Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – Data storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-30
2001-07-31
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
Data storage or retrieval
C463S001000, C463S016000, C463S017000, C463S022000, C463S043000, C463S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267677
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to game machines and information storage media storing game programs. More specifically, it relates to a game machine allowing, in a video game machine or a portable game machine simulating the for capturing, training and exchanging characters including those which appear to be monsters, a lottery by the properties of the characters, and an information storage medium storing a game program therefor.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a game referred to as “Pocket Monster (red, green, blue and yellow versions)” (trade name; hereinafter referred to as “prior art”) designed or sold by the assignee of the applicants of the present invention has been available. The game disclosed in the prior art is for capturing, training, and exchanging characters (hereinafter referred to as either or characters). In the game, the probability of appearance of a monster is set differently for each version. A player attempts to capture or collect the maximum number of monsters and is able to exchange the monsters with friends.
Referring to a block diagram of
FIG. 11
, description is made of the configuration of a conventional image-display game machine according to the prior art. A conventional image-display game machine GBC roughly comprises a program source
100
C and a game machine
200
. The program source
100
C stores information such as programs required to play the image-based display game on the game machine
200
, and is so constructed that it can be connected to the game machine
200
in a detachable manner.
The program source
100
C is preferably constructed as a cartridge comprising a ROM
11
C, a RAM
12
C, a memory bank controller
15
, and a connector
13
. The ROM
11
C is constituted by non-volatile memory such as ROM, flash memory, and EE-PROM, and fixedly stores the game programs. The ROM
11
C stores programs which, taken together, define the contents of a game. For example, a capturing program, a training program, and so forth are stored if the game is for capturing and training monsters characters such as. The ROM
11
C also stores dot data of an image representing each of the monsters, and further, a program for exchanging data among other game machines
200
, as required.
The RAM
12
C is constituted by readable/writable RAM memory, and includes a region storing a plurality of types of property data of a plurality of characters which have been obtained during to the progress of the game.
The memory bank controller
15
divides a memory chunk of the ROM
11
C into a plurality of banks when the memory chunk is too large for an address bus to address, and generates bank data for the higher address in the ROM
11
C and for addressing a memory chunk of the RAM
12
C. The ROM
11
C, the RAM
12
C, and the memory bank controller
15
are connected to the game machine
200
via the connector
13
in a detachable manner.
The game machine
200
mainly comprises an operation switch portion
22
, a central processing unit (CPU)
23
, a connector
24
, a RAM
25
, a display controller
26
, a liquid crystal display (LCD)
27
, an interface
28
, and a connector
29
. The RAM
25
serving as working memory to temporarily store data for processing during the game and the display control circuit
26
are connected to the CPU
23
. The liquid crystal display
27
is connected to the display controller
26
. Further, the connector
29
is connected to the CPU
23
through the interface circuit
28
. The connector
29
is connected to another connector
29
of another game machine
200
through a cable when the player exchanges the obtained monsters with another player who is an owner of the other game machine
200
. The CPU
23
is connected with the program source
100
C via the connector
24
.
Referring now to
FIG. 12
, the structure of a storage region of the RAM
12
C will be described in detail. The storage region of the RAM
12
C includes an obtained Pokemon data region DAamC and an environmental data region DoC. The obtained Pokemon data region DAamC stores data for defining each of the obtained game characters, or Pokemons, and properties thereof. The obtained Pokemons are respectively recorded and identified as records R
1
to RN (N is a natural number). Each of the records R has fields I
1
to I
9
storing items for defining the obtained Pokemon.
The field I
1
stores a monster code (or a Pokemon number) assigned for each type of Pokemon.
The field I
2
stores hit points (HPs) of the Pokemon.
The field I
3
stores experience points of the Pokemon.
The field I
4
stores a level of the Pokemon.
The field I
5
stores a status of the Pokemon.
The field I
6
stores technique (possible attack) data of the Pokemon.
The field I
7
stores a player ID representing a player.
The field I
8
stores Pokemon's ability value such as attack power, defense power, special attach power, special defense power, and quickness.
The field I
9
is a spare field for storing data other than the items stored in the fields I
1
to I
8
.
As described above, the obtained Pokemons are respectively defined by the records R
1
to RN, and the properties of each of the Pokemons are defined by the fields I
1
to I
9
. That is, a property of an arbitrarily obtained Pokemon is represented as P (Rn, Im) (n is a natural number of not more than N, and m is a natural number of not more than 9). However, data representing the properties stored in the fields I
1
to I
9
do not make it possible to run a lottery.
The environmental data region DoC stores environmental data required for the progress of the game, for example, a location, a time when the game is played, and a player name. The environmental data region DoC does not store data for making it possible to run a lottery.
As described above, according to the prior art video game, there is enjoyment in the game from collecting monsters. However, it is impossible to perform a lottery on the basis of property data corresponding to the collected monsters.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game machine and an information storage medium storing a game program therefor capable of giving further variety to a game and further increasing amusement in the game by incorporating an element of lot drawing into the game, and further, encouraging the players to exchange the monsters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a game machine of a type playing a game by collecting a character electronically generated, comprising:
a property data storage for storing property data of the collected character;
a program storage for storing a game program;
a random number generator for generating a random number;
a comparator for comparing a part or the whole of the property data stored in the property data storage with the random number; and
a processor for performing, when the comparator determines that the part or the whole of the property data and the random number are in a predetermined relationship, image processing for displaying a screen indicating winning.
As described above, in the first aspect, an event can be carried out in a random manner on the basis of the properties of the collected characters.
According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the game machine can store, in the property data storage, the property data of the character which is transmitted from another game machine by communicating with the other game machine.
As described above, in the second aspect, the characters can be also collected from the other game machine, thereby making it possible to increasingly diversify the property of the character.
According to a third aspect, in either one of the first or second aspect, the property data includes a variable property which can change and an invariable property which does not change after the character is collected.
As described above, in the third aspect, the property data is both variable and invariable. Accordingly, the events can be carried out in more variations.
According to
Ishihara Tsunekazu
Tajiri Satoshi
Jones Scott E.
Nintendo Co. Ltd.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
O'Neill Michael
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