Patent ID: 8317579

Claim:
A game apparatus that executes a video game, in which player characters are operated in accordance with an operation of a player, the player characters including at least one temporary character configured to temporarily be an operation object of the player in the progress of the game and a normal character configured to normally be the operation object of the player in the progress of the game, the game apparatus comprising: an ability data storage configured to store, in a memory, first ability data specifying a first ability of the normal character in the game and second ability data specifying a second ability of the temporary character in the game; a switching determiner configured to determine, with a processor, whether it is possible or not to switch an operated character that is the operation object of the player between the player characters, in accordance with a switching instruction input from the player for switching the operated character; an operated character switcher configured to switch, with the processor, the operated character from the normal character to the temporary character in accordance with the switching instruction input from the player, when the switching determiner determines that it is possible to switch the operated character; an operated character operator configured to operate, with the processor, the operated character, in accordance with the switching instruction input from the player, in accordance with a corresponding ability value of the first ability data and the second ability data for the operated character; and an ability data updater configured to update, with the processor and in the memory, the first ability data of the normal character in accordance with the second ability data of the temporary character switched to be the operated character, when the operated character switcher switches the operated character.