Game apparatus and its control method

Abstract

In a first operation mode, the location distribution of one or more characters is displayed on a display screen of a display unit ( 103 ). In a second operation mode, the location distribution of characters located in azimuths near the azimuth detected by an azimuth sensor ( 206 ) is displayed on the display screen of the display unit ( 103 ), and game processing is performed in accordance with the operation result to a key group ( 104 ) and handle unit ( 102 ) in correspondence with this display state.

1 . A game apparatus which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, and an input unit, comprising: 
 an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth;    a memory for, when characters are virtually located around a position of the azimuth sensor, holding location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and the azimuth sensor;    detection means for detecting an input of an operation mode of one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and    processing means for performing game processing corresponding to the operation mode detected by the detection means, and    in that when the detection means detects the input of the first operation mode,    the processing means controls the display unit to display a location distribution of at least one character, with reference to the location information of the at least one character held in the memory, and    when the detection means detects the input of the second operation mode,    the processing means controls the display unit to display a location distribution of the characters located in azimuths near the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor, with reference to the location information of each character held in said memory, and    said processing means performs game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said memory holds, as the location information, a set of an azimuth angle from the position of said azimuth sensor to the location of each character, and a distance from the position of said azimuth sensor to the location of each character.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when said detection means detects the input of the second operation mode, and when an operation input from the input unit is detected within a predetermined period of time after a display timing of the location distribution of characters, the number of which is not less than a predetermined value M, on the display unit, said processing means controls to start a first step, 
 when an operation input from one of the operation unit and the input unit is detected within a predetermined period of time after a display timing of the location distribution of characters, the number of which is not less than a predetermined value N (N>M) after the start of the first step, said processing means controls to start a second step, and    said processing means controls the display unit to display a message indicating battle with a character, and to make a display according to an operation result to the operation unit after the start of the second step.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the location distribution of the characters is a relative location relationship between individual characters.  
   
   
       5 . A game apparatus which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, and an input unit, comprising: 
 an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth;    a memory for, when characters are virtually located around a position of said azimuth sensor, holding location information indicating a relative positional relationship between the characters and said azimuth sensor;    means for controlling the display unit to display a location distribution of characters located in azimuths near the azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor with reference to location information of each character held in said memory; and    processing means for performing game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       6 . A game apparatus which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, and an input unit, comprising: 
 an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth;    a memory for, when characters are virtually located around a position of said azimuth sensor, holding location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and said azimuth sensor;    detection means for detecting an input of an operation mode of one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and    processing means for performing game processing corresponding to the operation mode detected by said detection means, and    in that when said detection means detects the input of the first operation mode,    said processing means controls the display unit to display a location distribution of at least one character based on the location information of the at least one character held in said memory,    when said detection means detects the input of the second operation mode,    said processing means controls the display unit to make a display indicating a probability of occurrence of battle with a character located in an azimuth closest to the azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor with reference to the location information of each character held in said memory, and    when the battle has occurred, said processing means performs game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       7 . A game apparatus which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, and an input unit, comprising: 
 an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth;    a memory for, when characters are virtually located around a position of said azimuth sensor, holding location information indicating a relative positional relationship between the characters and said azimuth sensor;    means for controlling the display unit to make a display indicating a probability of occurrence of battle with a character located in an azimuth closest to the azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor with reference to location information of each character held in said memory; and    means for, when the battle has occurred, performing game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       8 . A game apparatus which comprises an operation unit and a display unit, comprising: 
 an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth;    a memory which holds, when characters are virtually located around a position of said azimuth sensor, location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and said azimuth sensor;    detection means for detecting an input of an operation mode of one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and    processing means for performing game processing corresponding to the operation mode detected by said detection means, and    in that when said detection means detects the input of the first operation mode,    said processing means controls the display unit to display a location distribution of at least one character with reference to the location information of the at least one character held in said memory, and    when said detection means detects the input of the second operation mode,    said processing means makes notification according to a difference between an azimuth of a character located in an azimuth closest to the azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor, and the azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor, with reference to the location information of each character held in said memory, and    said processing means performs game processing in accordance with a display state on the display unit or an operation result to the operation unit based on the notification result.    
   
   
       9 . A method of controlling a game apparatus, which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, an input unit, an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth, and a memory, comprising: 
 a storage control step of storing, when characters are virtually located around a position of the azimuth sensor, location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and the azimuth sensor in the memory;    a detection step of detecting an input of an operation mode of one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and    a processing step of performing game processing corresponding to the operation mode detected in the detection step, and    in that the processing step includes steps of:    controlling, when the input of the first operation mode is detected in the detection step, the display unit to display a location distribution of at least one character based on the location information of the at least one character held in the memory, and    controlling, when the input of the second operation mode is detected in the detection step, the display unit to display a location distribution of the characters located in azimuths near the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor, with reference to the location information of each character held in the memory, and    performing game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       10 . A method of controlling a game apparatus, which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, an input unit, an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth, and a memory comprising: 
 a storage control step of storing, when characters are virtually located around a position of the azimuth sensor, location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and the azimuth sensor in the memory;    a step of controlling the display unit to display a location distribution of characters located in azimuths near the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor with reference to location information of each character held in the memory; and    a step of performing game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       11 . A method of controlling a game apparatus, which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, an input unit, an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth, and a memory, comprising: 
 a storage control step of storing, when characters are virtually located around a position of the azimuth sensor, location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and the azimuth sensor in the memory;    a detection step of detecting an input of an operation mode of one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and    a processing step of performing game processing corresponding to the operation mode detected in the detection step, and    in that the processing step includes steps of:    controlling, when the input of the first operation mode is detected in the detection step, the display unit to display a location distribution of at least one character based on the location information of the at least one character held in the memory, and    controlling, when the input of the second operation mode is detected in the detection step, the display unit to make a display indicating a probability of occurrence of battle with a character located in an azimuth closest to the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor with reference to the location information of each character held in the memory, and    performing, when the battle has occurred, game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       12 . A method of controlling a game apparatus, which comprises an operation unit that can be turned by a player, a display unit, an input unit, an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth, and a memory, comprising: 
 a storage control step of storing, when characters are virtually located around a position of the azimuth sensor, location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and the azimuth sensor in the memory;    a step of controlling the display unit to make a display indicating a probability of occurrence of battle with a character located in an azimuth closest to the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor with reference to location information of each character held in the memory; and    a step of performing, when the battle has occurred, game processing in accordance with an operation result to the input unit and the operation unit in correspondence with a display state on the display unit.    
   
   
       13 . A method of controlling a game apparatus, which comprises an operation unit, a display unit, an azimuth sensor for detecting an azimuth, and a memory, comprising: 
 a storage control step of storing, when characters are virtually located around a position of the azimuth sensor, location information indicating a relative positional relationship between each character and the azimuth sensor in the memory;    a detection step of detecting an input of an operation mode of one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode; and    a processing step of performing game processing corresponding to the operation mode detected in the detection step, and    in that the processing step includes a step of:    controlling, when the input of the first operation mode is detected in the detection step, the display unit to display a location distribution of at least one character with reference to the location information of the at least one character held in the memory, and    the processing step also includes steps of:    making, when the input of the second operation mode is detected in the detection step, notification according to a difference between an azimuth of a character located in an azimuth closest to the azimuth detected by said azimuth sensor, and the azimuth detected by the azimuth sensor with reference to the location information of each character held in the memory; and    performing game processing in accordance with a display state on the display unit or an operation result to the operation unit based on the notification result.    
   
   
       14 . A program making a computer execute a control method of  claim 9 .  
   
   
       15 . A computer readable storage medium storing a program of  claim 14.