Patent ID: 7467998
Filing Date: 2008-12-23
Classification: A63F

Abstract:
1. A puzzle game apparatus, comprising: at least one operating control for use by a player in performing a game operation; a display that displays game images; player character display programmed logic circuitry that displays a player character to be operated by the player on said display in response to an input from said at least one operating control; puzzle display programmed logic circuitry that displays on said display a puzzle image indicative of a puzzle to be solved; duplicating block display programmed logic circuitry that displays a player character duplicating block having a plurality of duplicate character creating locations arranged in a predetermined form on said display; duplicate character generating programmed logic circuitry that generates a duplicate character as a copy of a player character existing in a predetermined position within a game field, said duplicate character generating programmed logic circuitry including copy generating programmed logic circuitry that enables a player to generate a duplicate character copy of said player character at one or more particular creating locations of said duplicating block based on said player character being superposed over a selected creating position of said duplicating block by a player manipulating said operating control; duplicate character display programmed logic circuitry that displays said duplicate character copy arranged in a positional association with said player character on said display in a manner that preserves a relative spatial positional relationship existing between said player character and said duplicate character copy when said duplicate character copy is generated; duplicate character formation moving programmed logic circuitry that enables a player to move a plurality of duplicate characters together as a group in response to a manipulation of said operating control device, said group forming an arrangement pattern of duplicate characters, to superpose on the displayed puzzle image on the display while maintaining the relative spatial positional relationship on the display between each of the plurality of duplicate characters within the group; puzzle solution determining programmed logic circuitry that determines whether or not an arrangement pattern of said duplicate characters satisfies the puzzle indicated by said puzzle image; and progress changing programmed logic circuitry that changes the progress of the game when it is determined that said puzzle is satisfied by said puzzle solution determining programmed logic circuitry, wherein said copy generating programmed logic circuitry generates, based on at least said player character being superposed on a predetermined number of creating positions, said copy in the superposed creating positions so as to be displayed on said display.