Sega of America, Inc.

Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Doing Business as Sega Corporation

Yuji Naka

Masanobu Yamamoto

A method is provided for displaying a video game character traversing a video game playfield, for use with a system which includes a video screen display, a user-controlled graphics controller and digital memory; wherein the video game character follows a path within the playfield, the method comprising the steps of: storing multiple collision blocks that define respective path segments; dividing the playfield into multiple path blocks that comprise the path; storing character collision-type information; storing references from individual path blocks to individual collision blocks; displaying character movement through the playfield from path block to path block along the path in response to user input to the graphics controller; controlling the display of character movement by causing the character image to follow a path defined by the path segments of individual collision blocks; and changing the stored character collision-type information when the character path passes a prescribed location on the playfield.

Video game with switchable collision graphics

A method is provided for controlling the display of game character movement in a video game for using a video game system, a method comprising the steps of: displaying a first playfield screen in an upper portion of a video display screen using an interlace video screen rendering technique; displaying a second playfield screen in a lower portion of the display screen using an interlace video screen rendering technique; controlling the movement of a first game character within the first playfield screen by providing inputs to a first user input device; and controlling movement of a second game character within the second playfield screen by providing inputs to a second user input device.

Multi-player video game apparatus with single screen mode and split

A method is provided for controlling a multiplayer competition video game for use with the system which includes a video display screen, a graphics controller, digital memory and user input devices, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first region of the video display screen in which a scrollable playfield can be displayed; providing a second region of the video display screen in which the scrollable playfield can be displayed; displaying a first character in the first region; displaying a second character in the second region; scrolling the playfield in the first region to show progress of the first character in traversing the playfield; scrolling the playfield in the second region to show progress of the second character in traversing the playfield; displaying an exchange object in a portion of the scrollable playfield displayed in at least one of the first and second regions; activating the exchange object; interchanging respective playfield displays in the first display screen and the second display screen such that following said step of interchanging, progress of the first character in traversing the playfield and progress of the second character in traversing the playfield are exchanged.

Split-screen video game with character playfield position exchange

A method is provided for controlling the appearance of a video game game character, as the character traverses a path displayed on a display screen; wherein the method is used in a video game system which includes a graphics controller, digital memory and a display screen, the method comprises the steps of: displaying a banked path segment in which the game character is displayed upright at at least one location on the banked path and is displayed upside down at at least one other location on this banked path; storing multiple sprite patterns representative of the appearance of the character at different locations on the banked path as the character traverses the banked path; tracking the character location on the banked path as the character traverses the banked path; retrieving the stored sprite patterns that portray the character at different locations on the banked path; and displaying a character using the retrieved patterns such that the character has different appearances at different locations on the banked path.

Video game with spiral loop graphics

A method is provided for controlling the motion of two game characters in a video game for use in a system which includes a video display screen, a user-controlled graphics controller, digital memory, a first user input device and a second user input device; wherein movement of the first game character is responsive to the first user input device and movement of the second game character is responsive to the second user input device; wherein the video game involves the game characters traversing a playfield which is displayed as a series of video screen images, the method comprising the steps of: providing a succession of game character movement commands to the first user input device in order to control the movement of the first game character through the playfield; displaying a succession of movements of the first character within the playfield in response to the succession of commands provided to the first user input device; storing the succession of commands provided to the first user input device in the digital memory; and displaying a succession of movements of the second character through the playfield in response to the succession of stored commands.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Yuji Naka