An image processing apparatus, comprising: an image data storage unit in which data of a plurality of images (204, 206) having a common coordinate system are stored; an image setting controlling section configured to determine area dividing information which allocates, to each of areas into which an image plane is divided in the coordinate system, one of the data of the plural images stored in the image data storage unit; a decoding section configured to determine, based on the area dividing information, data to be adopted from among decoded data of the images for individual pixels and write the determined data into a buffer memory corresponding to the image plane to produce a display image comprising a combination of parts of the plural images; and a display image processing section configured to output data of the display image to a display apparatus, wherein: the image setting controlling section receives image controlling information for determination of a timing at which an image is to be changed from the outside and updates the area dividing information based on the received information, the decoding section changes the display image in response to the updating of the area dividing information, and the image setting controlling section receives information relating to a degree of progress of a game being executed separately as the image controlling information. an image data storage unit in which data of a plurality of images (204, 206) having a common coordinate system are stored; an image setting controlling section configured to determine area dividing information which allocates, to each of areas into which an image plane is divided in the coordinate system, one of the data of the plural images stored in the image data storage unit; a decoding section configured to determine, based on the area dividing information, data to be adopted from among decoded data of the images for individual pixels and write the determined data into a buffer memory corresponding to the image plane to produce a display image comprising a combination of parts of the plural images; and a display image processing section configured to output data of the display image to a display apparatus, wherein: the image setting controlling section receives image controlling information for determination of a timing at which an image is to be changed from the outside and updates the area dividing information based on the received information, the decoding section changes the display image in response to the updating of the area dividing information, and the image setting controlling section receives information relating to a degree of progress of a game being executed separately as the image controlling information. the image setting controlling section receives image controlling information for determination of a timing at which an image is to be changed from the outside and updates the area dividing information based on the received information, the decoding section changes the display image in response to the updating of the area dividing information, and the image setting controlling section receives information relating to a degree of progress of a game being executed separately as the image controlling information.