Patent ID: 7357321

Claim:
A game apparatus comprising: a game program execution means arranged to execute a game program; an interface means connected to said game program execution means; an input means, operable by a player, connected to said interface means; a card data detection means connected to said interface means, said data detection means including a card setting means arranged to mount a set of cards for a single scan, the set of cards being selected from a variety of cards which include cards representing game characters as well as functions related to the game characters and printed with code patterns containing data indicative of the game characters or the functions related to the game characters; and a display image generating means, wherein said card data detection means further comprises an image sensor means arranged to receive a light from said set of cards to generate, in the single scan by the image sensor, data of an image containing said code patterns of all of said set of cards mounted to said card setting means while said set of cards is selectively mounted on said card setting means, and a data recognition means arranged to execute separation of the generated image data to provide a set of card data including data indicative of a game character selected by the player and of a function related to the game character wherein said game program executing means are arranged to execute the game program to perform a game with the game character and the function determined based on the data supplied from said card data detection means and to control progress of the game in response to data from the input means; wherein an image display means displays various images on a monitor display in accordance with the obtained card data as well as with progress of the game.