US005885156A [ii] Patent Number: 5,885,156 [45] Date of Patent: Mar. 23, 1999
[54] VIDEO GAME APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE GROWTH OF PLAY CHARACTER IN VIDEO GAME, AND VIDEO GAME MEDIUM THEREFOR
[75] Inventors: Kqji Toyohara; Naoki Nishikawa, both of Kobe; Makiko Yamada, Otsu, all of Japan
[73] Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd., Hyogo-ken, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 774,323
[22] Filed: Nov. 21, 1996
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Nov. 24, 1995 [JP] Japan 7-305285
[51] Int. CI. A63F 9/22
[52] U.S. CI 463/1; 463/44; 463/4
[58] Field of Search 434/307 R, 309,
434/169, 323, 308, 185, 159, 307 A, 167, 156; 463/1, 4, 8, 9, 44, 35; 395/173; 345/122,
327
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
A game cartridge is inserted into a game device, and a controller is operated to display and perform a game stored in the game cartridge on a display monitor. The game cartridge has a ROM for storing a game program and a RAM for storing data of a play character having unique abilities. The controller is operated to instruct a play character to repeat various patterns of speech and action to increase the number of "remaining experience credits". Obtained "remaining experience credits" are assigned to abilities of the play characters to achieve desired ability values for thereby growing the play character until it develops unique abilities.
9 Claims, 25 Drawing Sheets
