초록 ▼

A game system includes a plurality of game cards, a game cartridge and a game machine. Each game card visually portrays a figure of a character, stores ability data for the character, and mechanically readably records an identification code and individuality expressing data of the character. The gam

A game system includes a plurality of game cards, a game cartridge and a game machine. Each game card visually portrays a figure of a character, stores ability data for the character, and mechanically readably records an identification code and individuality expressing data of the character. The game information storage medium stores a game program for generating at least some of the characters of the game cards in an image display game. The game machine receives therein the game information storage medium. The game machine includes a CPU to execute a game program for an image display game. The game information storage medium is provided with a data reader to read out the identification data and individuality expressing data of the character recorded on the game card. The CPU, when supplied with the identification data and individuality expressing data from the reader, adds the individuality expressing data to the game program thereby executing a game process for the image display game.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A video game system for playing a video game and for generating a video game display having animated graphics comprising: a plurality of game cards for use in a card game, each visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data, a video game information

What is claimed is: 1. A video game system for playing a video game and for generating a video game display having animated graphics comprising: a plurality of game cards for use in a card game, each visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data, a video game information storage medium storing a video game program relating to game card character figures, a video game machine including a processing system for removably receiving therein the video game information storage medium to execute the video game program, each of said plurality of game cards recording for an associated character depicted, at least identification data of the associated character and characteristic data relating to a characteristic of the associated character and for causing a change to a video image involving an animated and displayed associated character dependent on the progress of said video game; wherein one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine includes external information reading circuitry for reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters recorded on said game cards; said processing system, when supplied with the identification data and characteristic data read by said external information reading circuitry from one or more of said game cards being operable to animate and display a video display visually portraying said associated character and for processing the video game program of the video game to cause the change to the video image involving said animated and displayed character by using said characteristic data; and at least a portion of a video game program to be added to the video game program stored by the video game information storage medium is obtained from at least one of the plurality of game cards. 2. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein said game cards are trading cards each including a figure of a character differing in rarity value. 3. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic data recorded on at least one of said game cards includes sound data related to at least the associated character, and wherein said processing system generates sound of the associated character on the basis of sound data read by said external information reading circuitry. 4. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic data recorded on at least one of said game cards includes text data explaining an individual feature of the associated character, and wherein said processing system displays text data read by said external information reading circuitry on a game screen. 5. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein at least the identification data and characteristic data of the characters are optically readably recorded on said game cards using a two-dimensional array of dots, and wherein said external information reading circuitry comprises an optical reader for optically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters recorded on said game cards. 6. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein at least the identification data and characteristic data of the characters are electronically readably recorded in a non-volatile memory, and wherein said external information reading circuitry comprises a reader for electrically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters stored in said non-volatile memory of said game cards. 7. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein said video game machine is a hand-held device and includes a display. 8. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein said video game information storage medium includes, for each of a plurality of the characters, a first memory section for storing identification data and characteristic data, and a second memory section that stores identification data and characteristic data acquired during progress of the game. 9. A video game system as in claim 1, wherein said game information storage medium includes, for each of the characters, a first memory section for storing the identification data and characteristic data, and a second memory section for storing identification data and characteristic data acquired during progress of the game, and said first storage section stores a registering program for writing and registering when the identification data of the character read by said external information reading circuitry is in a predetermined condition, the identification data and characteristic data being read from one of the game cards to said second storage section. 10. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the video game program is obtained from more than one of the plurality of game cards. 11. A video game system according to claim 1, wherein at least the identification data and characteristic data of the characters are magnetically recorded in a magnetic recording area formed in one surface of said game cards, and wherein said external information reading circuitry comprises a magnetic reader for magnetically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters recorded in the magnetic recording area of said game cards. 12. A video game system as in claim 1, wherein said game information storage medium includes, for each of the plurality of characters, a first memory section for storing identification data and characteristic data, and a second memory section for storing identification data and characteristic data acquired during progress of the game, said plurality of game cards having recorded thereon as characteristic data, data corresponding to the identification data of one or a plurality of the characters, and said second storage section further storing, when the identification data of the character read by said external information reading circuitry is in a predetermined state, a program for registering additional data read out of one of the game cards in addition to the characteristic data corresponding to the identification data of the character. 13. A video game system for playing a video game providing video game play having animated graphics comprising: a plurality of collection cards, each visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data relating to said character including recorded data enabling animation and display of the character; a video game information storage medium storing a video game program to display at least some of the characters portrayed on said collection cards on a video image display device; a video game machine including a processing system for receiving therein said video game information storage medium to execute the video game program; wherein at least one of the collection cards visually portrays a character previously stored in the video game information storage medium and records data relating to the previously stored character including an identification code of the previously stored character and characteristic data of the previously stored character; wherein at least another one of said collection cards visually displays a particular character not previously stored in said video game information storage medium and includes display data recorded thereon for animating and displaying a figure of the particular character in an animated manner on the video image display device, an identification code of the particular character and characteristic data of the particular character, wherein one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine further comprises external information reading circuitry for reading the identification code and characteristic data recorded on said at least one and said at least another one of the collection cards, said processing system being operable to execute the video game program based on the video game program stored in said video game information storage medium in such a manner so as to, when the identification code and characteristic data of the previously stored character are supplied by said external information reading circuitry, change a state of the previously stored character by adding the characteristic data supplied by the external reading circuitry to other characteristic data of the previously stored character; and execute the video game program and process the character data of the particular character, when supplied with the identification code and characteristic data of the particular character read from said external information reading circuitry, to animate and display an image of the particular character as a new character. 14. A video game system according to claim 13, wherein the characteristic data stored on said at least one of the collection cards and said at least another one of the collection cards includes sound data respectively related to the previously stored character and the particular character, and wherein said processing system generates sound of the previously stored and the particular characters on the basis of sound data read by said external information reading circuitry. 15. A video game system according to claim 13, wherein the characteristic data stored on the at least one of the collection cards includes ability data related at least to the previously stored character, and said processing system changes a display state of the previously stored character in the video game based upon ability data read by said external information reading circuitry. 16. A video game system according to claim 13, wherein said collection cards each includes a figure of a character differing in rarity value. 17. A video game card for use in a video game system including a video game information storage medium storing a video game program for animating and displaying at least some of the characters depicted on a plurality of such game cards on a video image display device, a video game machine including a processing system for receiving therein said video game information storage medium to execute the video game program; and external information reading circuitry provided in one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine for reading data recorded in said game card, said game card comprising: a visually portrayed figure of a character for use in playing a card game, a machine readable recording of at least an identification code of the character and characteristic data related to said character, said characteristic data including ability data visually recognizably printed on said game card and hidden data not visually recognizably printed on said game card, and wherein said characteristic data is disposed on said card such that it can be read by said external information reading circuitry and used in a video game played on said video game machine to cause a visual change to a video image of an animated and displayed character dependent on progress of the execution of the video game program; and the machine readable recording also including additional data including executable instructions to be added to the video game program, the executable instructions being readable by the external information reading circuitry and executable by the processing system of the video game machine. 18. A game card according to claim 17, wherein the characteristic data further includes at least sound data to generate a sound of the character, ability data of the character, and amount data indicating an amount of the sound data and ability data. 19. A game card according to claim 17, wherein the characteristic data further includes at least sound data for generating sound of the character, ability data representative of an ability of the character and text data explaining a feature of the character. 20. A game card according to claim 17, further including additional data corresponding to the identification code of the visually portrayed character and data for determining the amount of data recorded. 21. A game card according to claim 17, wherein said external information reading circuitry comprises an optical reader for optically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the character visually portrayed on said game card, and wherein said game card includes an optically readable recording of at least the identification data and characteristic data of the character comprising a two-dimensional array of dots. 22. A game card according to claim 17, wherein said external information reading circuitry comprises a reader for reading the identification data and characteristic data of the visually portrayed character, and wherein said game card includes a non-volatile memory recording at least the identification data and characteristic data of the character. 23. A game card according to claim 17, wherein said external information reading circuitry comprises a magnetic reader for magnetically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the visually portrayed character, and wherein said game card includes a magnetic memory provided in one surface thereof recording at least the identification data and characteristic data. 24. A video game system for playing a video game having animated graphics comprising: a first game card visually portraying a figure of a first character and including recorded data relating to the first character, a second game card visually portraying a figure of a second character and including recorded data relating to the second character; a video game information storage medium including: a memory storing a video game program for playing a video game related to said game card and initially storing data relating to the first character but not the second character, and reading circuitry for reading information from said first and second game cards, the read information from the first card enabling a state of the first character to be changed, and the read information from the second card enabling animation and display of the second character visually portrayed on the second game card during play of the video game as a new character; and a video game machine including a processing system for removably receiving therein the video game information storage medium to execute the video game program. 25. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said video game information storage medium includes processing circuitry. 26. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said video game machine is a hand-held device and includes a display. 27. A video game system according to claim 24, where at least one of said first and second game cards include identification data of the character portrayed thereon and characteristic data relating to a characteristic of the associated character. 28. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said video game information storage medium includes, for at least the first character, a first memory section for storing identification data and characteristic data, and a second memory section that stores identification data and characteristic data acquired during progress of the video game. 29. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said first and second game cards respectively include figures of the first and second characters differing in rarity value. 30. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein the data recorded on at least one of said first and second game cards include sound data related to at least its associated character, and wherein said processing system generates sound of the associated character on the basis of sound data read by said reading circuitry. 31. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said data recorded on at least one of said first and second game cards include text data explaining an individual feature of its associated character, and wherein said processing system displays text data read by said reading circuitry on a game screen. 32. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said first and second game cards optically readably record by a two-dimensional array of dots at least identification data and characteristic data of the first and second characters, respectively, and wherein said reading circuitry comprises an optical reader for optically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the first and second characters recorded on said first and second game cards. 33. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said first and second game cards include an electrically readable recording of at least of character identification data and characteristic data of the first and second characters in a non-volatile memory, respectively, and wherein said reading circuitry comprises a reader for electrically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the first and second characters stored in said non-volatile memory of said first and second game cards. 34. A video game system according to claim 24, wherein said first and second game cards include a magnetic recording of at least character identification data and characteristic data of the first and second characters, respectively, in a magnetic recording area formed in one surface thereof, and wherein said reading circuitry comprises a magnetic reader for magnetically reading the identification data and characteristic data of the first and second characters recorded in the magnetic recording area of said first and second game cards. 35. A removable memory for a video game system comprising: a program memory for storing a video game program involving cards; a data reader for reading data from at least one card including data enabling animation and display of a new character during play of a video game provided by execution of the video game program and reading data from at least one other card including data enabling a characteristic of a character which has been previously stored by the program memory to be changed during play of the video game provided by execution of the video game program; processing circuitry for processing data read from the at least one card to animate and display the new character during play of the video game and processing data read from the at least one other card to change an animated and displayed characteristic of the previously stored character; and a connector for connecting to a game machine having a processing system for executing said game program. 36. A removable memory according to claim 35, further including a RAM memory. 37. A removable memory according to claim 35, further including a groove for receiving at least a portion of said game card for reading data from said said at least one card and said at least one other card. 38. A removable memory according to claim 35, further including a first game program memory section for storing a first program for playing a game to display animated characters in a video game, and a second game program memory section for storing a second program for executing a game using characteristic data to be added to the first game program when supplied with identification code and characteristic data read from said at least one other card by the data reader to animate and display the previously stored character during play of a video game based on the read data. 39. A removable memory according to claim 37, wherein said removable memory comprises a cartridge including a semiconductor memory storing the first program and second program, and a case accommodating said semiconductor memory and integrally formed with said data reader. 40. A video game card for use in a video game system including a video game information storage medium storing a video game program for animating and displaying at least some of the characters depicted on a plurality of such game cards on a video image display device, a video game machine including a processing system for receiving therein said video game information storage medium to execute a video game program; and external information reading circuitry provided in one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine for reading data recorded in said game card, said game card comprising: a visually portrayed figure of a character for use in playing a card game, a machine readable recording of at least an identification code of the character and characteristic data related to said character, said characteristic data including ability data visually recognizably printed on said game card and hidden data not visually recognizably printed on said game card, and wherein said characteristic data is disposed on said card such that it can be read by said external information reading circuitry and used in a video game played on said video game machine to cause a visual change to a video image of an animated and displayed character dependent on progress of the execution of the video game program; wherein said game card further comprises additional data recorded thereon in addition to said characteristic data, the additional data including a mini-game program for playing a video game which may be added to the game based on the video game program stored in said video game information medium, and wherein the mini-game program recorded on said game card records a mini-game program for realizing a mini-game in said game card separate from the video game program stored in said video game information storage medium, and wherein said game card further comprises order data recorded thereon for rearranging parts of the mini-game program. 41. A video game system for use with a plurality of game cards each visually portraying a figure of a character and storing information in the form of a two dimensional array of dots comprising: reading circuitry for reading the two dimensional array of dots from one of said game cards to enable animation and display of a new character in video game play and reading the two dimensional array of dots from another one of said game cards to enable said game cards to enable a change in animation and display of another character; a video game information storage medium including a memory storing a video game program for playing a game related to said at least said another one of the game cards and storing data for animation and display of the another character prior to reading the two dimensional array of dots from said another one of the game cards, and a processing system for executing a card related video game program, wherein at least a portion of said card related video game program is stored in said video game information storage medium, said processing system being operable to process video graphics image data embodied in said two-dimensional array of dots from said one of the game cards and said another one of the game cards to generate and display the new character and change the another character for video game play. 42. A video game system according to claim 41, wherein said reading circuitry and said video game information storage medium are housed in a removable cartridge. 43. A video game system according to claim 41, wherein said processing system is a hand-held device and includes a display. 44. A video game system according to claim 41, where at least one of said game cards includes identification data of the character portrayed thereon and characteristic data relating to a characteristic of the associated character. 45. A video game system according to claim 41, wherein said one of the game cards and said another one of the game cards respectively include figures of characters differing in rarity value. 46. A video game system according to claim 41, wherein at least one of said game cards includes sound data related to at least an associated character, and wherein said processing system generates sound of the character on the basis of sound data read by said reading circuitry. 47. A video game system for playing a video game having animated graphics and for generating a display comprising: a plurality of game cards for use in a card game, each visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data including recorded data to enable animation and display of the character, a video game information storage medium storing a game program relating to game card character figures, a video game machine including a processing system for removably receiving therein the video game information storage medium to execute a video game program, one of said plurality of game cards recording, for an associated character visually portrayed on said one of the plurality of game cards, at least identification data and characteristic data relating to a characteristic of the associated character portrayed on said one of the plurality of game cards, said identification data and characteristic data of the associated character portrayed on said one of the plurality of game cards, when processed by said processing system, causing a change to a video image involving an animated and displayed associated character dependent upon the progress of said video game; another one of said plurality of game cards recording, for a special associated character visually portrayed on said another one of said plurality of game cards, at least identification data and characteristic data of the special character portrayed on said another one of the plurality of game cards, said identification data and characteristic data of the special character, when processed by the processing system, adding a video image of the special character as a new character in the video game; wherein one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine includes external information reading circuitry for reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters recorded on said game cards, said processing system, when supplied with the identification data and characteristic data read by said external information reading circuitry from said one of and said another one of the game cards, processes the characteristic data to apply a change to said video image of an animated and displayed associated character as a result of processing the characteristic data of said one of the game cards and the video game program stored in said game information storage medium and to add the special character as a new character as a result of processing characteristic data of said another one of the game cards and the video game program stored in said game storage medium. 48. A video game card for use in a video game system including a video game information storage medium storing a video game program for animating and displaying at least some of the characters depicted on a plurality of such game cards on a video image display device, a video game machine including a processing system for receiving therein said video game information storage medium to execute a video game program; and external information reading circuitry provided in one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine for reading data recorded in said game card, said game card comprising: a visually portrayed figure of a character for use in playing a card game, a machine readable recording of at least an identification code of the character and characteristic data related to said character, said characteristic data including ability data visually recognizably printed on said game card and hidden data not visually recognizably printed on said game card, and wherein said characteristic data is disposed on said card such that it can be read by said external information reading circuitry and used in a video game played on said video game machine to cause a visual change to a video image of an animated and displayed character dependent on progress of the execution of the video game program; wherein said video game card also comprises a recording of additional data in addition to said characteristic data and the additional data includes a mini-game program for playing a game which may be added to the game based on the video game program stored in said video game information storage medium. 49. A game card for use in a video game system including a video game information storage medium storing a game program for generating at least some of the characters depicted on a plurality of such game cards on an image display device; a video game machine including a processing system for receiving therein said video game information storage medium to execute a video game program; and an external information reading circuitry provided in one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine for reading data recorded in said game card, said game card comprising: a visually portrayed figure of a character for use in playing a card game, a machine readable recording of at least an identification code of the character and characteristic data related to said character, and wherein said characteristic data is disposed on said card such that it can be read by said external information reading circuitry and used in a video game played on said game machine, wherein said game card is machine-readably recorded with image data for animating and displaying a figure of the character, and said image data is read by said external information reading circuitry from the game card thereby to animate and display the character's figure in a game by said game machine; and wherein at least a portion of a game program, to be added to the game program stored in the information storage medium, is received via the external information reading circuitry as data representing executable instructions stored as machine readable recorded data. 50. A game card for use in a video game system including a video game information storage medium storing a game program for generating at least some of the characters depicted on a plurality of such game cards on an image display device; a video game machine including a processing system for receiving therein said video game information storage medium to execute a video game program; and an external information reading circuitry provided in one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine for reading data recorded in said game card, said game card comprising: a visually portrayed figure of a character for use in playing a card game, a machine readable recording of at least an identification code of the character and characteristic data related to said character, and wherein said characteristic data is disposed on said card such that it can be read by said external information reading circuitry and used in a video game played on said game machine to control or change animation and display of the character play of the video game, and wherein said game card includes, in a machine-readable manner, printed dots distributed within blocks each of which has a predetermined area, and by printing the dots with different distributions, at least the identification data and the character data are machine-readably recorded on said game card to control or change animation and display of the character play of the video game; wherein the printed dots printed on the game card represent executable instructions of a game program to be added to the game program stored in the information storage medium. 51. A video game system for playing a video game and for generating a video game display having animated graphics comprising: a plurality of game cards for use in a card game, each visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data, a video game information storage medium storing a video game program relating to game card character figures, a video game machine including a processing system for removably receiving therein the video game information storage medium to execute the video game program, each of said plurality of game cards recording for an associated character depicted, at least identification data of the associated character and characteristic data relating to a characteristic of the associated character and for causing a change to a video image involving an animated and displayed associated character dependent on the progress of said video game; wherein one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine includes external information reading circuitry for reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters recorded on said game cards; and said processing system, when supplied with the identification data and characteristic data read by said external information reading circuitry from one or more of said game cards being operable to animate and display a video display visually portraying said associated character and for processing a video game program of the video game to cause the change to the video image involving said animated and displayed character by using said characteristic data; wherein said video game program to be executed by the processing system of the video game machine includes instructions obtained from at least one of said plurality of game cards to be added to the video game program stored by the video game information storage medium. 52. A video game system according to claim 51, wherein said external information reading circuitry is operable to read data from a two-dimensional dot array recorded on at least one of said plurality of game cards. 53. A video game system for playing a video game having animated graphics comprising: a first game card for use in a card game, said first game card visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data, a video game information storage medium including: a memory storing a video game program for playing a video game related to said first game card, and reading circuitry for reading information from said first game card, the read information enabling animation and display of the character visually portrayed on the first game card during play of the video game; and a video game machine including a processing system for removably receiving therein the video game information storage medium to execute the video game program; wherein the first game card has encoded thereon a first set of program instructions for execution by said processing system. 54. A video game system according to claim 53, wherein the video game system includes a second game card having graphical information thereon graphically depicting game related information and having encoded thereon a second set of program instructions for execution by said processing system, wherein at least said first game card and said second game card must be read by said reading circuitry to enable said processing system to execute said game program. 55. A video game system for playing a video game and for generating a video game display having animated graphics comprising: a plurality of game cards for use in a card game, each visually portraying a figure of a character and including recorded data, a video game information storage medium storing a video game program relating to game card character figures, a video game machine including a processing system for removably receiving therein the video game information storage medium to execute the video game program, each of said plurality of game cards recording for an associated character depicted, at least identification data of the associated character and characteristic data relating to a characteristic of the associated character and for causing a change to a video image involving an animated and displayed associated character dependent on the progress of said video game; wherein one of said video game information storage medium and said video game machine includes external information reading circuitry for reading the identification data and characteristic data of the characters recorded on said game cards; and said processing system, when supplied with the identification data and characteristic data read by said external information reading circuitry from one or more of said game cards being operable to animate and display a video display visually portraying said associated character and for processing a video game program of the video game to cause the change to the video image involving said animated and displayed character by using said characteristic data; said external information reading circuitry reads recorded data from said plurality of game cards, the recorded data embodying program instructions, and said processing system executes program instructions embodied by the recorded data read from each of said plurality of game cards. 56. A video game system according to claim 55, wherein a storage device for storing a set of program instructions is embodied in a card reading module, and said processing system is embodied in a hand held housing, said card reading module being removably connectable to said hand-held housing. 57. A video game system according to claim 55, wherein the video game system determines whether a sufficient number of game cards have been read to execute instructions obtained from said plurality of game cards. 58. A video game system according to claim 55 wherein the video game system rearranges the order of stored information read from said plurality of game cards. 59. A video game system according to claim 55 wherein the recorded data read from said plurality of game cards includes program sequence data and the video game system rearranges the order of stored information read from said plurality of game cards based on the program sequence data. 60. A video game system according to claim 55 wherein the recorded data read from said plurality of game cards includes total program amount data and wherein the video game system determines whether a sufficient number of game cards have been read to execute instructions obtained from said plurality of game cards based on the total program amount data.