one of said first object and said second object in response to the operation input accepted by said input accepting means.

22. A game apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

a coordinate input means for inputting a coordinate to a second display portion to display the game image generated by said second game image display controlling means, wherein

said input accepting means accepts the operation input from the player by said coordinate input means when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative.

23. A game apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

a input region setting means for setting an input region to said second display portion which displays the game image generated by said second game image display controlling means on the basis of at least one of said first object position and said second object position, wherein

said action state determining means determines an action or a state of at least one of said first object and said second object according to the comparison result between the coordinate of the operation input from the player accepted by said input accepting means and said input region set by said input region setting means.

24. A game apparatus, comprising:

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image obtained by panoramically or planarly shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said first virtual camera on the basis of an arrangement state by said object arranging means and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said three-dimensional virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a second virtual camera on the basis of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said second virtual camera, and displaying it on a second display portion.

25. A game apparatus, comprising

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between a first object and a second object in a two-dimensional coordinate system satisfies a predetermined condition;

and

a camera setting means for setting a virtual camera to be arranged in a three-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of said first object position and said second object position when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative.

26. A game apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

an image displaying means for displaying a shooting result by said virtual camera as a game screen;

a pointing device provided in association with said image displaying means; and

an object action state determining means for determining an action or state of at least one of said first object and said second object in response to an input to said game screen displayed by said image displaying means with said pointing device.

27. A game apparatus, comprising:

an operation input detecting means for detecting an operation input by a player;

a first object controlling means for changing first action relation data relating to a first object;

a first determining means for determining whether or not said operation input acceptable condition is satisfied in relation to said first action relation data; and

a game situation changing means for changing game situation data indicative of a game situation on the basis of the operation input detected by said operation input detecting means when it is determined that said input acceptable condition is satisfied by said first determining means.

28. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said first object controlling means automatically changes said first action relation data at least when it is determined that said operation input acceptable condition is not satisfied by said first determining means.

29. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said first object controlling means automatically changes said first action relation data when it is determined that said operation input unacceptable condition is satisfied by said first determining means, further comprising

a second determining means for determining whether or not said operation input acceptable condition is satisfied in relation to said first action relation data;

wherein

said game situation changing means changes game situation data indicative of the game situation on the basis of the operation input detected by said operation input detecting means from a time when it is determined that said input acceptable condition is satisfied by said first determining means to a time when it is determined that said input unacceptable condition is satisfied by said second determining means.

30. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said game situation data includes said first action relation data.

31. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said first action relation data includes said first object position data in the virtual game world.

32. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said first determining means determines whether or not said input acceptable condition is satisfied on the basis of said first action relation data and second action relation data of a second object different from said first object.

33. A game apparatus according to claim 32, wherein

said game situation data includes said second action relation data.

34. A game apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising

a game image displaying means for displaying a game image including said second object, wherein

said operation input detecting means detects an operation input for coordinate instruction to said game image.

35. A game apparatus according to claim 34, wherein

said game image displaying means displays a mark image so as to be combined with said game image,

said operation input detecting means detects an operation input for coordinate instruction to said mark image, and

said game situation data changing means changes said game situation data depending on right and wrong of said operation input for coordinate instruction to said mark image.

36. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said game situation changing means executes a mini game on the basis of the operation input detected by said operation input detecting means, and changes game situation data according to the result of said mini game.

37. A game apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising:

a second object controlling means for changing said first action relation data when said mini game is executed, and

a second determining means for determining whether or not said first action relation data satisfies said end condition of the mini game when the mini game is executed by said mini game executing means, wherein

said first determining means determines that said operation input acceptable condition is not satisfied when said end condition of the mini game is satisfied by said second determining means.

38. A game apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said operation input detecting means detects said operation input only from a time when it is determined that said operation input acceptable condition is satisfied by said first determining means to a time when it is determined that a predetermined condition is satisfied by said first determining means.

39. A game apparatus, comprising:

a first game image displaying means for displaying a first game image as to a first range in a virtual game world;

a second game image displaying means for displaying a second game image as to a second range narrower than the first range in said virtual game world;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between a first object and a second object displayed on said first game image satisfies a predetermined condition; and

a camera setting means for setting a position and a direction of a virtual camera to display said second game image on the basis of said first object position and said second object position which are displayed on said first game image when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative.

40. A game apparatus, comprising:

a game image generating means for generating a game image including at least an object image on the basis of a three-dimensional coordinate of the object in the virtual game world;

a mark coordinate calculating means for calculating a two-dimensional coordinate to combine a mark image with said game image on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate of said object;

a combining means for combining said mark image with said game image generated by said game image generating means in the two-dimensional coordinate calculated by said mark coordinate calculating means;

an operation input detecting means for detecting an operation input from a player; and

a game processing means for performing different game processes depending on whether or not the position indicated by the operation input detected by at least said operation input detecting means is on said mark image.

41. A game apparatus, comprising:

a game image generating means for generating a game image including at least an object image by shooting a virtual game world with a virtual camera, and displaying it on a display portion;

a calculation means for calculating a new three-dimensional coordinate by performing a predetermined arithmetic process on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate of said object in said virtual game world;

a screen coordinate transforming means for transforming said new three-dimensional coordinate calculated by said calculation means to a screen coordinate;

a region setting means for setting a region on said display portion taking the screen coordinate transformed by said screen coordinate transforming means as a reference;

a mark image display controlling means for combining a mark image corresponding to the region set by said region setting means with said game image, and displaying it on said display portion;

a coordinate input means for making a player input coordinates on said display portion; and

a game processing means for performing a predetermined game process by comparing the coordinate input by said coordinate input means and the region set by said region setting means.

42. A game apparatus, comprising:

a game image generating means for generating a game image to be displayed on a display portion by shooting a virtual game world with a virtual camera;

a coordinate determining means for determining a coordinate on said display portion on the basis of three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of objects in said virtual game world;

a region setting means for setting a region on said display portion by taking the coordinate determined by said coordinate determining means as a reference;

a mark image display controlling means for combining a mark image corresponding to the region set by said region setting means with said game image, and displaying it on said display portion;

a coordinate input means for making a player input coordinates on said display portion; and

a game processing means for performing a predetermined game processing by comparing the coordinate input by said coordinate input means and the region set by said region setting means.

43. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a first virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image panoramically or planarly representing said first virtual game world on the basis of an arrangement state by said object arranging means, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said first virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a virtual camera in a three-dimensional second virtual game world on the basis of at least one of a first object position and a second object position in said first virtual game world, arranging at least one of said first object and said second object in said second virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said second virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least one of said first object and said second object which are arranged, and displaying it on a second display portion.

44. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a two-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image representing said two-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of an arrangement state by said object arranging means, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said two-dimensional virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a virtual camera in a three-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of at least one of a first object position and a second object position in said second virtual game world, arranging at least one of said first object and said second object in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least one of said first object and said second object which are arranged, and displaying it on a second display portion.

45. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image shot by a virtual camera which is directed to a fixed direction on the basis of the arrangement state by said object arranging means and shoots said three-dimensional virtual game world including at least one of said first object and said second object, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said three-dimensional virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting a virtual camera on the basis of at least one of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera, and displaying it on a second display portion.

46. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

an object arranging means for arranging a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object;

a first game image display controlling means for generating a game image obtained by panoramically or planarly shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera on the basis of an arrangement state by said object arranging means, and displaying it on a first display portion;

a determining means for determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said three-dimensional virtual game world; and

a second game image display controlling means for, when the determination result by said determining means is affirmative, setting said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera, and displaying it on a second display portion.

47. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to execute

a determining step for determining whether or not a positional relationship between a first object and a second object in a two-dimensional coordinate system satisfies a predetermined condition, and

a camera setting step for setting a virtual camera to be arranged in a three-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of said first object position and said second object position when the determination result by said determining step is affirmative.

48. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

an operation input detecting means for detecting an operation input by a player;

an object controlling means for changing action relation data relating to an object on the basis of the operation input detected by said operation input detecting means;

a first determining means for determining whether or not said operation input acceptable condition is satisfied in relation to said action relation data; and

a game situation changing means for changing game situation data indicative of a game situation on the basis of the operation input detected by said operation input detecting means when it is determined that said input acceptable condition is satisfied by said determining means.

49. A storage medium storing a game program of a game apparatus having a first game image displaying means for displaying a first game image as to a first range in a virtual game world and a second game image displaying means for displaying a second game image as to a second range narrower than the first range in said virtual game world,

said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus to execute

a determining step for determining whether or not a positional relationship between a first object and a second object displayed on said first game image satisfies a predetermined condition;

and

a camera setting step for setting a position and a direction of a virtual camera to display said second game image on the basis of said first object position and said second object position which are displayed on said first game image when the determination result by said determining step is affirmative.

50. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

a game image generating means for generating a game image including at least an object image on the basis of a three-dimensional coordinate of the object in a virtual game world;

a mark coordinate calculating means for calculating a two-dimensional coordinate to combine a mark image with said game image on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate of said object;

a combining means for combining said mark image with said game image generated by said game image generating means in the two-dimensional coordinate calculated by said mark coordinate calculating means;

an operation input detecting means for detecting an operation input from a player; and

a game processing means for performing different game processes depending on whether or not the position indicated by the operation input detected by at least said operation input detecting means is on said mark image.

51. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

a game image generating means for generating a game image including at least an object image by shooting a virtual game world with a virtual camera, and displaying it on a display portion;

a calculation means for calculating a new three-dimensional coordinate by performing a predetermined arithmetic process on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate of said object in said virtual game world;

a screen coordinate transforming means for transforming said new three-dimensional coordinate calculated by said calculation means to a screen coordinate;

a region setting means for setting a region on said display portion taking the screen coordinate transformed by said screen coordinate transforming means as a reference;

a mark image display controlling means for combining a mark image corresponding to the region set by said region setting means with said game image, and displaying it on said display portion;

a coordinate input means for making a player input coordinates on said display portion; and

a game processing means for performing a predetermined game process by comparing the coordinate input by said coordinate input means and the region set by said region setting means.

52. A storage medium storing a game program,

said game program causes a processor of a game apparatus to function as

a game image generating means for generating a game image to be displayed on a display portion by shooting a virtual game world with a virtual camera;

a coordinate determining means for determining a coordinate on said display portion on the basis of three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of objects in said virtual game world;

a region setting means for setting a region on said display portion by taking the coordinate determined by said coordinate determining means as a reference;

a mark image display controlling means for combining a mark image corresponding to the region set by said region setting means with said game image, and displaying it on said display portion;

a coordinate input means for making a player input coordinates on said display portion; and

a game processing means for performing a predetermined game processing by comparing the coordinate input by said coordinate input means and the region set by said region setting means.

53. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) arranging a first object and a second object in a first virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object,

(b) generating a game image panoramically or planarly representing said first virtual game world on the basis of an arrangement state by said step (a), and displaying it on a first display portion,

(c) determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said first virtual game world; and

(d) when the determination result by said step (c) is affirmative, setting a virtual camera in a three-dimensional second virtual game world on the basis of at least one of a first object position and a second object position in said first virtual game world, arranging at least one of said first object and said second object in said second virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said second virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least one of said first object and said second object which are arranged, and displaying it on a second display portion.

54. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) arranging a first object and a second object in a two-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object,

(b) generating a game image representing said two-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of an arrangement state by said step (a), and displaying it on a first display portion,

(c) determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said two-dimensional virtual game world, and

(d) when the determination result by said step (c) is affirmative, setting a virtual camera in a three-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of at least one of a first object position and a second object position in said second virtual game world, arranging at least one of said first object and said second object in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera in such a manner as to include at least one of said first object and said second object which are arranged, and displaying it on a second display portion.

55. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) arranging a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object,

(b) generating a game image shot by a virtual camera which is directed to a fixed direction on the basis of the arrangement state by said step (a), and shoots said three-dimensional virtual game world including at least one of said first object and said second object, and displaying it on a first display portion,

(c) determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said three-dimensional virtual game world, and

(d) when the determination result by said step (c) is affirmative, setting a virtual camera on the basis of at least one of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera, and displaying it on a second display portion.

56. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) arranging a first object and a second object in a three-dimensional virtual game world, and performing a movement control on at least one of said first object and said second object,

(b) generating a game image obtained by panoramically or planarly shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera on the basis of an arrangement state by said step (a) and displaying it on a first display portion,

(c) determining whether or not a positional relationship between said first object and said second object satisfies a predetermined condition in said three-dimensional virtual game world, and

(d) when the determination result by said step (c) is affirmative, setting said virtual camera on the basis of said first object position and said second object position in said three-dimensional virtual game world, generating a game image by shooting said three-dimensional virtual game world with said virtual camera, and displaying it on a second display portion.

57. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) determining whether or not a positional relationship between a first object and a second object in a two-dimensional coordinate system satisfies a predetermined condition, and

(b) setting a virtual camera to be arranged in a three-dimensional virtual game world on the basis of said first object position and said second object position when the determination result by said step (a) is affirmative.

58. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) detecting an operation input by a player,

(b) changing action relation data relating to an object on the basis of the operation input detected by said step (a),

(c) determining whether or not said operation input acceptable condition is satisfied in relation to said first action relation data, and

(d) changing game situation data indicative of a game situation on the basis of the operation input detected by said step (a) when it is determined that said input acceptable condition is satisfied by said step (c).

59. A game controlling method of a game apparatus having a first game image displaying means for displaying a first game image as to a first range in a virtual game world and a second game image displaying means for displaying a second game image as to a second range narrower than the first range in said virtual game world, including following steps of:

(a) determining whether or not a positional relationship between a first object and a second object displayed on said first game image satisfies a predetermined condition, and

(b) setting a position and a direction of a virtual camera to display said second, game image on the basis of said first object position and said second object position which are displayed on said first game image when the determination result by said step (a) is affirmative.

60. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) generating a game image including at least an object image on the basis of a three-dimensional coordinate of the object in a virtual game world,

(b) calculating a two-dimensional coordinate to combine a mark image with said game image on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate of said object,

(c) combining said mark image with said game image generated by said step (a) in the two-dimensional coordinate calculated by said step (b),

(d) detecting an operation input from a player, and

(e) performing different game processes depending on whether or not the position indicated by the operation input detected by at least said step (d) is on said mark image.

61. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) generating a game image including at least an object image by shooting a virtual game world with a virtual camera, and displaying it on a display portion,

(b) calculating a new three-dimensional coordinate by performing a predetermined arithmetic process on the basis of the three-dimensional coordinate of said object in said virtual game world,

(c) transforming said new three-dimensional coordinate calculated by said step (b) to a screen coordinate,

(d) setting a region on said display by taking the screen coordinate transformed by said step (c) as a reference,

(e) combining a mark image corresponding to the region set by said step (d) with said game image, and displaying it on said display portion,

(f) making a player input coordinates on said display portion, and

(g) performing a predetermined game process by comparing the coordinate input by said step (f) and the region set by said step (d).

62. A game controlling method, including following steps of:

(a) generating a game image to be displayed on a display portion by shooting a virtual game world with a virtual camera,

(b) determining a coordinate on said display portion on the basis of three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of objects in said virtual game world,

(c) setting a region on said display by taking the coordinate determined by said step (b) as a reference,

(d) combining a mark image corresponding to the region set by said step (c) with said game image, and displaying it on said display portion,

(e) making a player input coordinates on said display, and

(f) performing a predetermined game processing by comparing the coordinate input by said step (e) and the region set by said step (c).