JP6759525B2 - Bullet game machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ball game machine having a game area in which a game ball is launched.

Conventionally, among various types of ball game machines, the so-called first-class pachinko game machine has a plurality of symbols changed in a display area such as a liquid crystal display provided in the substantially center of the game board. Display (hereinafter, such display is referred to as "design variation" or "variation display", etc.). This game machine shifts to a special game called a big hit, in which more prize balls can be obtained than in a normal game when the combination of symbols when the movement of symbols in a plurality of rows is stopped becomes a specific mode. Known as a thing. In the variable display of symbols in the display area, not only a plurality of symbols are variablely displayed, but also the variable display time is usually set in a state where one more symbol is aligned and a big hit is obtained, as in the so-called reach screen. The production is designed to raise the expectations of the player, such as making it longer than that. In addition, the player's expectation is raised by the effect of using characters in images such as patterns to give a story to the variable display and the advance notice effect that suggests the high degree of expectation for transition to special games. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-230714

During the period from the start of fluctuation of the symbol to the stop of fluctuation, not only the decorative symbol is displayed in a variable manner near the center of the display area, but also the moving image in which the character speaks a line in a form independent of the variable display of the decorative symbol. A notice effect such as a statue may be displayed. In addition, in order to emphasize the notice effect displayed in the center of the screen, the variation of the decorative symbol in the normal mode is temporarily hidden, and the alternative symbol, which is a simplified decorative symbol, is displayed in a small variation in the corner of the screen. As described above, the display mode of the symbol variation may be switched.

The alternative symbol is different from the decorative symbol of the normal aspect, and only a simple variation is performed. Therefore, in the variable display of the alternative symbol, it is difficult to express the effect content on the screen in which the decorative symbol in the normal mode fluctuates, for example, the special operation of the decorative symbol or the display of other effect elements.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even when the notice effect is displayed in a manner that hinders the visibility of the screen in which the decorative symbol in the normal mode changes, the visual appearance of the effect content on the screen in which the decorative symbol in the normal mode changes The purpose is to ensure sex.

In order to solve the above problems, the ball game machine of a certain aspect of the present invention is provided in the game board in which the game area is formed, the first start winning opening provided in the game area, and the game area. , The second start winning opening having an expansion mechanism that can be opened so that the entry of the game ball changes from a relatively difficult state to an easy state, and the entry into the first starting winning opening as an opportunity . The first winning / failing determination means for executing the first winning / failing determination based on the lottery value for determining whether or not to shift from the normal game to the special game which is advantageous to the player, and the second starting winning opening. A second hit / fail determination means that executes a second hit / fail determination based on a lottery value for determining whether or not to shift to the special game, and a result of the first hit / fail determination. A first display control means for varyingly displaying the first symbol indicating the above, a second display control means for varyingly displaying the second symbol indicating the result of the second hit / miss determination, and the first display control means for varyingly displaying a predetermined number of symbols. 1 Start The lottery value according to the entry into the winning opening is held until the start of the variation display of the first symbol corresponding to the first hit / fail judgment based on the lottery value, and the second start is performed up to a predetermined number. A hold control means that holds the lottery value according to the winning ball into the winning opening until the start of the variation display of the second symbol corresponding to the second winning / failing determination based on the lottery value, and the result of the first winning / failing determination. The special game control means for executing the special game when the result of the second hit / fail determination is a hit, and the second start winning opening after the end of the special game. The specific game control means for shifting to the ball entry easy state in which the expansion mechanism is opened so that the ball entry ease becomes higher than the normal state, the effect display device for displaying the effect content, and the effect display device. The first start winning opening is provided with an effect determining means for determining the effect content to be displayed and an effect display control means for displaying the effect content determined by the effect determining means on the effect display device. The information on the lottery value according to the entry into the ball and the information on the lottery value according to the entry into the second starting winning opening will immediately start the symbol variation display corresponding to the entry. Regardless of the above, the effect determination means is configured so that the effect determination means can be notified as the result of the advance determination , and the effect determination means is an aspect of the special effect that suggests the result of the first hit / fail determination according to the result of the advance determination. The mode of the special effect suggesting the result of the second hit / fail determination is determined as the effect content, and the special effect in the easy-to-enter state is the second start. When the lottery value is held according to the entry into the winning opening, and the number of holdings of the lottery value corresponding to the entry into the second starting winning opening is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. It is displayed on the effect display device, and after the end of the special game, during the period from the transition to the easy-to-enter state to the end of the predetermined number of symbol variations, a short variation for an effect different from the special effect. The symbol variation is performed using the special variation pattern which is the variation pattern for which the time is set, and the special effect based on the hold caused by the ball entering the second start winning opening during the period is not executed and The special effect based on the hold generated by the ball entering the first start winning opening during the period is also not executed.

It should be noted that any combination of the above components and those in which the components and expressions of the present invention are mutually replaced between methods, devices, systems, computer programs, recording media storing computer programs, data structures, and the like are also used. , Is effective as an aspect of the present invention.

According to the ball game machine of the present invention, even when the notice effect is displayed in a manner that hinders the visibility of the screen in which the decorative symbol in the normal mode changes, the appearance of the effect content on the screen in which the decorative symbol in the normal mode changes is visually recognized. Sex can be ensured.

It is a figure which shows the basic structure on the front side of a pachinko gaming machine. It is a figure which shows the basic structure on the back side of a pachinko gaming machine. It is a figure which shows the functional block of a pachinko gaming machine. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a main board. It is a figure which shows typically the hit / fail judgment table. It is a figure which shows typically the prior hit / fail judgment table referred to in the advance hit / miss judgment. It is a figure which shows typically the symbol determination table. It is a figure which shows the fluctuation pattern table schematically. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a sub-board. It is a figure which shows the outline of the mobile cooperation system typically. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware composition of a main board and a sub board schematicly. It is a block diagram which shows schematic the hardware composition of the effect display control device. It is a flowchart which shows the control start processing of the main board in a pachinko gaming machine. It is a flowchart which shows the main process of S120 in FIG. 13 in detail. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of an interrupt process. It is a flowchart which shows the control start processing of the sub-board in a pachinko gaming machine. It is a flowchart which shows the main process of S518 in FIG. 16 in detail. It is a flowchart which shows the interrupt process when the command is received from the main board. It is a flowchart which shows the interrupt process when the timer interrupt for effect display control occurs. It is a flowchart which shows the interrupt process when a sub CPU receives a command from a display CPU. It is a flowchart which shows the interrupt process when the timer interrupt for various device control occurs. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the special symbol variation display. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the decorative pattern variation display. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a special game. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a small hit game. It is a figure which shows the display example of the symbol variation screen. It is a figure which shows the display example of a notice effect screen and an alternative symbol. It is a figure which shows the display example of the notice effect screen and the reduction fluctuation screen. It is a timing chart which shows the production process by a plurality of kinds of specific production patterns. It is a figure which shows the display example of the symbol variation screen by a normal hit specific effect pattern. It is a figure which shows the display example of the symbol variation screen by the delay hit specific effect pattern. It is a figure which shows the display example of the symbol variation screen by the deviation specific effect pattern. It is a figure which shows the display example of the hold lamp image on the screen of an effect display device. It is a figure which shows the basic structure on the front side of the pachinko gaming machine of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the pending change notice table. It is a flowchart which shows the operation about hold change notice. It is a flowchart which shows the normal time processing of S854 in FIG. 36 in detail.

(Prerequisite technology)
In the pachinko gaming machine of this embodiment, a plurality of games corresponding to the conventional type 1 pachinko gaming machine are mixed. The second game is preferentially executed so that the first game and the second game as the plurality of games are not executed at the same time. Further, in order to achieve both of these playability, a plurality of start winning openings, a plurality of special symbol display devices, and a plurality of hold lamps are provided. It is designed so that the number of big hits in the second game is generally larger than the number of big hits in the first game. For example, the second game is more likely to be a big hit with a probability change, and the second game has a larger number of units that make up a special game (a long opening unit with a long opening time of the big winning opening). A game and a short-open unit game with a short opening time are mixed in one special game, and even if the number of unit games is the same, the number of long-open unit games is larger in the second game than in the first game. The second game is designed so that the profit is relatively higher than that of the first game. On top of that, at first, aim for the first hit in the first game, and after the big hit in the first game gives a shorter time, aim for the second game repeatedly and get a lot of balls. Realize.

FIG. 1 shows a basic structure on the front side of a pachinko gaming machine. The pachinko gaming machine 100 is mainly composed of a gaming machine frame and a gaming board. The gaming machine frame of the pachinko gaming machine 100 includes an outer frame 101, a front frame 102, a transparent plate 103, a door 104, an upper ball plate 105, a lower ball plate 106, a launch handle 107, a speaker 108, an effect button 109, and a cross key 110. Includes decorative lamp 111. The outer frame 101 has an opening portion and is a frame body for fixing the pachinko gaming machine 100 at a position where it should be installed. The front frame 102 is a frame body that matches the opening portion of the outer frame 101, and is attached to the outer frame 101 so as to be openable and closable by a hinge mechanism (not shown). The front frame 102 includes a mechanism for launching a game ball, a mechanism for detachably accommodating a game board, a mechanism for guiding or collecting a game ball, and the like.

The transparent plate 103 is formed of glass or the like and is supported by the door 104. The door 104 is attached to the front frame 102 so as to be openable and closable by a hinge mechanism (not shown). The upper ball plate 105 has a mechanism for storing the game balls, sending the game balls to the launch rail, extracting the game balls to the lower ball plate 106, and the like. The lower ball plate 106 has a mechanism for storing and withdrawing game balls. Speakers 108 are provided on the left and right sides of the upper part of the door 104, and sound effects and music sounds according to the game state and the effect are output by means for controlling the effect. Most of the resin members constituting the appearance of the door 104 are translucent, and the decorative lamp 111 is provided inside the transparent member. The decorative lamp 111 is an LED that emits light in various colors according to the game state and the effect by means for controlling the effect, and plays a role of the effect by blinking or the like.

The game board 80 has a first starting port 11, a second starting port 12, a large winning opening 20, a first operating port 31, a second operating port 32, and a general winning port 33 on the game area 81 partitioned by the rail 82. , Out port 34, effect display device 60, center decoration 64. The center decoration 64 is a decorative resin member provided so as to form a screen frame of the effect display device 60 over substantially the central portion of the game area 81 and the upper portion and the right portion thereof, and is a flow path of the game ball and the effect display device. It has 60 functions such as protection and decoration. A stage 65 on which the inflowing game ball rolls is formed at the lower part of the center decoration 64, and the falling direction from the stage 65 is the direction of entering the first starting port 11 and the first starting port 11 depending on the rolling method. It is distributed to the side direction that does not enter the ball. At the upper part of the center decoration 64, a movable accessory 66 that is driven according to the content of the effect and performs an effect is provided. In the game area 81, a plurality of mechanisms such as game nails and windmills (not shown) for forming a flow path of the game ball are installed. In this specification, "winning ball", "winning prize", and "falling in" may be synonymous with each other. In addition, each winning opening and each entry opening may be composed of a "passing opening" (also called a "gate" or "through chucker") of the type through which the game ball passes, and the "entry ball" may be formed. "Prize," "fall," and "pass" may also be synonymous with each other.

The first starting port 11 is provided as a starting winning opening corresponding to the first game, and the second starting opening 12 is provided as a starting winning opening corresponding to the second game. The first start port 11 and the second start port 12 are configured so that it is possible to aim at entering one of the game balls depending on the launch strength of the game ball according to the player's intention. The first starting port 11 is provided at a substantially central lower portion in the game area 81, and the second starting port 12 is provided directly below the first starting port 11. Left-handed, that is, when the ball is hit relatively weakly aiming to flow to the left passage of the center decoration 64, it is possible or easy to enter the first starting port 11 and the second starting port 12, while right-handed. That is, when the ball is hit relatively strongly aiming to flow to the right passage of the center decoration 64, the ball can enter the second starting port 12 or is easy to enter, but cannot enter the first starting port 11. Alternatively, a flow path is formed by arranging the game nails so as to make it difficult to enter the ball. However, normally, the upper part of the opening of the second starting port 12 is covered with the first starting port 11 to prevent the inflow of game balls. Therefore, unless the opening mechanism of the second starting port 12 is opened, the second starting port 12 is opened. It is impossible or difficult to enter the ball at 12. The winning / failing lottery is a lottery for determining whether or not to shift from a normal game to a special game that is advantageous to the player, and is executed every time a ball is entered into the first starting port 11 or the second starting port 12. To travel.

The first starting port 11 and the second starting port 12 may be provided at positions separated from each other to such an extent that it is possible to strike a target depending on the firing strength of the game ball. The first start port 11 and the second start port 12 may be installed separately on the left side and the right side of the game area 81, respectively, so that it is difficult for a game ball aiming at one to enter the other. For example, the first starting port 11 is provided at a position where it is possible or easy to enter the ball when it is left-handed, that is, when it is aimed to flow to the left passage of the center decoration 64 and fired relatively weakly. The second starting port 12 is provided at a position where the ball can be entered or is easily entered when the ball is hit right-handed, that is, when the ball is launched relatively strongly aiming at flowing to the right passage of the center decoration 64.

The first starting port 11 includes a first starting winning detection device 16. The first start winning prize detection device 16 is a sensor that detects the entry of a game ball into the first start opening 11, and generates first start winning information indicating the entry at the time of entry. The second starting port 12 includes a second starting winning detection device 17, an ordinary electric accessory 90 (so-called electric tulip) which is an expansion mechanism, and an ordinary electric accessory solenoid 91 for opening and closing the ordinary electric accessory 90. .. The second start prize detection device 17 is a sensor that detects the entry of a game ball into the second start opening 12, and generates second start prize information indicating the entry at the time of entry.

When the ordinary electric accessory 90 is expanded by the driving force of the ordinary electric accessory solenoid 91, the ease of entering the ball into the second starting port 12 is enhanced. The one-time opening time of the ordinary electric accessory 90 is a short time of about 0.1 seconds at the time of short opening, whereas the one opening time of the ordinary electric accessory 90 is about 6 seconds at the time of long opening. It is set longer than that at the time of short opening, and it becomes easier for the game ball to enter the second starting port 12. The long opening of the ordinary electric accessory 90 is also called "opening extension". As a modification, when the ordinary electric accessory 90 expands, it may be notified in advance to that effect, or the hold of the ordinary symbol change may be pre-read and notified before the start of the change of the ordinary symbol. , Ordinary symbols may be notified during fluctuations.

As a modification of the opening mode when the ordinary electric accessory 90 of the second starting port 12 is opened for a long time, the total opening time is lengthened to about 6 seconds by repeating the opening for 2 seconds, which is longer than the short opening, three times. It may be an embodiment. In addition, a plurality of combinations of opening time and opening number may be prepared, and one of them may be selected. For example, when the 2-second opening is 3 times, the total opening time is the same as when the 6-second opening is 1 time, but the former is longer than the latter when the interval period is included. Therefore, especially in the configuration of the modified example in which the second starting port 12 is arranged in the right-handed direction, the former player enters the ball assuming that the player who notices the opening adjusts the hitting direction to the second starting port 12 from that point. It can be said that the chance is long. Further, it may be configured so that there are a plurality of hit types of ordinary symbols, and the opening mode of the expansion mechanism may be different depending on the hit types. For example, when the normal symbol is the first hit, the 0.1 second opening is set once in the normal state, the 1 second opening is set three times in the easy-to-enter state, and the second hit is the normal state. Then, the 6-second opening may be performed once, and the 2-second opening may be performed twice in the easy-to-enter state.

Each of the three general winning openings 33 includes a general winning detection device 38 for detecting the entry of a game ball. The general winning detection device 38 is a sensor that detects the entry of a game ball into the general winning opening 33, and generates general winning information indicating the entry at the time of entry.

The large winning opening 20 includes a large winning opening detection device 25 for detecting the entry of a game ball, and a large winning opening solenoid 92 for opening and closing the large winning opening 20. The grand prize detection device 25 is a sensor that detects the entry of a game ball into the grand prize opening 20, and generates the grand prize opening winning information indicating the entry at the time of entry. The big winning opening 20 is a horizontally rectangular winning opening that opens as a "big hit" when the first special symbol 51 or the second special symbol 52 stops in a predetermined mode. The big winning opening 20 is provided at a position on the upper right side of the out opening 34. As a modified example, another large winning opening may be provided in the lower center of the game area 81 or above or below the large winning opening 20, and a plurality of large winning openings may be provided.

A first special symbol display device 41 corresponding to the first game and a second special symbol display device 42 corresponding to the second game are arranged side by side at the lower left position on the outside of the game area 81 on the game board 80. The variation of the 1 special symbol 51 and the 2nd special symbol 52 is displayed. An effect display device 60 is provided at substantially the center of the game area 81 so that the screen is exposed from the screen frame formed by the center decoration 64, and the decorative symbol 61 linked to the first special symbol 51 or the second special symbol 52 is provided. Display the fluctuation of the production image including. Hereinafter, such a display is referred to as "design variation" or "variation display".

The first special symbol 51 is a symbol corresponding to the determination result of the first winning / failing lottery performed when the game ball enters the first starting port 11, and the variation display is stopped in a predetermined hit mode. At that time, a big hit as a special game occurs. The second special symbol 52 is a symbol corresponding to the determination result of the second winning / failing lottery performed when the game ball enters the second starting port 12, and the variation display is stopped in a predetermined hit mode. At that time, a big hit as a special game occurs. The first special symbol display device 41 and the second special symbol display device 42 are, for example, an 8-segment LED composed of 7 segments forming a "figure 8" and 8 segments of 1 segment representing a "dot". It is a display device of. With an 8-segment LED, a numerical value equivalent to 8 bits can be expressed by combining 8 segments. The first represented by a combination of segments
The special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 do not necessarily form the body of letters or numbers, and may be generally meaningless symbols formed by a combination of each segment. By displaying these symbols on the first special symbol display device 41 and the second special symbol display device 42 one after another at high speed, the symbol variation display of the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 is realized. To. Further, the first special symbol display device 41 and the second special symbol display device 42 use LED dot arrays that are not 8-segment LEDs, and a plurality of types of first special symbol 51 and second are used depending on the combination of lighting patterns and lighting colors. The special symbol 52 may be expressed.

The effect display device 60 is a display device including a liquid crystal display that variablely displays the decorative symbol 61 in conjunction with the variable display of the first special symbol 51 or the second special symbol 52. The decorative symbol 61 is a symbol for visually producing the determination result display of the lottery shown by the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52. As the decorative symbol 61, the effect display device 60 displays, for example, a moving image in which a plurality of rows of symbols imitating a game of a slot machine are varied in a central region of the screen. In this embodiment, the symbols composed of the numbers "0" to "9" are displayed in three columns and varied, and the hit or miss is indicated by the combination of the three symbols that are finally stopped and displayed. Each of the plurality of symbols constituting the decorative symbol 61 is composed of numbers, letters, or symbols decorated with colors and patterns, and these numbers, letters, and symbols are common to all symbols. It may be configured by adding a different pattern to each and integrating them. This pattern is a pattern on which a motif related to the theme of decoration or production set in the model of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is drawn, and may be, for example, a pattern on which a character of a person or an animal is drawn. The decorative design 61 is switched between the case where the design including the design is integrally displayed and the case where the design is separated and only the numbers, letters, and symbols are displayed in a variable manner according to the development of the effect. It may be configured to be. In the background of the variable display of the decorative symbol 61, a moving image having a directing effect related to the theme of the decoration or effect set for the model of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is displayed in conjunction with the variation of the symbol.

Since the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 do not necessarily have to play a directing role, in the present embodiment, the first special symbol display device 41 and the second special symbol at the lower left of the game area 81 are required. The display device 42 displays the image in an inconspicuous size. However, when a method of expressing the special symbol itself without using a decorative symbol by giving it a directing role is adopted, the special symbol may be displayed on the liquid crystal display instead of the 8-segment LED.

The effect display device 60 is composed of a liquid crystal display which is a high-definition dot matrix type display device, but the width of the display area may be about half the width of the game area, or a large size exceeding half. There may be. In the case of a large size, the game ball passage on the right side of the effect display device is formed with a passage width that allows one game ball to pass through, and if the player launches with the maximum strength as a so-called "right-handed", the right-hand passage will almost certainly occur. The game ball can be passed through, and it can be distinguished from the so-called "left-handed". The effect display device 60 is not limited to a single display device, but may be a combination of a plurality of display devices. In the case of a plurality of displays, displays of different sizes such as a combination of a main liquid crystal and a sub liquid crystal may be combined, the sub liquid crystal may be arranged at a position adjacent to the main liquid crystal, or a position other than the game board, for example, a firing handle. It may be installed in the vicinity of. When installed in the vicinity of the launch handle, it may be configured in the form of a touch panel that can be operated and input by the player. The effect display device 60 is not limited to a liquid crystal display, and may be configured by a display device such as an organic EL display, a mechanical display means such as a drum rotation type, or a display means such as an LED matrix type. ..

The first operating port 31 is provided at a position on the left side of the game area 81, and includes the first passage detection device 36. The first passage detection device 36 is a sensor that detects the passage of the game ball to the first operation port 31, and generates passage information indicating the passage at the time of passage. The second operating port 32 is provided at a position on the right side of the game area 81, and includes a second passage detection device 37. The second passage detection device 37 is a sensor that detects the passage of the game ball to the second operating port 32, and generates passage information indicating the passage at the time of passage. The passage of the game ball through the first operating port 31 or the second operating port 32 triggers an open lottery to determine whether or not to expand the ordinary electric accessory 90. When the game ball passes through the first operating port 31 or the second operating port 32, the normal symbol, which is a symbol showing the determination result of the open lottery, is variably displayed on the normal symbol display device 45. Therefore, the open lottery is also called "ordinary design lottery". The normal symbol display device 45 is provided on the lower right outside of the game area 81, and is composed of two lamps for convenience, and the display state of the normal symbol is expressed by which of the lamps is lit. For example, when the lighting of the first lamp indicates that the lamp is off and the second lamp indicates a hit, the variation display of the normal symbol is expressed by alternately turning on and off the lamp, and finally one of the lamps is turned on. By stopping in the state, the stop symbol of the normal symbol is expressed. After a predetermined time has passed from the start of the fluctuation, the fluctuation display of the normal symbol stops. When the normal symbol stops at the hit symbol, the normal electric accessory 90 is expanded.

There are two types of opening time for the ordinary electric accessory 90: a short opening for 0.1 seconds and a long opening for 6 seconds. In the open lottery in the normal state, the normal symbol wins and the long opening is executed with a probability of 1/50, and the normal symbol wins and the short opening is executed with a probability of 1/100. In this way, in the normal state, the probability of long opening is higher than the probability of short opening, but in the modified example, the probability of short opening may be higher than the probability of long opening, or both probabilities. May be the same specifications. In the open lottery in the easy-to-enter state, the probability of hitting a normal symbol is increased to 99/100, and the opening time is limited to a long opening. In this way, in the easy-to-enter state, the ease of entering the second starting port 12 is enhanced by the function of changing the hit probability of the normal symbol and the function of extending the opening time. In the easy-to-enter state in the modified example, the ease of entering the second starting port 12 may be enhanced by using three functions including a function of shortening the fluctuation time of the normal symbol. In that case, the fluctuation time of the normal symbol is, for example, 10 seconds in the normal state and 2 seconds in the easy-to-enter state.

At the lower left position on the outside of the game area 81, a first special symbol holding lamp 71 corresponding to the first game is provided above the first special symbol display device 41, and a first special symbol display device 42 is provided above the second special symbol display device 42. A second special figure holding lamp 72 corresponding to the second game is provided. The first special figure hold lamp 71 is composed of two lamps, and displays the number of hold of the winning / failing lottery value in the first game according to the number of lights or the number of blinks. The number of winning / failing lottery values held in the first special symbol holding lamp 71 is the number of lottery values that have been won in the first starting port 11 during the fluctuation of the first special symbol 51 or during the execution of the special game, and the symbol fluctuation is still present. Indicates the number of winning balls that have not been executed. The second special figure hold lamp 72 is also composed of two lamps, and the number of hold of the winning / failing lottery value in the second game is displayed according to the number of lights or the number of blinks. The number of winning / failing lottery values held in the second special symbol holding lamp 72 is the number of lottery values that have been won in the second starting port 12 while the second special symbol 52 is changing or the special game is being executed, and the symbol fluctuation is still in progress. Indicates the number of winning balls that have not been executed. The number of hold of the winning / failing lottery value is also displayed at the lower part of the screen of the effect display device 60 in a form represented by the number of lighting of the hold lamp image.

When the number of winning / failing lottery held is 3, the symbol fluctuation time in the case of a loss is shortened than usual in order to improve the game efficiency (hereinafter, also referred to as "shortening fluctuation"). Similarly, when the number of winning / failing lottery pending is 4, the symbol fluctuation time in the case of a loss is further shortened as compared with the case of the above 3 in order to further improve the game efficiency (hereinafter, also referred to as "super shortened fluctuation"). ).

At the lower right position on the outside of the game area 81, a normal symbol holding lamp 75 is provided on the right side of the normal symbol display device 45. The normal symbol hold lamp 75 is also composed of two lamps, and displays the number of hold of normal symbol fluctuations according to the number of lights or the number of blinks. The number of pending changes in the normal symbol is the number of game balls that have passed through the first operating port 31 or the second operating port 32 during the change in the normal symbol, and is the number of ordinary symbol lottery in which the change in the normal symbol has not yet been executed. Is shown.

The effect button 109 is an operation input means that the player presses to input a predetermined instruction to the game machine according to the effect content, and the effect content and the like are changed according to the pressing mode. The effect button 109 is provided on the outer wall surface near the upper ball plate 105. The cross key 110 is an operation input means for the player to input a direction instruction to the game machine, and is provided on the outer wall surface on the left side of the upper ball plate 105.

The method of the game and the flow of control performed in the above configuration will be outlined. When the player rotates the launch handle 107 by hand, the game balls stored in the upper ball plate 105 are guided one by one to the rail 82 and launched to the game area 81 with the strength corresponding to the rotation angle. .. When the player fixes the rotation position of the firing handle 107 by hand, the firing of the game ball is repeated at regular time intervals. The game ball launched to the upper part of the game area 81 falls in a direction corresponding to the hitting method while hitting a plurality of game nails or windmills. When the game ball falls into each of the general winning opening 33, the first starting opening 11, the second starting opening 12, and the large winning opening 20, the winning ball according to the type of the winning opening is the upper ball plate 105 or the lower. It is paid out to the ball plate 106. The game balls that fall into each winning opening such as the general winning opening 33 are treated as safe balls, and the game balls that fall into the out opening 34 are treated as out balls.

When the ball enters the first starting port 11 or the second starting port 12, the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the second special symbol 52 in the first special symbol display device 41, the second special symbol display device 42, and the effect display device 60. The decorative pattern 61 is displayed in a variable manner. The variable display of the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the decorative symbol 61 is stopped after the variation display time determined prior to the display has elapsed. The first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 are displayed in a variable manner according to a variable pattern in which the variation mode from the start to the stop of the variation is defined. The decorative symbol 61 is variablely displayed according to a variable effect pattern in which the variation mode from the start to the stop of the variation is defined. A plurality of types of fluctuation patterns and fluctuation production patterns are prepared, and each has various fluctuation times, long and short. While the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 are variablely displayed according to the variation pattern, the decorative symbol 61 is variablely displayed according to the variation effect pattern having the same variation time. In the variation pattern, the variation display time is set for each pattern as the end condition of the symbol variation, and the variation of the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the decorative symbol 61 occurs when the variation display time elapses. It will be stopped.

As the variation display of the decorative symbol 61, first, the symbols are varied in all three rows like the reel rotation of the slot machine at the start of the variation, and when the variation end timing is approached, the symbols are stopped one by one as the final stop mode. Display the symbol combination. When the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the decorative symbol 61 at the time of stopping are in the stop mode showing a big hit, the game shifts to a special game which is more advantageous to the player than the normal game, and the game is large. The opening / closing operation of the winning opening 20 is started. The stop mode of the decorative symbol 61 showing the jackpot is, for example, a combination mode in which the types of the three symbols match.

The variable effect pattern includes a normal off effect pattern, a reach out effect pattern, and a reach jackpot effect pattern. The normal out-of-order effect pattern is an effect pattern when displaying a normal out-of-order symbol combination. The out-of-reach effect pattern is an effect pattern when displaying a combination of out-of-reach symbols through a reach state, which is a state in which one more symbol is aligned and a big hit is made. The reach jackpot effect pattern is an effect pattern when displaying the symbol combination of the jackpot after the reach state. In particular, the pattern when going through the reach state includes a pattern having various fluctuation times, long and short, and a reach pattern with a relatively short fluctuation time is called "normal reach", and a reach pattern with a long fluctuation time is called "super reach". ". The normal out-of-reach effect pattern, the reach out-of-reach effect pattern, and the reach jackpot effect pattern are classified into a normal pattern displayed in a normal state and a time-saving pattern displayed in a time-saving state, respectively. However, even in the normal state, if the second symbol fluctuates corresponding to the entry into the second starting port 12, the probability that the jackpot will be accompanied by a probability change or the probability that the number of unit games of the special game will increase is the first. Since it can be said that the chance state is higher than the first fluctuation corresponding to the entry of the ball into the 1 starting port 11, a pattern for chance effect indicating that the chance is a relatively advantageous jackpot may be used. In the embodiment, the time saving pattern is used in the time saving state, but since the time saving is accompanied in the probability changing state, the time saving pattern is also used in the probability changing state. However, in the modified example, the specification may be such that a pattern for probability variation different from that for time saving is used in the probability variation state. Alternatively, a specification that uses a common pattern for time saving and probability variation may be used, or a specification that uses a probability variation pattern in the probability variation state without using the time reduction pattern in particular may be used.

There are two types of special games, normal special games and shortened special games, and there is a big difference in the profits from the winning prize balls. Usually, the special game is started by displaying the production screen called the start demo time. After the screen display of the start demo time, the big winning opening 20 is opened, and the opening is continued for about 30 seconds, or is temporarily closed after 9 or more game balls have fallen. The process from opening to closing of the large winning opening 20 is basically called a unit game, but there may be cases where a plurality of short-time openings are repeated during one unit game. After the opening and closing of the large winning opening 20 or the unit game is repeated a predetermined number of times, for example, 4 or 16 times, the special game is usually ended by the display of the effect screen called the end demo time. In normal special games, you can expect enough balls to enter 9 or more balls per unit game, and you can get enough prize balls (also called "balls") by 16 unit games, which is a big profit. Is obtained. A special game in which 16 unit games are repeated is appropriately referred to as a "16R jackpot", and a special game in which four unit games are repeated is appropriately referred to as a "4R jackpot".

On the other hand, in the shortened special game, there is no start demo time and end demo time, and the large winning opening 20 is opened for 0.2 seconds in one unit game. This unit game is repeated twice to end the shortened special game. In the shortened special game, since the opening of the large winning opening 20 is only repeated twice for a very short time, it is almost impossible to enter the large winning opening 20 and the number of balls is substantially equal to zero. is there. A special game in which two unit games are repeated is also appropriately referred to as a "2R jackpot".

When the first special symbol 51 or the second special symbol 52 and the decorative symbol 61 at the time of stopping are in the predetermined small hit mode, the game shifts to the small hit game composed of one unit game, and the large winning opening 20 The opening and closing operation is executed. In one unit game constituting the small hit game, since the big winning opening 20 repeats opening for about 0.2 seconds twice, the operation mode is the same as the 2R big hit in appearance.

When a special game occurs and the hit stop symbol at that time is in a specific mode, the probability change, which is one of the specific games, is further started after the end of the special game. During the probability change, a winning / losing lottery with a higher probability of winning than the normal probability state is performed, and a new special game may occur relatively early. It should be noted that the fact that the judgment result of the winning / failing lottery is a specific big hit, that is, a big hit accompanied by a probability change is not clearly indicated from the appearance, and a latent probability change state may be set in which the decorative design or the production content is not explicitly notified. In that case, the effect display device 60 does not clearly indicate whether the change is probable or non-probable even during the probable change.

In the normal game after the special game is completed, the easy entry state, which is one of the specific game states, is started. In the easy-to-enter state, the winning probability of the open lottery is increased more than usual, and the opening extension is executed so that the opening time of the normal electric accessory 90 is extended. Since the number of hits of a normal symbol per fixed time can be increased and the ease of entering a ball into the second starting port 12 is also increased, it is highly possible that the number of balls entering the second starting port 12 will increase. Therefore, as a result of increasing the chances of obtaining a prize ball by entering the second starting port 12, it becomes possible to continue playing while hardly reducing the number of balls held or gradually increasing the number of balls held.

In the easy-to-enter state, as one of the specific game states, the so-called time reduction, in which the fluctuation time of the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the decorative symbol 61 is shortened as compared with the normal state, is further executed. The fluctuation time of the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the decorative symbol 61 is returned to the original fluctuation time after a predetermined number of fluctuations, for example, 100 fluctuations are displayed, but reaches the fluctuation number. If a big hit occurs before, the time saving will end once. Since the fluctuation time of the first special symbol 51, the second special symbol 52, and the decorative symbol 61 is shortened in the time saving, until a big hit occurs as compared with the case of the normal state where the symbol changes with the normal fluctuation time. Time can be shortened, and the ease of obtaining big hits can be relatively increased. In the modified example, the specification may be such that the special symbol is not shortened in the easy-to-enter state.

FIG. 2 shows the basic structure of the pachinko machine on the back side. The power switch 150 is a switch for turning on / off the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100. The main board 200 controls the overall operation of the pachinko gaming machine 100, and particularly processes the overall game operation such as a lottery when the first starting port 11 and the second starting port 12 are won. The sub-board 300 includes a liquid crystal unit 151, controls the display content of the effect display device 60, and changes the effect display content particularly according to the determination result of the main board 200. The back set mechanism 152 includes a prize ball tank 153, a flow path of the prize ball, a payout unit 154 for paying out the prize ball, and the like. The payout unit 154 pays out the game balls supplied from the prize ball tank 153 to the upper ball plate 105 according to the winning of each winning opening. The payout control board 155 controls the payout operation by the payout unit 154. The launching device 156 launches the stored balls of the upper ball plate 105 into the game area 81 one by one. The launch control board 157 controls the launch operation of the launch device 156. The power supply unit 158 supplies electric power to each part of the pachinko gaming machine 100.

FIG. 3 shows a functional block of the pachinko gaming machine 100. The pachinko gaming machine 100 is divided into a main board 200 as a main control device for controlling the basic operation of the game and the progress of the game, and a sub board 300 as a sub-control device for controlling the directing operation and processing. It is composed of various forms. The main board 200 includes a first starting port 11, a second starting port 12, a large winning port 20, a general winning port 33, a first operating port 31, a second operating port 32, a first special symbol display device 41, and a second special. It is electrically connected to the symbol display device 42 and the normal symbol display device 45, and transmits and receives various control signals to and from each of them. The sub-board 300 is electrically connected to the effect display device 60, the effect button 109, the speaker 108, and the decorative lamp 111, and transmits and receives various control signals to and from each of them. Since data transmission / reception between the main board 200 and the sub board 300 is in one direction from the main board 200 to the sub board 300, each configuration is configured so that the entire operation is realized by data transmission / reception in such one direction. It is arranged on the main board 200 and the sub board 300. Since the unidirectionality of data transmission from the main board 200 to the sub board 300 is maintained, data cannot be transmitted from the configuration included in the sub board 300 to the configuration included in the main board 200, and data transmission is performed. I can't even request it. Therefore, the information generated by the main board 200 cannot be referred to from the sub board 300 unless the main board 200 unilaterally transmits the information to the sub board 300.

It should be noted that any of the functional blocks included in the main board 200 may be mounted on the sub-board 300 instead of the main board 200, and any of the functional blocks included in the sub-board 300 may be mounted on the sub-board 300. It may be mounted on the main board 200.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main board 200. The main board 200 includes a ball entry determination means 201, a first lottery means 211, a second lottery means 212, a general drawing lottery means 213, a hold control means 240, a main display control means 250, a special game control means 260, and a small hit game control. The means 265, the specific game control means 270, the open / close control means 275, and the special drawing adjusting means 276 are provided.

The ball entry determination means 201 determines the entry of a game ball into each winning opening. When the ball entry determination means 201 receives the first start winning information, it determines that the game ball has won the first start opening 11, and when it receives the second start winning information, the game ball has won the second start opening 12. to decide. When the winning ball determination means 201 receives the large winning opening winning information, it determines that the game ball has won the large winning opening 20, and when it receives the general winning information, it determines that the game ball has won the general winning opening 33. Upon receiving the passage information, the ball entry determination means 201 determines that the game ball has passed through the first operation port 31 or the second operation port 32.

The first lottery means 211 has a function of executing the first lottery related to the first game, such as a first lottery value acquisition means 216, a first hit / fail determination means 221 and a first symbol determination means 226, and a first variation pattern determination. The first winning / failing lottery is executed as a winning / failing lottery corresponding to the entry of the ball into the first starting port 11, including the means 231. The determination result of the first winning / failing lottery is shown in the form of the variable display of the first special symbol 51 in the first special symbol display device 41, and is shown in the form of the variable display of the decorative symbol 61 in the display area of the effect display device 60. .. The second lottery means 212 includes a second lottery value acquisition means 217, a second hit / fail determination means 222, a second symbol determination means 227, and a second variation pattern determination means 232, and corresponds to entry into the second starting port 12. The second winning / failing lottery is executed as a winning / failing lottery. The determination result of the second winning / failing lottery is shown in the form of the variable display of the second special symbol 52 in the second special symbol display device 42, and is shown in the form of the variable display of the decorative symbol 61 in the display area of the effect display device 60. .. When the first lottery means 211 and the second lottery means 212 start the symbol change, the first lottery means 211 and the second lottery means 212 transmit the lottery determination result corresponding to the symbol change to the effect determination means 303 together with the symbol change control command.

The first lottery means 211 and the second lottery means 212 determine which lottery value range in the winning / failing determination is applicable as a preliminary determination process even when the ball enters the first starting port 11 or the second starting port 12. The advance hit / fail judgment is executed, and the judgment result is transmitted to the effect determining means 303. After the result of the pre-determination process is temporarily stored in the transmission buffer, it is transmitted to the effect determining means 303 regardless of whether or not the symbol variation display corresponding to the lottery is started immediately, and is deleted from the transmission buffer or overwritten later. To. Therefore, for the sub-board 300 side, a process called "look-ahead" is realized, in which the result of winning or failing can be presumably recognized in advance before the order of starting the symbol variation comes around.

The first lottery value acquisition means 216 acquires a random number value as the first winning / failing lottery value for the first winning / failing lottery when the ball enters the first starting port 11. The second lottery value acquisition means 217 acquires a random number value as the second winning / failing lottery value for the second winning / failing lottery when the ball enters the second starting port 12. For example, the values acquired as the first winning / failing lottery value and the second winning / failing lottery value for the winning / failing lottery are acquired from the value range from "0" to "65535". The values acquired as the first winning / failing lottery value and the second winning / failing lottery value are temporarily held by the hold control means 240. However, the winning / failing lottery value is held within the range not exceeding the predetermined upper limit of holding. The "random number" here does not have to be a physical random number generated by a random number generation circuit or a genuine random number in a mathematical sense, and is a hardware random number using a 16-bit counter or software using a random number generation algorithm. It may be a pseudo-random number such as a random number. Alternatively, a combination of a hardware random number and a software random number, for example, a plus random number method in which the initial value is changed each time the counter makes one round may be used.

The first winning / failing determination means 221 determines whether or not to shift to a special game or a small hit game based on the first winning / failing lottery value, and the first winning / failing lottery value falls within the lottery value range in the winning / failing determination. Execute a preliminary judgment of whether or not it is applicable. The second winning / failing determination means 222 sets the winning / failing determination for determining whether to shift to the special game or the small hit game based on the second winning / failing lottery value, and the second winning / failing lottery value in the lottery value range in the winning / failing determination. Execute a preliminary judgment of whether or not it is applicable. The first hit / fail determination means 221 and the second hit / fail determination means 222 hold a hit / fail determination table and a preliminary hit / fail determination table referred to in the hit / fail determination. In addition, in order to distinguish the hit / fail judgment executed at the start of the symbol variation from the advance hit / miss judgment, it is also appropriately referred to as "hit / fail judgment as the main judgment". In the present specification, when the term "table" or "selection criterion" is used, the correspondence between the first parameter such as the lottery value and the second parameter such as the value indicating the option is strictly defined by the table structure. Not only pointing to data, but also broadly including the case of realizing such a correspondence with a program structure for deriving the second parameter from the first parameter. Including them, the concept is substantially synonymous with "table" and is appropriately referred to as "selection criteria". Further, when a table structure is used, the selection criteria that are substantially one type may be composed of a combination of a plurality of structurally subdivided tables, but the term "multiple types of selection criteria" is subdivided. Shows the actual number of types of tables, not the number of converted tables.

The first hit / fail determination means 221 and the second hit / fail determination means 222 hold a plurality of hit / fail determination tables referred to in the hit / fail determination. In the plurality of winning / failing determination tables, the winning / failing determination results and the winning / failing lottery values are associated with each other, and the winning / failing probability is determined according to the range setting of the associated jackpot. The first hit / fail determination means 221 and the second hit / fail determination means 222 refer to the hit / fail table for hit / fail judgment based on the normal hit probability in the normal probability state, and the hit / miss probability is higher than the normal probability in the probability fluctuation state. Browse the table. The first winning / failing determination means 221 and the second winning / failing determination means 222 refer to any one of the plurality of winning / failing tables, and determine whether or not the winning / failing lottery value is a hit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a hit / fail determination table. In the winning / failing judgment table of this figure, the judgment results of big hit, small hit, and miss are associated with the winning / losing lottery value, and the winning / failing probability of the big hit and the winning / failing probability of the small hit are associated with each associated range setting. Is decided. The first hit / fail determination means 221 and the second hit / fail determination means 222 refer to the pass / fail determination table of the present figure in the hit / fail determination as the present determination. In both the first winning / failing lottery by the first winning / failing determination means 221 and the second winning / failing lottery by the second winning / failing determination means 222, a big hit is normally obtained only when the winning / failing lottery value falls within the range of 0 to 299. At the time of probability change, the range of big hits is expanded, and the big hits are obtained not only when the winning / failing lottery value corresponds to the range of 0 to 299 but also when it corresponds to the range of 300 to 2999. In this way, the range corresponding to the jackpot changes according to the gaming state. In this figure, a single hit / fail judgment table shows the jackpot range for both normal time and probability change, but the hit / fail judgment table may be prepared separately for normal time and probability change time. It may be prepared separately for one winning / failing lottery and for the second winning / failing lottery.

In this embodiment, even if the winning / failing lottery value does not correspond to the big hit range, if it falls within the predetermined range, it becomes a small hit. In the example of this figure, when the winning / failing lottery value acquired by the first winning / failing determination means 221 corresponds to the range of 56500 to 65535, a small hit is obtained, and the winning / failing lottery value acquired by the second winning / failing determination means 222 is 64000 to 65535. If it falls within the range, it will be a small hit. That is, the range corresponding to the small hit is wider in the first win / loss lottery than in the second win / loss lottery, and the small hit is likely to occur. In this way, if it does not correspond to the big hit, it is originally all "off", but in the example of this figure, if it does not correspond to the big hit but it does not correspond to the small hit, the lottery value range Is particularly expressed as "off". In this figure, an example is shown in which the judgment table for big hits and the judgment table for small hits are realized in the form of a single hit / fail judgment table, but even if each is realized as a separate table. Good.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a preliminary hit / fail determination table referred to in the preliminary hit / fail determination. The first winning / failing determination means 221 refers to the table of FIG. 6A, and when the winning / failing lottery value is "0 to 299", the value of "1" indicating that fact is set in the winning / failing range as the determination result. When the winning / failing lottery value is "300 to 2999", the value of "2" indicating that fact is set in the winning / failing range as the judgment result. When the winning / failing lottery value is "3000 to 56499", the value of "3" indicating that is set in the winning / failing range as the judgment result, and when the winning / failing lottery value is "56500 to 65535", the value of "4" indicating that fact is set. Set the value of "" to the pass / fail range as the judgment result. Each time the winning / failing range is set as described above, the first winning / failing determination means 221 transmits the value to the effect determining means 303 together with the value indicating that the lottery is the first winning / failing lottery and the number of holds.

The second winning / failing determination means 222 refers to the table of FIG. 6B, and when the winning / failing lottery value is "0 to 299", the value of "1" indicating that fact is set in the winning / failing range as the determination result. When the winning / failing lottery value is "300 to 2999", the value of "2" indicating that fact is set in the winning / failing range as the judgment result. When the winning / failing lottery value is "3000 to 63999", the value of "3" indicating that is set in the winning / failing range as the judgment result, and when the winning / failing lottery value is "64,000 to 65535", the value of "4" indicating that fact is set. Set the value of "" to the pass / fail range as the judgment result. Each time the winning / failing range is set as described above, the second winning / failing determination means 222 transmits the value to the effect determining means 303 together with the value indicating that it is the second winning / failing lottery and the number of holds.

Returning to FIG. 4, the first symbol determination means 226 and the second symbol determination means 227 determine the stop symbol at the start of the fluctuation of the symbol based on the separately acquired symbol lottery value and the result of the winning / failing determination, and the symbol lottery. Performs a preliminary symbol determination as to which symbol range the value corresponds to. The first symbol determining means 226 and the second symbol determining means 227 hold a plurality of symbol determination tables and a preliminary symbol determination table to be referred to for determining the stop symbol of the special symbol. The first symbol determining means 226 and the second symbol determining means 227 refer to different symbol determination tables depending on the result of the hit / miss determination. In addition, in order to distinguish the symbol determination executed at the start of the symbol variation from the prior symbol determination, it is also appropriately referred to as "symbol determination as the main determination".

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a symbol determination table. FIG. 7 (a) is a table to be referred to when the hit / fail judgment result is a big hit, FIG. 7 (b) is a table to be referred to when the hit / fail judgment result is wrong, and FIG. 7 (c) is. This is a table to be referred to when the hit / fail judgment result is a small hit. The first symbol determining means 226 and the second symbol determining means 227 refer to the symbol determination table of the present figure in the symbol determination as the present determination. In each symbol determination table, the correspondence between the numbers "0" to "10" indicating the type of the special symbol and the first symbol lottery value or the second symbol lottery value is defined. The types of special symbols are associated with the hit / miss judgment results of big hit, small hit, and miss, respectively. "0" to "4" correspond to the big hit, and "5" to "9" correspond to the small hit. "10" corresponds to the disconnection. Each type is assigned a plurality of special symbols, that is, a plurality of generally meaningless symbols formed by a combination of segments.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the types of special symbols "0" to "4" are associated with the jackpot. Among them, the type "0" indicates a 4R jackpot or a 16R jackpot with a probability change as a specific jackpot, is associated with "0 to 99" in the case of the first symbol lottery value, and is "0 to 99" in the case of the second symbol lottery value. 144 ”. The type "1" indicates a 2R jackpot with a probability change as a specific jackpot, and is associated with "100 to 149" in the case of the first symbol lottery value and "145-149" in the case of the second symbol lottery value. Be done. Types "2" to "4" indicate 4R jackpot or 16R jackpot without probability change as normal jackpots, and type "2" is associated with both the first symbol lottery value and the second symbol lottery value "150 to 189". The type "3" is associated with "190 to 229", and the type "4" is associated with "230 to 255". In this way, the selection probability for each jackpot type is determined by the size of the range of the symbol lottery value.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the type "10" is associated with the symbol lottery value in the entire range when the winning / failing determination result is wrong.

As shown in FIG. 7 (c), the types of special symbols "5" to "9" are associated with small hits. The type "5" is associated with the range "0 to 49" of the symbol lottery value, and the type "6" is associated with the range "50 to 99" of the symbol lottery value. The type "7" is associated with the range "100 to 149" of the symbol lottery value, the type "8" is associated with the range "150 to 199" of the symbol lottery value, and the type "9" is the range of the symbol lottery value. It is associated with "200 to 255".

In the preliminary symbol determination, the table of FIG. 7 is also referred to as the preliminary symbol determination table. The first symbol determining means 226 and the second symbol determining means 227 determine that the value of "0" to "10" indicating the type of the special symbol as a result of the preliminary symbol determination is the first winning / failing lottery or the second winning / failing lottery. It is transmitted to the effect determining means 303 together with the indicated value and the number of holds.

Returning to FIG. 4, the first variation pattern determining means 231 separately acquires the variation pattern in which the display process of the symbol variation to be displayed on the first special symbol display device 41 and the effect display device 60 is determined, and the first pattern lottery value. It is determined from a plurality of fluctuation patterns based on. The second variation pattern determining means 232 uses a plurality of variation patterns in which the symbol variation display process to be displayed on the second special symbol display device 42 and the effect display device 60 is determined, based on a second pattern lottery value separately acquired. Determine from the fluctuation pattern. The first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 respectively refer to the variation pattern table when starting the symbol variation to determine the variation pattern of the symbol variation. Further, the first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 execute a preliminary pattern determination as to which variation pattern range the pattern lottery value corresponds to. The first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 hold or share a variation pattern table and a pre-pattern determination table, which are referred to for determining the variation pattern, respectively. The fluctuation pattern defines the fluctuation time from the start to the stop of the fluctuation when the special symbol is displayed in a variable manner, and has various fluctuation times, long and short, depending on the type. That is, in each variation pattern, the variation display time is set for each pattern as the end condition of the symbol variation, and the variation of the special symbol is stopped when the variation display time elapses. It should be noted that the fluctuation pattern determination performed at the start of the symbol variation is also appropriately referred to as "variation pattern determination as the main determination" in order to distinguish it from the prior pattern determination.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a variation pattern table. The first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 refer to the table of the present figure (a) in the normal state and refer to the table of the present figure (b) in the time saving state.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the winning / failing judgment result is incorrect in the normal state, if the pattern lottery value is 0 to 4, "Super 1", which is the super reach of the pattern range number "0", is selected. If the pattern lottery value is 5 to 9, "Super 2", which is the super reach of the pattern range number "1", is selected. If the pattern lottery value is 10 to 19, "normal 1" which is the normal reach of the pattern range number "2" is selected, and when the pattern lottery value is 20 to 29, the normal reach of the pattern range number "3" is "normal". 2 ”is selected. If the pattern lottery value is 30 to 255, the pattern range number "4" "out of reach" is selected. As "out of reach", different fluctuation patterns are selected according to the number of holds, a fluctuation pattern of 10 seconds when the number of holds is 0 to 2, a fluctuation pattern of 7 seconds when the number of holds is 3, and a number of holds. When is 4, a 4-second fluctuation pattern is selected.

In this figure, an example of mainly classifying into five types according to the fluctuation time will be described, but a plurality of fluctuation effect patterns are prepared for each of the fluctuation patterns in the sub-board 300, and dozens of types of variation effect patterns are prepared in total. Is equivalent to being associated with the lottery value range of each category.

The range of pattern lottery values assigned to "normal 1", "normal 2", and "out of reach" also differs depending on the number of reservations. When the number of holds is 0 or 1, it is as shown in this figure (a), but as the number of holds increases, the lottery value range of "normal 1" and "normal 2" becomes narrower, and the lottery value of "no reach" The range becomes wider. The smaller the number of holds, the wider the lottery value range of the fluctuation pattern with a relatively long fluctuation time, and the probability that the fluctuation pattern with a long fluctuation time will be selected increases. Therefore, the smaller the number of holds, the longer the average fluctuation time, and the larger the number of holds, the shorter the average fluctuation time. By using a fluctuation pattern table in which the correspondence between the pattern lottery value range and the fluctuation pattern is different for each number of holdings, it is possible to realize control that makes it easy to select a fluctuation pattern having a long fluctuation time when the number of holdings is small.

If the winning / failing judgment result is 4R jackpot or 16R jackpot in the normal state, if the pattern lottery value is 0 to 123, "Super 1", which is the super reach of the pattern range number "5", is selected and the pattern lottery value is If it is 124 to 248, "Super 2", which is the super reach of the pattern range number "6", is selected. If the pattern lottery value is 249 to 252, the normal reach of the pattern range number "7" is selected "normal 1", and if the pattern lottery value is 253 to 255, the normal reach of the pattern range number "8" is "normal". 2 ”is selected.

If the winning / failing judgment result is 2R big hit or small hit in the normal state, if the pattern lottery value is 0 to 122, "Super 3" which is the super reach of the pattern range number "9" is selected and the pattern lottery value is set. If it is 123 to 255, "normal 3", which is the normal reach of the pattern range number "10", is selected.

When the first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 transmit the pre-determination result to the effect determining means 303 as a so-called look-ahead result, the value (0 to 10) of the pattern range number is set to the first correctness. It is transmitted together with a value indicating whether it is a lottery or a second winning / failing lottery and the number of holds.

In the fluctuation pattern table of FIG. 8B referred to in the time saving state, the pattern lottery value is assigned to the fluctuation pattern for time saving. However, the correspondence between the range of the pattern lottery value and the fluctuation time is the same as that in FIG. 8A except for "no reach and shortening of deviation" selected for deviation. “Reachless loss shortening” is a fluctuation pattern with a relatively short fluctuation time associated with the same lottery value range and pattern range number as “reachless loss” in FIG. 8A. For "shortening without reach", different fluctuation patterns are selected according to the number of holds. When the number of holds is 0, 1, the change pattern is 10 seconds, and when the number of holds is 2-4, the change pattern is 1 second. Are selected respectively.

Returning to FIG. 4, the general drawing lottery means 213 executes the lottery by acquiring the lottery value when the game ball passes through the first operating port 31 or the second operating port 32. The determination result of the lottery by the ordinary symbol lottery means 213 is variablely displayed in the form of the ordinary symbol on the ordinary symbol display device 45. The ordinary symbol lottery means 213 holds a symbol determination table to be referred to in order to determine a stop symbol of the ordinary symbol to be displayed on the ordinary symbol display device 45. The symbol determination table defines the correspondence between the lottery value and the ordinary symbol, and the ordinary symbol lottery means 213 determines the stop symbol of the ordinary symbol with reference to the symbol determination table. When the determined stop symbol becomes a predetermined symbol, it is determined that the normal symbol corresponds to a hit, and after the variation display of the normal symbol is stopped at the stop symbol, the open / close control means 275 moves to the second starting port 12 The ordinary electric accessory 90 of the above is expanded. The expansion time is 0.1 seconds at the short opening and 6 seconds at the long opening. The lottery value of the ordinary symbol is temporarily held by the hold control means 240. However, the lottery value is held only when the predetermined upper limit number of holds held by the hold control means 240 is not exceeded.

The hold control means 240 includes a special figure hold means 241 and a normal figure hold means 242. When the first winning / failing lottery value or the second winning / failing lottery value is newly acquired, the special figure holding means 241 changes the symbol corresponding to the first winning / failing lottery value or the second winning / failing lottery value acquired before that. When is displayed, the start of the symbol variation corresponding to the newly acquired first winning / failing lottery value or the second winning / failing lottery value is suspended, and the winning / failing lottery value is stored until the start of the variation display of the corresponding symbol. Here, for each of the first special symbols, the first winning / failing lottery value, the first symbol lottery value, and the first pattern lottery value are stored up to a maximum of four, and further, the first winning / failing range as a preliminary determination result, the first The settings of the 1 symbol range and the 1st pattern range are memorized, and for the 2nd special symbol, the 2nd winning / failing lottery value, the 2nd symbol lottery value, and the 2nd pattern lottery value are memorized up to 4 pieces each, and further. The settings of the second hit / fail range, the second symbol range, and the second pattern range as the preliminary determination result are stored. Alternatively, the result of the preliminary determination may be stored in an area different from the winning / failing lottery value. The normal figure holding means 242 stores the normal figure lottery value acquired by the normal figure lottery means 213 as a holding ball. These holding numbers are represented by the number of lights or the number of blinks of the first special figure holding lamp 71, the second special figure holding lamp 72, and the normal figure holding lamp 75, respectively. The number of holds by the special figure holding means 241 is also displayed on the effect display device 60.

The lottery value of the second winning / failing lottery held by the special figure holding means 241 is preferentially digested over the lottery value of the first winning / failing lottery, and the symbol variation is displayed. Therefore, even if the jackpot lottery value is held as the first win / fail lottery, as long as the lottery value is held as the second win / fail lottery, the symbol variation corresponding to the jackpot lottery value of the first win / fail lottery is not displayed. Therefore, even if there is a big hit held as the first winning or losing lottery, there is a possibility that a plurality of consecutive big hits can be obtained by continuing to hit until the big hit is held as the second winning or losing lottery.

The main display control means 250 includes a first special figure control means 251, a second special figure control means 252, and a normal figure control means 254. The first special symbol control means 251 displays the variation of the first special symbol 51 on the first special symbol display device 41 according to the variation pattern determined according to the determination result of the first winning / failing lottery by the first lottery means 211. Let me. The first special symbol control means 251 sets a new symbol variation start condition that the variation display of the symbol corresponding to the first winning / failing lottery or the second winning / failing lottery performed before that is completed. The second special symbol control means 252 displays the variation of the second special symbol 52 on the second special symbol display device 42 according to the variation pattern determined according to the determination result of the second winning / failing lottery by the second lottery means 212. Let me. The second special symbol control means 252 also has a new symbol variation start condition that the variation display of the symbol corresponding to the first winning / failing lottery or the second winning / failing lottery performed before that has been completed.

When the winning / failing lottery value of the second winning / failing lottery is stored by the special drawing holding means 241, the first special figure controlling means 251 reserves the start of the symbol variation display corresponding to the first winning / failing lottery. On the other hand, the second special figure control means 252 starts the symbol variation display corresponding to the second winning / failing lottery regardless of whether or not the winning / failing lottery value of the first winning / failing lottery is stored by the special figure holding means 241. As a result, when the lottery value is held in both the first winning / failing lottery and the second winning / failing lottery, the lottery value held in the second winning / failing lottery is preferentially read and the symbol variation is displayed. In such a case, the lottery value held in the first winning / failing lottery is not read and the symbol change does not start until the number of holdings in the second winning / failing lottery becomes 0.

The first special figure control means 251 and the second special figure control means 252 issue a fluctuation start command and a fluctuation stop command at the timing of starting and stopping the fluctuation display of the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52. It is transmitted to the effect control means 304. When the fluctuation start command is transmitted, a value indicating each of the winning / failing judgment result, the stop symbol, and the fluctuation pattern determined or determined as the final judgment and a value indicating whether the first winning / failing lottery or the second winning / failing lottery is performed are set. It is transmitted to the effect control means 304 together with the fluctuation start command. When the fluctuation stop command is transmitted, the value indicating the stop symbol is transmitted to the effect control means 304 together with the fluctuation stop command. As a result, the variable display by the main display control means 250 and the effect control means 304 is synchronized, and the interlocking is maintained. The normal symbol control means 254 causes the normal symbol display device 45 to display the determination result of the lottery by the normal symbol lottery means 213 as a variable display of the normal symbol.

The special symbol adjusting means 276 waits for the start of the variable display of the other while the variable display of one of the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 is displayed. The special figure adjusting means 276 has a second special symbol based on the entry of the game ball into the second starting port 12, regardless of the order in which the game ball has entered the first starting port 11 or the second starting port 12. The variation display of 52 is prioritized over the variation display of the first special symbol 51 based on the entry of the ball into the first starting port 11. For example, when both the first winning / failing lottery value and the second winning / failing lottery value are reserved, the second winning / failing lottery value is always preferentially digested, and the second special symbol 52 is continuously changed and displayed.

The special symbol adjusting means 276 in the modified example displays the variation of the first special symbol 51 and the variation of the second special symbol 52 according to the order of entering the balls into the first starting port 11 and the second starting port 12. It may be selectively changed and displayed. For example, when the ball enters in the order of the first starting port 11, the first starting port 11, and the second starting port 12, the first special symbol 51, the first special symbol 51, and the second special symbol 52 are displayed in a variable order. Will be done. In this case, the special figure adjusting means 276 monitors the hold control means 240 and stores the hold order of the winning / losing lottery value. Since which special symbol should be changed is determined according to the entry order of the game balls, that is, the hold order of the winning / losing lottery value in the hold control means 240, the player can easily visually grasp the change order.

In another modification, the special symbol adjusting means 276 may display the variable display of the first special symbol 51 and the variable display of the second special symbol 52 in a predetermined digestion order regardless of the ball entry order. Good. For example, priority may be given to alternately displaying the variable display of the first special symbol 51 and the variable display of the second special symbol 52. For example, when both the first winning / failing lottery value and the second winning / failing lottery value are reserved, the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 are alternately displayed in a variable manner. Since which special symbol should be changed simply alternates regardless of the order in which the game balls enter, the player can easily grasp the order of change.

The special symbol adjusting means 276 also waits for the start of the variation display of the other when one of the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 is stopped in the hitting mode. In this case, since the variable display of the special symbol is not started while the special game is executed, the player can concentrate on the special game.

The special game control means 260 operates the special game when the first special symbol 51 is stopped in a predetermined jackpot mode when the first winning or losing lottery by the first lottery means 211 results in a shift to the special game. It is determined that the conditions are satisfied, and the special game is executed by opening the large winning opening 20. Similarly, when the special game control means 260 results in the second winning / failing lottery by the second lottery means 212 indicating a shift to the special game, when the second special symbol 52 is stopped in a predetermined jackpot mode. It is determined that the special game operating condition is satisfied, and the special game is executed by opening the large winning opening 20.

The special game is a game in which the opening / closing operation of the large winning opening 20 is continuously performed a plurality of times, and is composed of a plurality of unit games in which one opening / closing is a unit. The special game includes a 16R jackpot that repeats a unit game 16 times, a 4R jackpot that repeats a unit game four times, and a 2R jackpot that repeats a unit game with a shorter opening time than the 16R jackpot and the 4R jackpot only twice. The 16R jackpot is the jackpot in the second win / loss lottery, and the 4R jackpot is the jackpot in the first win / loss lottery. In the 16R jackpot and the 4R jackpot, in principle, the jackpot 20 is opened for about 30 seconds in one unit game. In the 2R jackpot, the jackpot 20 is opened for about 0.2 seconds in one unit game. The special game control means 260 ends the special game when the set number of rounds of the unit game is exhausted. Even in the case of a 2R jackpot, if the predetermined conditions are satisfied, the jackpot 20 may be opened in the same opening mode as the 16R jackpot and the 4R jackpot.

The small hit game control means 265 operates the small hit game when the first special symbol 51 is stopped in a predetermined small hit mode when the first lottery by the first lottery means 211 results in a small hit. It is determined that the condition is satisfied, and the small hit game is executed by opening the large winning opening 20 to the opening / closing control means 275. Similarly, the small hit game control means 265 is small when the second special symbol 52 is stopped in a predetermined small hit mode when the second lottery by the second lottery means 212 results in a small hit. It is determined that the winning game operating condition is satisfied, and the small hit game is executed by opening the large winning opening 20 to the opening / closing control means 275.

In the small hit game, the unit game is executed once, and the large winning opening 20 is opened and closed twice in one unit game. The small hit game control means 265 opens the large winning opening 20 for about 0.2 seconds per opening and closing, opens the small hit game as a whole for about 0.4 seconds, and then closes the large winning opening 20. And end the small hit game.

The specific game control means 270 controls a normal game in a probability variation state, a time saving state, and a ball entry easy state. The specific game control means 270 shifts the game state to the probabilistic state, the time saving state, and the easy ball entry state after the end of the special game when the special symbol is the symbol of the specific jackpot accompanied by the transition to the probabilistic change. The probabilistic state, the time saving state, and the easy-to-enter state are continued until the next big hit occurs. In the time saving state, the first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 select the variation pattern having a short variation time so that the variation display time of the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52 is substantially shortened. To do. However, in the normal state, the fluctuation pattern table according to the number of winning / failing lottery values held by the holding control means 240 is referred to, and as the number of holdings by the holding control means 240 decreases, a fluctuation pattern having a long fluctuation time tends to appear. In the easy-to-enter state, only the probability change of the normal symbol and the opening extension of the second starting port 12 or the opening extension of the second starting port 12 are carried out. That is, the specific game control means 270 causes the second starting port 12 to be in the open extension state when a specific big hit occurs, and further increases the winning probability of the open lottery only when the winning / failing lottery is the second winning / failing lottery. It shifts to a probability change state higher than the normal probability state. During the probability change state, the hit / fail determination result by the first hit / miss determination means 221 and the second hit / fail determination means 222 is maintained at a high probability of being a big hit.

The opening / closing control means 275 controls the opening / closing of the ordinary electric accessory 90 and the grand prize opening 20 of the second starting port 12. When the normal symbol is stopped in a specific mode, the open / close control means 275 sends an opening instruction to the normal electric role solenoid 91 to open the normal electric accessory 90 of the second starting port 12. In the normal state, the opening / closing control means 275 opens the second starting port 12 in the short opening or long opening opening time according to the result of the open lottery, and in the easy entry state, the long opening opening time 2 The starting port 12 is opened. This is intended to improve the ease of entering the ball at the second starting port 12 so that the player can continue the game without reducing the number of balls held. In the special game, the open / close control means 275 sends an opening instruction to the large winning opening solenoid 92 to open the large winning opening 20.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sub-board. The sub-board 300 includes a symbol mode determining means 301, a pattern storage means 302, an effect determining means 303, and an effect controlling means 304.

The pattern storage means 302 holds a plurality of effect patterns in which the effect image contents to be displayed on the effect display device 60 and the display process thereof are defined when the decorative symbol 61 fluctuates. The effect pattern includes a plurality of variation effect patterns in which the variation process from the start to the stop of the variation in the variation display of the decorative symbol 61 and the effect process are defined, and the variation display of the decorative symbol is displayed separately and the degree of expectation for a big hit. It includes a plurality of notice effect patterns that suggest the height of the variable display before the stop of the variable display.

The effect determining means 303 determines the effect control means 30 according to the determination result of the first winning / failing lottery received from the first lottery means 211 or the determination result of the second winning / failing lottery received from the second lottery means 212.
4 determines the content of the effect to be displayed on the effect display device 60 and output to the speaker 108. The effect determining means 303 selects one of a plurality of variation effect patterns corresponding to the variation patterns of the special symbol determined by the first variation pattern determining means 231 or the second variation pattern determining means 232, and the pattern storage means. Read from 302. The effect determining means 303 sends the read information on the variable effect pattern to the effect control means 304. The effect determining means 303 holds a pattern table to be referred to in order to select a variable effect pattern.

In each variation effect pattern, a variation time is set for each pattern as an end condition of the symbol variation, and the symbol variation is stopped when the variation time elapses. The effect determining means 303 selects a variation effect pattern of the effect image having the same variation time according to the variation pattern of the special symbol.

The symbol mode determining means 301 determines the combination of the stop symbols of the decorative symbol 61 and the arrangement thereof by the lottery determination result by the first lottery means 211 or the second lottery means 212, the stop symbol of the special symbol, the variation pattern of the special symbol, and the decoration. It is decided according to the variation effect pattern of the symbol. The symbol mode determining means 301 transmits information indicating the determined combination of the stopped symbols to the effect control means 304. The symbol mode determining means 301 holds a symbol range table to be referred to for determining a stop symbol of a decorative symbol.

The stop symbol of the decorative symbol 61 is formed as a combination of three symbols, for example, when the hit / fail determination result by the first hit / fail determination means 221 and the second hit / fail determination means 222 indicates a shift to a special game of 4R jackpot or 16R jackpot. Is selected as a specific combination, for example, a combination in which three symbols such as "777" and "111" are aligned. When the hit / fail judgment result is a 2R big hit or a small hit, a specific combination, for example, a predetermined combination such as "357" is selected, but the specific combination is not necessarily a combination of three symbols. It does not have to be. If the hit / fail judgment result is neither a big hit nor a small hit, it is a combination in which the three symbols are not aligned, such as "312" and "946", and it is a specific combination selected for a 2R big hit or a small hit. The combination that does not apply is selected. If the hit / fail judgment result is not a 4R jackpot or a 16R jackpot, and a variation pattern indicating a loss with reach is selected, a combination such as "191" or "727" in which only one symbol is not aligned. Select.

The variation effect pattern of the decorative symbol defines the variation display mode of the decorative symbol, that is, the effect process from the start of the variation of the decorative symbol to the stop of the variation. The variable effect pattern includes a pattern for displaying a normal out-of-order symbol, a pattern for displaying an out-of-order symbol through a reach state that would be a big hit if one more symbol is aligned, and a big hit symbol after the reach state. The pattern when doing is included. In particular, the pattern when going through the reach state includes a pattern having various fluctuation times, long and short. In each variation effect pattern, a variation time is set for each pattern as an end condition of the symbol variation, and the symbol variation is stopped when the variation time elapses. The effect determining means 303 selects a variation effect pattern of the decorative symbol having the same variation time as the special symbol, according to the variation pattern of the special symbol.

In the time saving state, when the variation pattern selected by the first variation pattern determining means 231 or the second variation pattern determining means 232 is a pattern for time saving, the effect determining means 303 is a variation in which the effect content for time saving is determined. Select a production pattern. The content of the effect for shortening the time is an effect of outputting a background image or sound that impresses the player in an advantageous state due to the shortened time or the probability change.

The notice effect pattern is an effect pattern that temporarily displays an image, animation, video, or the like of a specific character or motif on the screen, an effect pattern that operates an accessory, or an effect pattern that outputs a specific sound. The effect of the advance notice pattern is executed in parallel with the symbol change, and it is suggested in advance that the symbol change is highly expected to stop in the jackpot mode. For example, there is a normal advance notice effect in which only one image of a character is displayed on the screen, and a group advance notice effect in which a group of a large number of characters is displayed so as to pass from one end to the other end of the screen. Further, a step-up notice effect is further included in which the display process of the notice effect is divided into a plurality of stages, the number of stages to be displayed is variable, and the higher the number of stages, the higher the expectation for the big hit.

The notice effect pattern includes a pattern in which the effect is executed at a timing after the display mode of the decorative symbol 61 is in the reach state to announce the final stop mode of the symbol, and no decorative symbol 61 is stopped. There is a pattern that simultaneously announces that the production will be executed at the timing and the reach state will be reached.

The effect determination means 303 should determine whether or not to display the advance effect on the effect display device 60 according to the determination result of the winning / failing lottery or the advance determination result by a predetermined advance lottery, set the advance effect, and display the effect. Determine the notice production pattern. The effect determining means 303 holds a notice determination table to be referred to for determining whether or not to display the notice effect, and a notice type table to be referred to when selecting the type of the notice effect pattern. The notice determination table is set so that different columns are referred to depending on the judgment result of the winning / failing lottery or the preliminary judgment result, and if the winning / failing lottery is successful, the advance notice effect is displayed with a higher probability than in the case of losing. Therefore, the correspondence between the judgment result of the winning / failing lottery and whether or not to display the notice effect is determined. As a result, it is possible to suggest a high degree of expectation for a big hit by displaying the notice effect itself.

The effect control means 304 causes the effect display device 60 to variably display the effect image including the decorative symbol 61 according to the selected variable effect pattern data as a result of the winning / failing lottery by the first lottery means 211 or the second lottery means 212. .. The effect control means 304 has received a change start command for the decorative symbol 61, and has completed the variation display of the decorative symbol 61 corresponding to the first winning / failing lottery and the second winning / failing lottery prior to that. It is a starting condition for fluctuations. When it is determined by the effect determining means 303 that the advance notice effect is to be displayed, the effect control means 304 displays the advance notice effect according to the selected advance notice effect pattern on the effect display device 60 in a form of superimposing it on the effect of the symbol variation. Let me.

When the winning / failing lottery value of the second winning / failing lottery is stored, the effect control means 304 reserves the start of the symbol variation display corresponding to the first winning / failing lottery, and whether the winning / failing lottery value of the first winning / failing lottery is stored. Regardless of whether or not, the symbol variation display corresponding to the second winning / failing lottery is started. As a result, when the lottery value is reserved for both the first winning / failing lottery and the second winning / failing lottery, the lottery value held in the second winning / failing lottery is preferentially read and the variation of the decorative symbol is displayed. .. In such a case, the lottery value held in the first winning / failing lottery is not read and the change of the decorative symbol does not start until the number of holdings in the second winning / failing lottery becomes 0. In this way, the effect control means 304 causes the effect display device 60 to display the symbol variation effect including the variation display of the decorative symbol 61.

The effect control means 304 further controls the lighting and extinguishing of the decorative lamp 111 and the operation of the movable accessory 66. The effect control means 304 has an effect display control means 305 and a voice control means 306. The effect display control means 305 controls the display on the effect display device 60, and the sound control means 306 controls the sound output from the speaker 108.

During the fluctuation of the first special symbol 51 and the second special symbol 52, it is necessary to display an image indicating that the symbol is changing on the effect display device 60. Normally, a normal size decorative symbol 61 having a certain size is variablely displayed, but the main effect content is other than the variation of the decorative symbol 61 in a manner that hinders the visibility of the variable display of the normal size decorative symbol 61. A special effect may be displayed. In this case, the player is presented with the fact that the symbol is changing by variablely displaying an alternative symbol which is a decorative symbol having a size smaller than the normal size decorative symbol. Hereinafter, when simply referred to as a decorative symbol, it means a normal size decorative symbol, but when distinguishing it from an alternative symbol, the normal size decorative symbol is also referred to as a "normal decorative symbol".

The alternative symbol is displayed while the visibility of the normal decorative symbol is impaired, for example, while the normal decorative symbol is hidden. The alternative symbol is a form of a decorative symbol for suggesting the result of a hit / fail judgment in a dramatic manner, has a simpler (in other words, simplified, simplified) display form than the normal decorative symbol, and is a normal decorative symbol. It is displayed in a simpler fluctuation process. The alternative symbol has an appearance display form corresponding to a portion indicating the symbol type of the ordinary decorative symbol, and has, for example, a display form representing a number, a character, or a symbol indicating the symbol type. Further, the alternative symbol is variablely displayed in a narrower area than the area where the decorative symbol is normally displayed in a variable manner, and is typically at a position where it is difficult to hinder the main effect by elements other than the symbol, for example, in the corner of the screen of the effect display device 60. It is displayed in a variable manner. The alternative symbol is usually displayed relatively smaller than the decorative symbol, but has a display form in which at least the symbol type can be visually identified. The alternative symbol may be a reduced version of the normal decorative symbol as it is, and may be the same as the normal decorative symbol except for the size.

The plurality of alternative symbols displayed in place of the plurality of normal decorative symbols suggests a high degree of expectation that the result of the winning / losing lottery will be in a state advantageous to the player due to the combination of the stopping modes at the end of the fluctuation. For example, it is suggested that the plurality of alternative symbols have a high degree of expectation of a big hit in the fluctuation by being in a reach state in which two of the three alternative symbols are aligned. In addition, the left and right symbols that are in the reach state are specific types of symbols that suggest that the expectations are relatively high, such as "3" and "7", and the expectations such as "1" and "2" are relative. It may suggest the high or low degree of expectation of the reach state by the kind of symbol which suggests that it is low. It should be noted that the alternative symbol does not appear in a definite stop state in appearance, but in a temporary stop state in which minute shaking is maintained. After the alternative symbol is temporarily stopped, the normal decorative symbol may be displayed instead of the alternative symbol, and the normal decorative symbol may be displayed in the fixed stop state. Further, the decorative symbol and the alternative symbol are not displayed exclusively, but the display periods may overlap. Furthermore, at the time of a predetermined effect in which the visibility of the normal decorative symbol is impaired, the variation display of the normal decorative symbol may be continued and the variation of the alternative symbol may be displayed.

The clock means 307 is a timekeeping circuit that outputs time information used for the game. The clock means 307 is a timer circuit that measures the time from the time when the power is turned on with a counter and outputs it as time information. However, a real-time clock circuit having a built-in battery and capable of continuously measuring the date and time by the battery even when the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned off or a power failure may occur may be used. In the case of a real-time clock circuit, there is a possibility that the time of each game console may differ slightly due to individual differences or time deviations, whereas in the case of a timer circuit, the time difference between multiple game consoles as long as the power is turned on at the same time. Is unlikely to occur.

The effect determining means 303 executes a clock synchronization effect that starts at a predetermined timing triggered by the time information output by the clock means 307 indicating a predetermined time. The clock synchronization effect is an effect of displaying on the effect display device 60 during the synchronization effect period, which is a period substantially asynchronous with the fluctuation period of the symbol fluctuation and the game state. The synchronization effect period extends for several minutes, the length of which is longer than the symbol variation time for one time, and may include a plurality of symbol variation periods. The effect pattern of the clock-tuned effect is stored in the pattern storage means 302, and the effect pattern defines the reproduction of a predetermined music and video. A plurality of types of effect patterns for clock-synchronized effects are prepared, and different types of effect patterns can be selected depending on the date and time such as month, date, day of the week, and time.

The clock synchronization effect is executed regardless of whether it is during a normal game or a special game. Here, "during a normal game" includes displaying a so-called standby demo screen. That is, in "normal game", (1) "normal game during variable display" in which the symbol is variablely displayed, and (2) "normal game during variable stop" in which neither the variable display of the symbol nor the standby demo screen is displayed. , (3) "Normal game while the standby demo screen is displayed", which is the display of the standby demo screen instead of the variable display of the symbol. The clock tuning effect can be executed during any of the periods (1) to (3), but in the cases of (2) and (3), the output mode for controlling the volume reduction and the brightness reduction in the clock synchronization effect is (2) and (3). It may be different from the case of 1). In addition, while the standby demo screen is displayed, the player can input information about the mobile cooperation system described later by operating the effect button 109 or the cross key 110, and when the operation input is received, the video and audio of the clock synchronization effect are output. Is suppressed, and screen display such as production customization by the mobile cooperation system is prioritized.

The clock synchronization effect is, for example, an effect of reproducing a performance or a video of a predetermined song at a predetermined time (referred to as a “synchronization effect start time”). The time that triggers the reproduction of the clock-tuned effect may be the time that is reached with a predetermined time interval from the time when the power of the pachinko gaming machine 100 is turned on, or every hour or half hour based on the standard time. It may be the time. Alternatively, a time that may vary depending on the date or day of the week may be set, and the interval may be different, such as first one hour later, then three hours later, instead of a fixed interval such as "every hour". The interval may vary depending on the date and day of the week. It may be a variable setting in which the time can be specified by the game clerk for each game store. However, it is set in advance so that the same clock synchronization effect is executed at least at the same time among a plurality of the same models installed in the same game store. For example, in the case of a specification triggered by a time that arrives at a predetermined time interval from the time when the power is turned on, a game store turns on a plurality of units at the same time. As a result, the same clock synchronization effect is simultaneously executed on the plurality of game consoles when the predetermined time is reached. As a result, the production is displayed at the same time as if multiple units are synchronized, and the same music and video are played at the same time, creating a synergistic and realistic feeling as if a live performance or movie was being screened on the spot. A directing effect can be obtained.

The function of clock synchronization effect is also built into another game console of the same model, and multiple game consoles on the same game island are turned on at the same time by a game clerk every day. Then, the plurality of game consoles that are turned on at the same time all reach the synchronization effect start time almost at the same time, and the clock synchronization effect can be executed simultaneously at the same time. This is called a multiple-unit synchronous production. In that case, not only the display of the image is synchronized with multiple units, but also the output of sound effects and background music are synchronized with multiple units, and the more units are synchronized, the synergistic effect of executing the production all at once. Increase.

The effect setting means 308 stores the game history of the player. The game history includes a history of game results and a history of production results. The history of game results is the result of a game that leads to a ball output that the player can obtain as a result of the game, such as the number of hit balls, the number of prize balls, the number of big hits, the number of probability changes, and the number of time reductions. The history of the production result is different from the profit in the game, and is recorded in order to obtain the profit such as the right to change the content and type of the production and the right to make it easier for a specific type of production to appear. It is information such as the score of. For example, in order to score the number of appearances of a predetermined effect, the result of a mini game, and the like and give it to the player, coded information indicating the score and the game history, for example, a two-dimensional code is displayed on the screen. When the player reads the two-dimensional code with the camera of his / her mobile terminal and decodes it, the score and game history information obtained by the decoding are stored in the player's mobile terminal. The cooperation system between the game machine and the player's mobile terminal via the two-dimensional code will be described later. The score here is necessary to expand the range of effect customization described later, and the score reaches a predetermined cumulative value (for example, reaching 1000 points, every 100 points, etc.). It is a specification that the items that can be customized increase with the opportunity.

The effect setting means 308 stores the setting of which of a plurality of types of effect content options is selected as the effect customization based on the player's selection instruction and the game history. For example
As the effect patterns to be displayed during the special game, a plurality of types of effect patterns having different displayed motifs, characters, and songs are prepared in the pattern storage means 302, and the player is allowed to select which effect to display. To do. Alternatively, a plurality of types of motifs or character patterns are prepared in the pattern storage means 302 as the design of the pattern included in the decorative pattern that changes the pattern, and the player is allowed to select which of the patterns to display. In such a case, when the player accepts the operation of the effect button 109 or the cross key 110 while the standby demo screen is displayed and the effect pattern is selected through the operation, the effect setting means 308 selects the selected content. Remember. The effect determining means 303 selects the type of the effect pattern during the special game according to the settings stored by the effect setting means 308.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing an outline of a mobile cooperation system. As a premise of the mobile cooperation system, the player registers a user by setting an account and a password in the game history server 358 provided with a dedicated site in advance on the mobile terminal 354. When the effect button 109 is pressed by the player at the start of the game, the effect display control means 305 displays the two-dimensional code 350, which encodes the address of the dedicated site of the game history server 358, on the screen of the effect display device 60. The player is made to read it with the camera of the mobile terminal and access the dedicated site of the game history server 358. Character information (also called "password information") that encodes the player's identification information and the production score history is transmitted from the dedicated site to the mobile terminal and displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal. The effect display control means 305 displays the password information input screen on the effect display device 60, and causes the player to input the password information through a button operation such as a cross key 110. By decoding the input password information by the effect setting means 308 and registering it as the player's identification information and the effect score history, the player's previous game content and effect score state can be inherited. The input of the password information serves as an instruction to start recording the game history of the player and an instruction to start the effect customization for selecting various effect elements. After that, in the pachinko gaming machine 100, as the game or the production progresses, the points given by the effect setting means 308 to the player as a benefit for the effect are added as needed and accumulated as the effect score history, and the player Can customize the effect at any time and select and set a favorite element as various effect elements. The score for the production is basically added for each symbol change, and the higher the production type with higher expectation for transition to the special game, the higher the score is given, and the higher the score is given even when the transition to the special game is performed.

As a production customization, the player uses a part of the accumulated points, and according to the number of points used, the color, background, shape, character, and the color, background, shape, character, which constitute the production content displayed on the production display device 60. You can change the production elements such as music to your favorite type. The effect setting means 308 receives an instruction to change the effect element via a button operation by the player, and changes various effect elements according to the instruction. As for the effect elements that can be customized, a plurality of types of items are prepared for each element, and different values are set as the number of points required for each item. Therefore, when the accumulated score reaches a predetermined value, the number of customizable items increases, or a chance to increase the number of customizable items is given. When the player operates a button as an instruction to end the game or the effect customization, the effect setting means 308 generates a two-dimensional code 350 that encodes information such as a privilege on the effect and the effect score history, and controls the effect display. The means 305 displays on the effect display device 60. The player can read the two-dimensional code 350 with the camera of his / her own mobile terminal and decode the read two-dimensional code 352 to acquire information and store it in the mobile terminal 354. Further, the information is transmitted from the mobile terminal 354 to the game history server 358 having a dedicated site via the network 356, and is managed in association with its own account information. In this way, information such as production benefits and production score history is transmitted to the mobile terminal 354 via a transmission means of displaying and reading the two-dimensional code 350, and is managed by the game history server 358. The contents of the game and the production can be taken over in the next game. In addition, by continuing the game for a long time, the number of symbol fluctuations and the number of productions increase, and the score can be obtained.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the main board 200 and the sub board 300. The main board 200 includes electronic components such as a main CPU 290, a main RAM 291 and a main ROM 292. The main ROM 292 stores in advance a main control program and data for controlling the overall game operation. The main control program or data is read from the main ROM 292 into the main RAM 291 and the main control program is executed by the main CPU 290. Each electronic component is connected by a bus such as a system bus or data bus (not shown). The entry signal from each entry port, the payout signal from the payout control board 155, and the like are acquired by the main CPU 290 via various interfaces (not shown). The main CPU 290 drives and controls external devices such as the winning port solenoid, the first special symbol display device 41, and the second special symbol display device 42 by various drive circuits (not shown). Further, a command necessary for effect control is transmitted from the main CPU 290 to the sub-board 300 together with information such as a result of a winning / losing lottery, a result of determining a symbol, and a result of determining a variation pattern. A signal is transmitted from the main board 200 to the sub board 300 by one-way communication.

The instruction data transmitted from the main board 200 to the sub-board 300 has a 2-byte configuration consisting of a combination of 1-byte instruction type data, so-called MODE data, and 1-byte instruction content data, so-called EVENT data. The main board 200 can send one command by transmitting the command type data and the command content data to the sub board 300 in association with each other. The instruction type data is a bit string indicating the type of instruction, and a unique type code is assigned to each type of instruction in advance at the development stage. The instruction content data is a bit string indicating the content of the instruction. The most significant bit of the instruction type data and the instruction content data is an identification bit indicating whether the instruction type data or the instruction content data is used. When the most significant bit is 1, it indicates that the instruction type data is the most significant bit. When the bit is 0, it indicates that it is instruction content data.

Since the communication from the main board 200 to the sub board 300 is a specification in which 1 byte of data is transmitted for each data transmission, it is necessary to transmit 1 byte each twice in order to transmit 2 bytes of instruction data. .. In the first communication, the upper byte MODE data is transmitted, and in the second communication, the lower byte EVENT data is transmitted. Considering the possibility of communication failure due to the influence of noise or the like, the main board 200 continuously transmits the same data, and when the same data is read twice in succession by the sub board 300, the completion of transmission / reception of the data is confirmed. .. The main board 200 repeatedly transmits the same data until it is read two times in a row, and transmits the same data up to five times.

The sub-board 300 includes electronic components such as a sub CPU 310, a sub RAM 311, a sub ROM 312, an effect display control device 313, and a voice control device 314. The sub ROM 312 is one of the data storage means for holding the sub control program including the effect pattern data in which the effect process is defined and the display pattern data in which the effect display process is defined. A sub control program including effect pattern data, display pattern data, and audio pattern data is read from the sub ROM 312 into the sub RAM 311, and the effect control by the sub control program is executed by the sub CPU 310. Each electronic component is connected by a bus such as a system bus or data bus (not shown). Signals from an external device such as the effect button 109 are acquired by the sub CPU 310 via various interfaces (not shown). The sub CPU 310 is an external device such as an effect display control device 313, a voice control device 314, an effect display device 60, a speaker 108, a decorative lamp 111, and a movable accessory 66 by various drive circuits and control circuits (not shown) according to the effect pattern data. Is driven to control display output, audio output, lamp lighting, and production by the operation of the accessory. The sub CPU 310 transmits the display pattern data to the effect display control device 313, and transmits the voice pattern data to the voice control device 314. In this embodiment, an example in which the sub-board 300 includes the effect display control device 313 and the voice control device 314 will be described, but the sub-board 300, the effect display control device 313, and the voice control device 314 are integrated as a board. It does not need to be, and may be formed as separate substrates separated and connected to each other.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the effect display control device 313. The effect display control device 313 includes a display CPU 320, a display RAM 322, a data ROM 324, and a display control circuit 326. The data ROM 324 is one of the data storage means for holding the material data such as the effect image data and the motion data used for the effect display in a data-compressed state. The effect image data is an image used for variable display or effect display as an effect object indicating the judgment result of the winning / failing lottery, for example, a sprite image of a decorative pattern used for decorative pattern variation, a sprite image used for a notice effect, and various effects. It is a material image such as a moving image to be used. The motion data is data in which the motion is defined when the motion is added to the images used for various effects at a predetermined timing.

Based on the display pattern data sent from the sub CPU 310, the effect image data and motion data specified in the display pattern data are read from the data ROM 324 to the display RAM 322, and the effect display using the effect image data and motion data. Is executed by the display CPU 320. As a result, the display CPU 320 transmits commands, effect image data, and motion data related to the effect display to the display control circuit 326, and the display control circuit 326 controls the display.

The display control circuit 326 includes a decoder 332, a drawing memory 334, a drawing circuit 336, a frame buffer 338, and a display circuit 340, each of which is connected via the bus 330. For convenience, the bus 330 in this figure comprehensively shows buses such as a system bus, a data bus, and an address bus.

The effect image data and motion data sent from the display CPU 320 are stored in the drawing memory 334, and the compressed data among the data is decoded by the decoder 332. The drawing memory 334 is used as a work area when decoding the effect image data or motion data by the decoder 332, or as a work area when executing drawing processing or image processing by the drawing circuit 336. VRAM (VideoRAM) ).

The drawing circuit 336 uses the data stored in the drawing memory 334 to sequentially execute commands sent from the display CPU 320 to generate a display image, and the generated display image is used as a frame buffer for a moving image. Store in 338. The frame buffer 338 is a VRAM as a buffer memory for temporarily storing frames of moving images to be output to the effect display device 60.

The display circuit 340 outputs the display images stored in the frame buffer 338 to the effect display device 60 in the form of video signals in the order in which they are stored. The frame buffer 338 has, for example, a memory area for two frames, and while the display circuit 340 outputs a display image from the memory area for one frame, the drawing circuit 336 generates the next display image. Store in the memory area for another frame.

The data ROM 324 holds "detailed display pattern data" in which the display control process performed by the display control circuit 326 is defined. At this time, the display pattern data sent from the sub CPU 310 can be referred to as "summary display pattern data" in which the outline of the effect display process is defined. For example, the outline display pattern data defines a rough flow of a series of effect display processes such as fluctuation start and fluctuation stop timings of decorative symbols, playback order of a plurality of moving images, and playback start and stop timings. .. On the other hand, the detailed display pattern data includes detailed display control such as the display order of sprite images for realizing variable display of decorative patterns and the display processing order for each frame for displaying moving images based on motion data. The process is defined.

When the effect display control device 313 performs display control based on the "rough display pattern data" sent from the sub CPU 310, the effect display control device 313 reads the "detailed display pattern data" required for the processing from the data ROM 324, and reads both display pattern data. Use to perform display processing. Therefore, it can be said that the effect display control device 313 executes the display control process based on the display putter data including the "summary display pattern data" and the "detailed display pattern data". Therefore, in the present specification, unless explicitly mentioned, the "rough display pattern data" stored in the sub ROM 312 and the "detailed display pattern data" stored in the data ROM 324 are not distinguished, and simply "display pattern data". ". For example, when the effect control display means performs a specific process based on the display pattern data held in the data storage means, the display pattern data includes "summary display pattern data" and "detailed display pattern data". It shall be muted. In the modified example, the display pattern data is not divided into "summary display pattern data" and "detailed display pattern data", and even if the display pattern data that serves as both is held in the sub ROM 312 or the data ROM 324. Good.

In this embodiment, the hardware configuration of the effect display control device 313 includes a display CPU 320, a display RAM 322, a data ROM 324, and a display control circuit 326. In the modification, the display CPU 320, the display RAM 322, the data ROM 324, and the display control circuit 326 may be integrated instead of being configured as separate electronic components. Further, the process that is supposed to be executed by the display control circuit 326 may be executed by the display CPU 320, the display RAM 322, or the data ROM 324. For example, the display CPU 320 included in the effect display control device 313 may execute a process that is executed by the decoder 332, the drawing circuit 336, and the display circuit 340 included in the display control circuit 326. Further, the display RAM 322 included in the effect display control device 313 may also serve as the functions of the drawing memory 334 and the frame buffer 338. In addition, the effect display control device 313 may have a hardware configuration that does not include the display control circuit 326. In this case, the process that is executed by the display control circuit 326 is performed by the display CPU 320, the display RAM 322, or the data ROM 324. It may be executed.

Further, in this embodiment, the hardware configuration of the sub-board 300 includes a configuration in which the effect display control device 313 is included in addition to the sub CPU 310, the sub RAM 311 and the sub ROM 312. In the modification, the sub CPU 310, the sub RAM 311 and the ROM 312 and the effect display control device 313 may be integrated instead of being configured as separate electronic components. Further, the process that is supposed to be executed by the effect display control device 313 may be executed by the sub CPU 310, the sub RAM 311 or the sub ROM 312. For example, the sub CPU 310 may execute the processing of the display CPU 320, the sub RAM 311 may also have the function of the display RAM 322, and the sub ROM 312 may also have the function of the data ROM 324. In addition, the sub-board 300 may have a hardware configuration in which the effect display control device 313 is not included. In this case, the process to be executed by the effect display control device 313 is performed by the sub CPU 310, the sub RAM 311 or the sub ROM 312. It may be executed.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a control start process of the main board 200 in the pachinko gaming machine. When the power switch 150 is turned on, the main CPU 290 sets the stack pointer (S100), permits access to the main RAM 291 (S102), and executes initial hardware-related settings such as the setting of the internal registers of the main CPU 290. (S104).

Subsequently, the power off / return process or the initialization process of the main RAM 291 is executed according to the operation state of the RAM clear switch, the value of the power off information flag, and the state of the data stored in the main RAM 291. Specifically, if the RAM clear switch is not turned on and both the value of the power off information flag and the data stored in the main RAM 291 are normal, the process at the time of power off / recovery is executed. To do. In other cases, that is, even when the RAM clear switch is turned on or the RAM clear switch is not turned on, either the power failure information flag or the data stored in the main RAM 291 is normal. If not, the initialization process of the main RAM 291 is executed.

The main CPU 290 confirms the operating state of the RAM clear switch, and when the RAM clear switch is turned on (Y in S106), initializes the main RAM 291 (S116). When the RAM clear switch is not turned on (N in S106), the main CPU 290 confirms the value of the power off information flag (S108). If the value of the power off information flag does not match the power off normal data (N in S108), the main RAM 291 is initialized (S116). If the value of the power off information flag matches the power off normal data (Y in S108), the data stored in the main RAM 291 is inspected (S110). As will be described later, if the processing is normally completed when the power is turned off last time, the checksum of the data stored in the main RAM 291 is stored in the main RAM 291. Therefore, the main CPU 290 uses the checksum. Check the data in the main RAM 291. If the data stored in the main RAM 291 is not normal (N in S112), the data in the main RAM 291 is initialized (S116). If the data stored in the main RAM is normal (Y in S112), the process for returning to the state before the power is turned off is executed (S114).

In the power-off recovery process (S114), the power-on normal data indicating that the power-on was normally turned on is stored in the power-off information flag, and the initial setting of various errors and the initial setting of communication with the payout control board 155 are executed. To do. Next, the untransmitted command request before the power is turned off is cleared, and the command transmission of various information indicating the game state is requested. Subsequently, an effect command corresponding to the number of pending balls of the first special symbol and the second special symbol is requested. Subsequently, the open / closed state of the second starting port 12 and the large winning opening 20 is returned to the state before the power was cut off. Subsequently, a process for notifying the operating state of the probability fluctuation function of the special symbol is executed.

In the RAM initialization process (S116), the power-on normal data is stored in the power-off information flag, the entire area of the main RAM 291 is cleared by 0, the initial setting of the main RAM 291 and the initialization of the effect display are executed.

When the power cutoff / recovery process (S114) or the RAM initialization process (S116) is completed, a count value is set to activate the interrupt process described later, and the operation of the interrupt timer is started (S118). As a result, after that, a timer interrupt occurs every predetermined time (for example, 4 milliseconds), and the interrupt process described later is executed. Subsequently, the main CPU 290 executes the main process for managing the game machine (S120).

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the main process of S120 in FIG. 13 in detail. The main CPU 290 temporarily prohibits timer interruption (S200), starts the operation of the watchdog timer (S202), and monitors the power failure (S204). When a drop in the power supply voltage supplied from the power supply unit 158 is detected in a power supply voltage monitoring circuit (not shown), a power failure storage is executed by inputting an unconditional interruption request signal from the power supply voltage monitoring circuit to the main CPU 290. In the process, the power off confirmation data is stored in the power off confirmation flag.
Therefore, the main CPU 290 monitors the value of the power-off confirmation flag (S204), and if the value of the power-off confirmation flag matches the power-off confirmation data (Y in S206), executes the process for power-off. Therefore, proceed to S212. If the value of the power off confirmation flag does not match the power off confirmation data (N in S206), the initial value random number per normal symbol, the initial value random number per special symbol, and the soft initial value random number per special symbol are updated. The initial value random number update process is executed (S208), the timer interrupt is permitted (S210), and the process returns to S200. After that, S200 to S210 are repeated. When the timer interrupt occurs while the timer interrupt is prohibited (S202 to S208), the interrupt process described later is executed after the timer interrupt is permitted in S210.

When a power failure is detected in S206 (Y in S206), the main CPU 290 restarts the watchdog timer (S212) and confirms the content of the power failure information flag (S214). If the content of the power-off information flag does not match the power-on normal data (N in S214), it is determined that the power-on data has not been saved normally, and the power-off error data is stored in the power-off information flag. (S216), proceed to S222. If the content of the power-off information flag matches the power-on normal data (Y in S214), it is determined that the data at the time of power-on is normally saved, and the power-off normal data is stored in the power-off information flag. (S218). Subsequently, the checksum of the data stored in the main RAM 291 is calculated and stored in the main RAM 291 in order to inspect the backed up data in the main RAM 291 at the next power-on (S220). Subsequently, access to the main RAM 291 is prohibited (S222), and a loop is performed until the power is turned off.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the details of the interrupt process. When a timer interrupt occurs in the main process (S120), the main CPU 290 executes the interrupt process. First, the interrupt operation condition is set (S300), and the watchdog timer is restarted (S302). Next, in order to manage the game machine, input processing (S304), various random number update processing (S306), initial value update type random number update processing (S308), initial value random number update processing (S310), timer subtraction processing (S312). , 2nd start port valid period setting process (S314), prize monitoring process (S316), prize ball control process (S318), normal symbol operation gate monitoring process (S320), normal symbol control process (S322), normal symbol variation start Monitoring process (S324), start port monitoring control process (S326), special symbol control process (S328), special electric accessory control process (S330), large winning opening validity period setting process (S332), special symbol change start monitoring control Processing (S334), abnormality detection processing (S336), ball entry passage time abnormality detection processing (S338), game status display processing (S340), handle status signal inspection processing (S342), LED output processing (S344), firing control signal Output processing (S346), test signal output processing (S348), solenoid output processing (S350), effect control command transmission processing (S352), and external information output processing (S354) are executed in order, and the next timer interrupt is permitted. (S356) and return.

In the input process (S304), the input of the switch mounted on the game board surface, the disconnection short circuit power supply abnormality detection signal, the door / frame opening signal, the magnetic detection signal, the radio wave detection signal, and the touch state signal is monitored, and the input state is input. Is created and stored in the main RAM 291.

In the various random number update processes (S306), the normal symbol variation pattern random number and the variation pattern random number are updated. The normal symbol variation pattern random number is read from the main RAM 291 and stored by incrementing the value when the value is less than the predetermined maximum value, and 0 is stored when the value is equal to or more than the predetermined maximum value. Further, the fluctuation pattern random number is read from the main RAM 291 and the subtraction result is stored when the result of subtracting the predetermined value from the value is 0 or more, and the predetermined maximum value is stored when the result is less than 0. As a result, the normal symbol variation pattern random number and the variation pattern random number are updated every time the timer interrupt occurs.

In the initial value update type random number update process (S308), the random number per normal symbol, the symbol random number per special symbol, and the soft random number per special symbol are updated. The value, maximum value, and initial value of each random number are read from the main RAM 291 and the value of the random number is incremented. If the incremented result exceeds the maximum value, the value of the random number is set to 0. If the incremented result matches the initial value, the initial value random number is read from the main RAM 291 and the initial value is updated. As a result, the random number per normal symbol, the random number per special symbol, and the soft random number per special symbol are updated every time the timer interrupt occurs, and when the random number value returns to the initial value, that is, the range of random numbers is cycled. Then, the initial value is newly set and a random number is generated.

In the initial value random number update process (S310), the initial value random number per normal symbol, the symbol initial value random number per special symbol, and the soft initial value random number per special symbol are updated. The initial value random number is read from the initial value random number update table of the main RAM 291 and the value of the initial value random number is incremented. If the incremented result exceeds the upper limit, the value of the initial random number is set to 0. The same process is executed in the initial value random number update process (S208) in the main process (S120).

In the timer subtraction process (S312), the 2-byte timer is updated. The value of the timer is read from the main RAM 291 and if the value of the timer is other than 0, the value is decremented and stored. If the value of the timer is 0, the timer is not updated.

In the second starting port valid period setting process (S314), the valid period of the second starting port 12 is set. At the second starting port 12, the prize ball is paid out by entering the game ball and the lottery related to the second special symbol is executed, and the prize ball is paid out even if the game ball enters and the second special An invalid period is set in which the lottery related to the symbol is not executed. As will be described later, in the start port monitoring control process (S326), the monitoring process for winning the second start port is not executed during the invalid period of the second start port 12, so that the game ball enters the second start port 12. Even so, the prize ball will not be paid out and the lottery for the second special symbol will not be executed. The same applies to the case where the valid period and the invalid period are set in the first starting port 11, the large winning opening 20, the operating opening 30, the general winning opening 33, and the like. When the state of the normal symbol is "normal electric accessory is operating", the data indicating that the second start port 12 is in the valid period is stored in the second start port valid period flag. If the state of the normal symbol is not "normal electric accessory is operating" and the value of the second start port effective extension timer is not 0, the second start port 12 is the valid period in the second start port valid period flag. If the value of the second start port valid extension timer is 0, the data indicating that the second start port is in the invalid period is stored in the second start port valid period flag.

In the prize monitoring process (S316), the passage of the game ball through the switch is inspected, and when the game ball passes through the switch, the switch has no invalid period or is currently in the valid period, and the prize ball is paid out. If so, update the winning counter. It also requests the creation of a security output request to be output to the external terminal and the transmission of commands.

In the prize ball control process (S318), monitoring of data reception from the payout control board 155, command transmission request to the payout control board 155, command transmission to the payout control board 155, and inspection of the received data from the payout control board 155. Are executed in order.

In the normal symbol operation gate monitoring process (S320), when the passage of the game ball through the operation port 30 is monitored and it is determined that the game ball has passed through the operation port 30, the number of pending normal symbol fluctuations is less than 4, which is the upper limit. In the case of, the number of reserved symbols is updated, and the random numbers related to the ordinary symbols are stored in the main RAM 291.

In the normal symbol control process (S322), the state of the normal symbol is monitored, and when it is determined that the normal symbol is being controlled, the process related to the normal symbol display device 45 or the normal electric accessory 90 is executed. When the state of the normal symbol is "normal symbol changing", the normal symbol changing processing is executed, and when "normal symbol stop symbol is being displayed", the normal symbol stop symbol display processing is executed and "normal electric" is executed. If "the accessory is in operation", the normal electric accessory operation end demo is executed, and if "the ordinary electric accessory operation end demo is in progress", the normal electric accessory operation end demo process is executed. In the process of changing the normal symbol, after the normal symbol is changed, the fluctuation time is monitored, and if it is determined that the fluctuation time of the normal symbol has ended, the fluctuation stop setting of the normal symbol is set and the state of the normal symbol is changed to "normal". Set to "Stop symbol display". In the process of displaying the normal symbol stop symbol, the stop symbol display time of the normal symbol is monitored, and when it is determined that the stop symbol display time of the normal symbol has ended, the operation end setting of the normal symbol corresponding to the result of the hit determination is executed. In the case of a hit, the state of the normal symbol is set to "normal electric accessory is operating", the operating state of the normal electric accessory opening extension function at the start of operation of the normal electric accessory is saved, and the operation of the normal electric accessory is started. The operation setting of the ordinary electric accessory solenoid 91 corresponding to the operating state of the ordinary electric accessory opening extension function at that time is executed. In the case of off, the state of the normal symbol is set to "waiting for normal symbol change". When the winning number of the winning opening related to the ordinary electric accessory 90 of the game ball is monitored in the processing during operation of the ordinary electric accessory 90, and it is determined that the number of winnings of the winning opening related to the ordinary electric accessory 90 has reached the maximum number of winnings. Executes the operation end setting of the ordinary electric accessory 90 and the setting of the effective extension time of the second start port. If it is determined that the number of winnings in the winning opening related to the ordinary electric accessory 90 has not reached the maximum number of winnings, the opening / closing time of the entrance of the winning opening related to the ordinary electric accessory 90 is monitored, and the ordinary electric accessory 90 is used. If it is determined that the opening / closing of the entrance of the winning opening related to the above is completed and the opening of the entrance of the normal electric accessory 90 is completed, the operation end setting of the ordinary electric accessory 90 and the second starting port are valid. Execute the extension time setting. If it is determined that the opening / closing time of the winning opening of the ordinary electric accessory 90 is not over, the opening / closing of the entrance of the winning opening of the ordinary electric accessory 90 is not set. In the process during the normal electric accessory operation end demonstration, when the operation end demo time of the normal electric accessory 90 is monitored and it is determined that the operation end demo time of the ordinary electric accessory 90 is over, the state of the normal symbol is changed to "normal symbol". Set to "Waiting for fluctuation".

In the normal symbol change start monitoring process (S324), when the state of the normal symbol is monitored and "waiting for normal symbol change" and the value of the number of balls on hold for normal symbol operation is other than 0, the change of the normal symbol To start. When it is determined to start the fluctuation of the normal symbol, the number of balls on hold for normal symbol operation is decremented, and the hit judgment, the determination of the stop symbol, the setting of the fluctuation pattern number of the normal symbol, and the setting of the fluctuation time of the normal symbol are executed. .. After that, the state of the normal symbol is set to "normal symbol changing", and the area of the main RAM 291 used for the state setting of the normal symbol, the hit determination, and the determination of the fluctuation pattern is cleared.

In the start port monitoring control process (S326), the first start port 11 winning and the second starting port 12 winning of the game ball are monitored. If the winning of the game ball is confirmed when the number of balls on hold for operation of the first special symbol is less than 4, the built-in random number is acquired, and the value obtained by adding the value of the soft random number per special symbol to the acquired built-in random number is added. It is stored in the buffer as a random number per special symbol used in the jackpot judgment. In addition, as random numbers related to special symbols, symbol random numbers and variable pattern random numbers are acquired and stored. When the hold of the second special symbol is preferentially digested over the hold of the first special symbol, only the update of the hold related to the winning is executed, but when the holding order of the special symbol is the winning order, the hold is executed. In addition to updating the hold related to the prize, the total number of holds is updated and the winning order is stored. Next, in order to request a notice effect command corresponding to the random number memorized at the start opening winning, if the state of the game machine is confirmed and it is judged that the command transmission period is reached, a hit notice effect request, a hit symbol notice effect request, a pattern notice Execute the production requests in order. Here, when (1) waiting for a hit and the random number related to the first special symbol is stored while the probability fluctuation function of the normal symbol is not operating, (2) waiting for a hit and the normal symbol When the random number related to the second special symbol is stored while the probability fluctuation function is not operating, or (3) when the random number related to the second special symbol is stored during the big hit or the small hit. , Judge that it is the command transmission period. Next, a production command corresponding to the number of balls on hold for operation of the special symbol is requested. As a result, the sub-board 300 is notified that the number of balls on hold for operation of the special symbol has been updated. As described above, in the look-ahead, the hit, the hit symbol, the fluctuation pattern, and the number of reserved balls are transmitted to the sub-board 300 as a set. Next, the value of the second start port validity period flag is inspected, and if the value of the second start port validity period flag is data indicating that the second start port 12 is in the validity period, the first start port prize is awarded. As in the case, the monitoring process of the second start opening winning is executed. When the value of the second start port valid period flag is data indicating that the second start port 12 is in the invalid period, the monitoring process of the second start port winning is not executed. If the winning of the game ball is confirmed when the number of reserved balls is 0, the number of reserved balls is once changed from 0 to 1, and then the control process related to the start of fluctuation described later is executed. ..

In the special symbol control process (S328), the hit waiting state is inspected, and when the special electric accessory is in operation, that is, during a big hit or a small hit, the special symbol control process is terminated. When the special electric accessory is not operating, the state of the special symbol is inspected, and if it is "waiting for special symbol change", the special symbol control general-purpose processing is terminated, and if it is "start of change", the special symbol change. The start process is executed, and if "special symbol is changing", the special symbol changing process is executed, and if "special symbol stop symbol is being displayed", the special symbol stop symbol displaying process is executed. In the special symbol variation start process, the selection number of the special symbol variation pattern is acquired based on the variation pattern random number, the variation time corresponding to the special symbol variation pattern number is determined, and the sub-board 300 is started to display the effect. Request commands for additional symbol information, variation pattern, and character information, set the state of the special symbol to "special symbol variation in progress", and clear the variation pattern determination area used to determine the special symbol variation pattern with 0. .. In the process during special symbol change, after the special symbol is changed, the fluctuation time is monitored, and if it is determined that the fluctuation time of the special symbol has ended, the change stop setting of the special symbol is set and the state of the special symbol is changed to "special". Set to "Stop symbol display". In the process of displaying the special symbol stop symbol, the stop symbol display time of the special symbol is monitored, and when it is determined that the stop symbol display time of the special symbol has ended, the operation end setting of the special symbol corresponding to the result of the hit determination is executed. In the case of a hit, in order to end the operation of the special symbol, the state of the special symbol is set to "waiting for change of the special symbol", the number of times the special electric accessory is continuously operated is set, and the probability of the special symbol is set. Demonstration function, special symbol fluctuation time shortening function, normal symbol probability fluctuation function, normal symbol fluctuation time shortening function, and normal electric accessory opening extension function are disabled, and the state of the game machine is prepared to open the winning opening. Set in, set the hit start demo display time, execute the command request for the hit start demo effect, and the command request for the launch position specification effect. When the result of the hit judgment is a small hit, the operation end judgment of the fluctuation time shortening function of the special symbol and the probability fluctuation function of the normal symbol is performed, the fluctuation pattern selection state is updated, the command request of the game state is performed, and the special symbol is performed. In order to end the operation of, set the state of the special symbol to "Waiting for special symbol change", set the state of the game machine during the small hit start demo, set the hit start demo display time, and set the hit start demo effect. Execute a command request and a command request for a firing position designation effect. If the result of the hit judgment is incorrect, the operation end judgment of the fluctuation time shortening function of the special symbol and the probability fluctuation function of the normal symbol is performed, the fluctuation pattern selection state is updated, the command request of the game state is performed, and the special symbol is displayed. In order to end the operation, the state of the special symbol is set to "waiting for special symbol change", and the command request for the firing position designation effect is executed.

In the special electric accessory control process (S330), in order to execute the process related to the special electric accessory, the operating state of the condition device and the special electric accessory is inspected, and the condition device is operating or the special electric accessory is operating. If it is determined, the processing related to the special electric accessory is executed. Depending on the operating state of the special electric accessory, the processing during preparation for opening the large winning opening, the processing during operation of the special electric accessory, the processing during closing of the large winning opening, the processing during the big hit end demonstration, the processing during the small hit start demonstration, the small hit special electric Execute processing during operation, processing during closing of the small hit big winning opening, and processing during demonstration of the end of small hit.

In the large winning opening validity period setting process (S332), the result of the validity period determination of the large winning opening 20 is saved. Therefore, if the value of the large winning opening valid time is 0, the large winning opening valid period flag is set to a large prize. The mouth invalid period data is stored, and if it is other than 0, the big prize opening validity period data is stored in the big winning opening validity period flag.

In the special symbol variation start monitoring control process (S334), the operating state of the special symbol is monitored, and it is determined whether or not the special symbol is in a state where the variation can be started. When the digestion order of the reserved balls of the special symbol is the priority digestion of the second special symbol, (1) it is not in the big hit or the small hit, (2) the first special symbol is waiting for fluctuation, (3) ) When the second special symbol is waiting for change and (4) the number of balls on hold for operation of the special symbol is other than 0, the special symbol can start changing. Is determined. When the digestion order of the reserved balls of the special symbol is the winning order, in addition to the above (1) to (3), (5) the total number of reserved balls of the special symbol is other than 0, (6) When all of the determinations, that is, the order of digestion, that is, the order of winning, are satisfied, it is determined that the special symbol can start to change.

When it is determined that the special symbol can start to fluctuate, the number of reserved balls for the special symbol is subtracted, and an effect command corresponding to the number of reserved balls for the first special symbol and the second special symbol is requested. As a result, the sub-board 300 is notified that the number of reserved balls of the special symbol has been updated.

Next, the hit determination of the special symbol is executed. In the hit determination, the random number per special symbol determines whether it is a big hit, a small hit, or a miss, and the determination result is stored in the special symbol determination flag. Next, the design is decided. In the determination of the symbol, if the hit judgment is a big hit, the big hit symbol is determined based on the special symbol hit symbol random number, if it is a small hit, the small hit symbol is determined, and if it is a miss, the missed symbol Is determined.

When the result of the hit determination is a big hit, the operation content of the probability fluctuation function of the special symbol is determined based on the value of the group determination number indicating the type of the hit symbol determined in the symbol determination process, and the special symbol Set the game state after the big hit, such as the operation content of the fluctuation time shortening function and the easy winning state of the normal symbol. Next, the settings during the big hit, such as the number of times the special electric accessory operates continuously and the contents of the opening time of the big winning opening, are executed. Subsequently, the content of the variation pattern selection state is set by selecting the variation pattern table to be referred to after the end of the big hit based on the result of the hit determination and the operating state of the probability variation function of the normal symbol. Next, the start demo time and the end demo time are set with reference to the table selected based on the value of the group determination number indicating the game state and the type of the winning symbol. Subsequently, the area of the main RAM 291 used for the hit determination and the symbol determination is cleared, and the state of the special symbol is set to "variation start".

If the result of the hit judgment is a small hit, the content of the fluctuation pattern selection state is set by selecting the fluctuation pattern table to be referred to after the small hit ends, the start demo time and the end demo time are set, and the hit The area of the main RAM 291 used for the determination and the symbol determination is cleared, and the state of the special symbol is set to "variation start". If the result of the hit determination is incorrect, the area of the main RAM 291 used for the hit determination and the symbol determination is cleared, and the state of the special symbol is set to "variation start".

In the abnormality detection process (S336), the magnetic detection signal, the short-circuit power supply abnormality detection signal, the radio wave detection signal, and the door / frame opening signal are inspected, and if there is a change in the error state, the error state is stored. The sub-board 300 is requested to display the error state effect of the game machine. If there is no change in the error state, the error state storage and the error state effect display request are not executed.

In the ball entry passage time abnormality detection process (S338), in order to detect the ball entry passage time abnormality, the continuous on time of each switch level is monitored, and as a result, if it is determined that there is a change from the previous time, the ball entry passage passes. Set the time error, send the command, and create the security output request to be output to the external terminal in order. If it is determined that the continuous on-time is not abnormal, the security output request is not created.

In the game state display process (S340), the number of times the special electric accessory is continuously operated, the error state, the number of balls on hold for normal symbols, and the number of balls on hold for special symbols are requested to be displayed. Create data.

In the steering wheel status signal inspection process (S342), in order to monitor the touch status of the steering wheel, the steering wheel status is inspected, and if it is determined that the steering wheel status has changed as a result of the inspection, the steering wheel status monitoring timer is subtracted and the steering wheel status is changed. Update, set the steering wheel status monitoring timer, and execute the command transmission request for steering wheel status production. If it is determined as a result of the inspection that there is no change in the steering wheel status, the steering wheel status monitoring timer is set. If the result of decrementing the value of the handle status monitoring timer is other than 0, it is determined that the timer is being subtracted, and the subsequent processing is not executed.

In the LED output processing (S344), the display of the special symbol, the display of the normal symbol, the display of the number of balls on hold for operation of the special symbol, the display of the number of balls on hold for operation of the normal symbol, the display of the game state, and the special electric accessory are continuous. Initialization of display, acquisition of display data, and display of display of the number of times of operation, display of operating status of special electric accessory when the continuous operation device of accessory is not operated, display of separate operation, and display of error. Run the output in sequence.

In the launch control signal output process (S346), in order to output a signal for prohibiting / permitting the launch of the game ball, the setting of the prohibition / permit for launching corresponding to the communication status with the payout control board 155 and the disconnection short-circuit power supply abnormality, and After acquiring the firing prohibition / permission data, the firing prohibition / permission signal is output.

In the test signal output process (S348), a signal to be output to the test apparatus is created and output to the corresponding output port.

In the solenoid output processing (S350), in order to output the output data of the ordinary electric utility solenoid 91 and the large winning opening solenoid 92, the output data of the ordinary electric utility solenoid 91 is acquired, the output data of the large winning opening solenoid 92 is acquired, and Output the output data. The operation flag and operation timer of each solenoid are acquired, and the output data corresponding to the acquired solenoid operation flag and solenoid operation timer is acquired. Next, the solenoid operation timer is updated and the output data is output to the solenoid output port.

In the effect control command transmission process (S352), the presence or absence of a transmission request for the command to be transmitted to the sub-board 300 is inspected, and if it is determined that there is a transmission request, the requested command data is acquired and the command buffer used is set to 0. Clear, acquire MODE data corresponding to the acquired command data, output MODE data, retain MODE data, acquire EVENT data corresponding to the acquired command data, and output EVENT data in this order.

In the external information output process (S354), a signal to be output to the external terminal is created, and the created signal is output to the external information output port.

The random numbers used in the operation process of the main board 200 described above will be described in more detail. The random numbers used in the main board 200 mainly include a random number per normal symbol and a random number per normal symbol variation pattern as random numbers related to the normal symbol, and as random numbers related to the special symbol, a random number per special symbol and a random number per special symbol. There are soft random numbers, symbol random numbers per special symbol, and variable pattern random numbers. In addition, as random numbers for giving initial values of normal symbol per random number, special symbol per symbol random number, and special symbol per soft random number, which are initial update value type random numbers, normal symbol per initial value random number and special symbol per symbol initial value There are random numbers and soft initial value random numbers per special symbol.

The random number per normal symbol is updated in the initial value update type random number update process (S308) of the interrupt process, and is stored in a predetermined position of the main RAM 291. The random number per normal symbol is such that when it is determined in the normal symbol operation gate monitoring process (S320) of the interrupt process that the game ball has passed through the operation port 30, the number of pending normal symbol fluctuations is less than 4, which is the upper limit. In some cases, it is acquired from a predetermined position in the main RAM 291 and stored in another area of the main RAM 291. The normal symbol random number is used for hit determination and determination of the stop symbol when it is determined in the normal symbol fluctuation start monitoring process (S324) to start the fluctuation of the normal symbol.

The normal symbol variation pattern random number takes a value of 0 to 232, for example, is updated in various random number update processes (S306) of the interrupt process, and is stored in a predetermined position of the main RAM 291. The normal symbol fluctuation pattern random number is less than 4, which is the upper limit of the number of reserved normal symbol fluctuations when it is determined that the game ball has passed through the operating port 30 in the normal symbol operating gate monitoring process (S320) of the interrupt process. In the case of, it is acquired from a predetermined position of the main RAM 291 and stored in another area of the main RAM 291. The normal symbol fluctuation pattern random number is used to determine the fluctuation pattern of the normal symbol when it is determined in the normal symbol fluctuation start monitoring process (S324) to start the fluctuation of the normal symbol.

The random number per special symbol is obtained when the winning of the game ball is confirmed when the number of pending balls of the first special symbol or the second special symbol is less than 4 in the start port monitoring control process (S326) of the interrupt process. , The values of the built-in random number and the soft random number per special symbol are acquired, and both are added to generate the value, which is stored in a predetermined position of the main RAM 291. The random number per special symbol is used to execute the big hit determination and the small hit determination in the special symbol fluctuation start monitoring control process (S334) of the interrupt process.

The soft random number per special symbol is updated in the initial value update type random number update process (S308) of the interrupt process, and is stored at a predetermined position in the main RAM 291. The soft random number per special symbol is the main RAM 291 when the winning of the game ball is confirmed when the number of operation-holding balls of the first special symbol or the second special symbol is less than 4 in the start port monitoring control process (S326). It is obtained from the predetermined position of, and is used to generate a random number per special symbol as described above.

The symbol random number per special symbol takes a value of 0 to 999, for example, is updated in the initial value update type random number update process (S308) of the interrupt process, and is stored in a predetermined position of the main RAM 291. The symbol random number per special symbol is the main RAM 291 when the winning of the game ball is confirmed when the number of operation-holding balls of the first special symbol or the second special symbol is less than 4 in the start port monitoring control process (S326). Is acquired from a predetermined position of the above and stored in another area of the main RAM 291. The symbol random number per special symbol is used to determine the jackpot symbol when the hit determination is a jackpot in the special symbol fluctuation start monitoring control process (S334) of the interrupt process.

The variation pattern random number takes a value of 0 to 49999, for example, is updated in various random number update processes (S306) of the interrupt process, and is stored in a predetermined position of the main RAM 291. The variation pattern random number is determined by the main RAM 291 when the winning of the game ball is confirmed when the number of operation-holding balls of the first special symbol or the second special symbol is less than 4 in the start port monitoring control process (S326). It is acquired from the position and stored in another area of the main RAM 291. The variation pattern random number is used to determine the special symbol variation pattern in the special symbol control process (S328) of the interrupt process.

The initial value random number per ordinary symbol, the initial value random number per special symbol, and the soft initial value random number per special symbol are the same range as the random number per ordinary symbol, the symbol random number per special symbol, and the soft random number per special symbol, respectively. Initial value random number update processing (S208) of the main processing (S120)
) And the initial value random number update process (S310) of the interrupt process, and are stored in a predetermined position of the main RAM 291. The initial value random number per ordinary symbol, the initial value random number per special symbol, and the soft initial value random number per special symbol are the random number per ordinary symbol, the symbol random number per special symbol, and the special random number per initial value update type random number update process (S308). It is used as the initial value of each random number when updating the soft random number per symbol.

Since the interrupt process is executed at regular intervals by timer interrupt, various random number update processes (S306) and initial value update type random number update processes (S308) included in the interrupt process are also executed at regular intervals. To. That is, the normal symbol per random number, the normal symbol variation pattern random number, the special symbol per random number, the special symbol per soft random number, the special symbol per symbol random number, and the variation pattern random number are updated at regular intervals. On the other hand, in the main process (S120), the time from the end of the interrupt process to the occurrence of the next timer interrupt, that is, the time required for the interrupt process from the fixed time measured by the timer. Repeated for the reduced time. Since the time required for the interrupt process differs depending on the game state and the like, the initial value random number update process (S208) in the main process (S120) includes various random number update processes (S306) and initial value update type random number update process (S308). ), It is not executed at regular intervals. As a result, the initial value random number acquired when the initial value is set in the initial value update type random number update process (S308) can be made random every time.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a control start process of the sub-board 300 in the pachinko gaming machine. When the control of the sub-board 300 is started, the sub CPU 310 sets a stack pointer (S500), prohibits all interrupts until various initial settings are completed (S502), and sets registers and initializes ports of the sub CPU 310. Perform the initial settings related to the hardware (S504). The control program is read from the sub ROM 312 and placed in the sub RAM 311. Of the various variables in the control program, the initial value is set for the variable having the initial value, and the zero clear data is set for the variable without the initial value. As a result, the sub RAM 311 is initialized (S506). The interrupt process on the sub-board 300 includes a process when the power is turned on and a reset process when various abnormalities occur when the watchdog function is enabled, as interrupt processes that are executed with the highest priority. Next, there is a command process received from the main board 200 as an interrupt process of priority level 7 having a high execution priority, and as an interrupt process of priority level 3 having the next highest priority, CPU runaway detection by a watchdog timer There is a time reset process. The next priority interrupt process for priority level 2 includes processing related to commands sent and received to and from the display CPU 320, and the lowest priority level 1 interrupt process is communication processing with the real-time clock. There are various device control processes such as lamps, solenoids, and motors. If interrupts related to the above various processes occur at the same time, the interrupts set in advance for each interrupt type are executed with priority. The processes shown in this figure include the highest priority level interrupt, the process at power startup, the reset process when various abnormalities occur, and the priority level 3 interrupt, the reset process when CPU runaway is detected. Including.

Interrupts (priority level 7) other than commands received from the main board 200 are prohibited (S510), and various error information used in the model is set from all the error information stored in advance for all models (S512). .. All the lamps such as the decorative lamp 111 are turned off (S514), the operation of the watchdog timer is started (S516), and the main process is executed (S518). Normally, the main process of S518 does not return to the main flow, but when it returns, it shifts to sleep (low power consumption mode) (S520).

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing in detail the main process of S518 in FIG. In order to check in the main process of this figure whether the control program arranged in the sub RAM 311 is correctly arranged in S506 of FIG. 16, the start address for starting the check is acquired (S530), and in the subsequent processes. All interrupts are allowed (S532), and device initialization operations such as motors and solenoids are executed (S534).

If the setting is to use the watchdog timer, clear the watchdog timer (S536), update the decorative symbol counter so that the combination of the decorative symbols is a random combination (S540), and input the sub CPU 310. Is monitored (S542). Since S540 is a process in a method of determining the out-of-order symbol of the decorative symbol using a counter, in the case of a method of determining the out-of-order symbol of the decorative symbol using a lottery sheet incorporating all the symbol combinations that are the out-of-order symbols. Does not execute the processing of S540. The process of determining the out-of-order symbol of the decorative symbol using the lottery sheet is executed when a command indicating a stop symbol of the special symbol is received from the main board 200 as described later in S552. When the error state is monitored and various errors are detected, the error is notified (S544), processing according to the input state of the effect button 109 is executed (S546), and the advance notice lottery is executed (S548). In the notice lottery in S548, since the command of the notice effect to appear immediately after the start of the symbol change is transmitted to the effect display control device 313 as soon as possible, the lottery process is not processed in one loop but a plurality of times. The notice effect that appears immediately after the start of the symbol change is drawn in the previous loop. If there is an operation request for a device such as a real-time clock, lamp, motor, solenoid, etc., that operation is executed (S550), the command stored in the command buffer is analyzed (S552), and if immediately after the command analysis, the process proceeds to S536. Return (Y in S554), if not immediately after command analysis (N in S554), update the lottery software random number as a low priority process that can be performed in free time (S556), and return to the process in S536. In S552, when the command to be analyzed shows the variation pattern of the special symbol, the variation effect pattern of the decorative symbol is determined by the process of S552, and when the command to be analyzed indicates the stop symbol of the special symbol, the lottery sheet is displayed. If it is a method of determining the out-of-order symbol of the decorative symbol by using it, the stop symbol of the decorative symbol is determined by the process of S552.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an interrupt process when a command is received from the main board 200. The main command received from the main board 200 is a priority level 7 interrupt command having the highest priority next to the reset interrupt and error interrupt. The data received from the main board 200 is read to the input port, and when the same data is read twice in a row, the data is confirmed as a new command (Y in S600), and the confirmed command is the first command. If it is (MODE data) (Y in S602), the first command is saved in the temporary storage area (S604). The hard random number is acquired for the subsequent processing (S606), and the original routine is returned. By acquiring the hard random number each time the main command is interrupted from the main board 200 in this way, the randomness of the value is enhanced without causing periodicity in the acquisition timing of the random number. If the data read in S600 does not match twice in a row (up to 5 times can be read), S602 is skipped and the original routine is returned (N in S600).

In S602, if the confirmed command is not the first command but the second command (N in S602), and if it can be confirmed that the first command has already been properly received (Y in S608), the command buffer (command data). The command write pointer which is the read position in the ring buffer) is acquired (S610), and the first command and the second command are saved in the command buffer (S612). The command data stored in the command buffer is analyzed in S552 of FIG. The command light pointer is updated (S614), the first command saved in the temporary storage area is cleared (S616), and the original routine is returned. If the first command has not been received in S608, skip S610 and later (N in S608) and return to the original routine.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an interrupt process when a timer interrupt for effect display control occurs. This timer interrupt is a priority level 2 interrupt for transmitting a command related to the effect display from the sub CPU 310 to the display CPU 320, and is generated in a cycle of 500 μs. In this interrupt, the buffer is checked (S620), and if there is command data for transmission in the buffer (Y in S622), the command data is read (S624) and transmitted to the display CPU 320 (S626). The command data is transmitted to the display CPU 320 up to three times at predetermined time intervals until the sub CPU 310 receives a command indicating that the display CPU 320 has normally received the command data from the display CPU 320. After transmission, the buffer read address setting is updated (S628), and the original routine is returned. If there is no data for transmission in the buffer (N in S622), S624 and subsequent steps are skipped and the original routine is returned.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an interrupt process when the sub CPU 310 receives a command from the display CPU 320. This interrupt is also a priority level 2 interrupt. The command received by the sub CPU 310 from the display CPU 320 is mainly a command indicating that the command transmitted from the sub CPU 310 to the display CPU 320 has been normally received. When a command is received from the display CPU 320, the received command data is read (S630), the command is analyzed (S632), saved in the command buffer (S634), and the original routine is returned.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an interrupt process when a timer interrupt for controlling various devices occurs. This timer interrupt is for controlling a lamp such as a decorative lamp 111, controlling a solenoid or a motor for driving a movable accessory 66, and controlling various timers, and is generated at a cycle of 1 ms. Since the interrupt is the lowest priority level 1, the interrupt of the priority level 2 or higher is permitted (S640), and the signal indicating the input from the effect button 109, the signal indicating the error detection, and the signal indicating the power failure , Processes the input / output of ports that input / output drive signals to controlled devices such as motors and solenoids (S642). At this time, if a signal indicating a power failure is input, the backup process is immediately started. Update the data related to device control (S644), such as counting processing based on the control pattern of devices such as motors and solenoids, and on / off control of the buffer for writing data to the port in S642, and set a timer to measure the timing of the effect. Update (S646), update the timer for managing the input valid time of the effect button 109 (S648), and update the task control counter for lighting switching control of the decorative lamp 111 and runaway monitoring control of the display CPU 320. To create a 16 ms cycle (S650).

The minimum unit of lighting switching control of the decorative lamp 111 is 16 ms. One frame of the image display control is 16 ms or 32 ms, and by setting an integral multiple thereof as the minimum unit of the lighting switching control of the decorative lamp 111, it is possible to easily synchronize the lamp control and the image display control. Further, when counting a relatively long period such as an error notification for 30 seconds, if a count with a 10 interrupt (1 ms) cycle is used, the count value becomes longer than necessary, but 16 ms. The count value can be shortened by using the count value of the cycle.

The task control includes 16 types of tasks from processes 0 to 15, one of which is the lighting switching control of the decorative lamp 111, and two tasks are the runaway monitoring control of the display CPU 320. The lighting switching control of the decorative lamp 111 is executed once every 16 interrupts according to the count value of the task control counter to realize switching in a cycle of 16 ms. The runaway monitoring control of the display CPU 320 is assigned to, for example, processes 0 and 8, and when the count values of the task control counters are 0 and 8, that is, once every 80 interrupts, the toggle signal from the display CPU 320 is monitored (S652). By doing so, monitoring is realized in a cycle of 8 ms.

A toggle signal that is on / off inverted for each frame is output from the display CPU 320, and if this toggle signal does not change continuously at the same value for 1600 ms, it is determined that the display CPU 320 is out of control, and the sub CPU 310 Sends a reset signal to the display CPU 320, and the display CPU 320 that has received the reset signal executes a reset. Since the toggle signal is received from the display CPU 320 in a cycle of one frame (16 ms or 32 ms), it is monitored in a cycle of 8 ms shorter than that cycle. Finally, the timer that manages the relatively long error notification period such as the error notification for 30 seconds as described above is subtracted (S654), and the error notification ends at the time-out.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the process of displaying the special symbol variation. When the second winning / failing lottery value is held (Y in S700), the second winning / failing determination means 222 reads the second winning / failing lottery value and determines whether or not the second special symbol 52 is correct (S702), and the second winning / losing The determination means 222 determines the stop symbol of the second special symbol 52 (S704), the second variation pattern determining means 232 determines the variation pattern of the second special symbol 52 (S706), and issues a variation start command together with the determined result. It is transmitted to the sub-board 300 to start the symbol variation of the second special symbol 52 (S716).

When the second winning / failing lottery value is not held (N of S700) and the first winning / failing lottery value is held (Y of S708), the first winning / failing determination means 221 is the first winning / losing lottery. The value is read out and the hit / fail of the first special symbol 51 is determined again (S710), the first hit / miss determination means 221 determines the stop symbol of the first special symbol 51 (S712), and the first variation pattern determining means 231 is the first. 1 The variation pattern of the special symbol 51 is determined (S714), and the variation start command is transmitted to the sub-board 300 together with the determined result to start the symbol variation of the first special symbol 51 (S716). If the first winning / losing lottery value is not held, the processes from S710 to S722 are skipped (N in S708).

Processes the symbol variation display of the special symbol (S718), repeats S718 until the predetermined variation time elapses and reaches the symbol display stop timing (N of S720), and stops the symbol display after the predetermined variation time elapses. When the timing is reached (Y of S720), the fluctuation stop command is transmitted to the sub-board 300 to stop the symbol fluctuation being displayed at the predetermined stop symbol (S722), and the fluctuation display of the special symbol is finished. To do.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the process of displaying decorative symbol variation. The effect determining means 303 of the sub-board 300 receives a command indicating the variation start and the effect display content from the main board 200 (S750), and stops the decorative symbol according to the received special symbol stop symbol, variation pattern, and hit / fail determination result. The aspect is determined (S752), and the variation effect pattern corresponding to the variation pattern is determined (S754). Here, when the precursor setting is turned on by the preliminary determination (Y in S756), the already determined variable effect pattern includes a specific effect content that should be avoided from being superimposed on the advance notice effect. If it is not (N of S758) and it is not a symbol change that is the trigger for turning on the precursor setting (N of S760), the setting to display the predetermined advance notice effect is executed (S764), and the precursor setting is set. If it is a symbol change that is an on-trigger (Y in S760), the precursor setting is turned off (S762). If the precursor setting is not on (N in S756), or if the variable effect pattern includes a specific effect content (Y in S758), the processes of S760 to S764 are skipped.

After that, the variation effect display of the decorative symbol is started (S766), the variation effect display process of the decorative symbol and (S768) are executed, the notice effect display process is executed (S770), and the variation stop command is received from the main board 200. When S768 and S770 are repeated (N in S772) and the fluctuation stop command is received (Y in S772), the symbol variation display is stopped by stopping and displaying the decorative symbol in the stop mode determined in S752 (S774). ), The variation effect of the decorative pattern is completed (S776).

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the process of the special game. First, the effect display control means 305 starts the effect process of the special game (S800), and the open / close control means 275 opens the grand prize opening 20 (S802). If the predetermined opening time has not passed (N of S804) and the number of balls entered into the large winning opening 20 has not reached 9 or more, the game returns to S804 (N of S806) and the predetermined opening time has passed (N of S806). Although the opening time has not passed (Y of S804) (N of S804), when the number of balls entered into the large winning opening 20 reaches 9 or more (Y of S806), the opening / closing control means 275 is the large winning opening. 20 is closed (S810).

If the unit game has not reached the final round (N in S810), 1 is added to the number of rounds to return to S802 (S812), and if the unit game has reached the final round (Y in S810), the effect display is displayed. The control means 305 ends the effect processing of the special game (S814), the special game control means 260 ends the special game (S816), and starts the execution of the specific game, that is, the probability change, the time saving, and the easy entry state (S818). ).

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the process of the small hit game. First, the large winning opening 20 is opened (S820), the opening is continued until the predetermined opening time elapses (N of S822), and when the opening time elapses (Y of S822), the large winning opening 20 is closed. (S824), if the opening / closing for the set number of times has not been completed (N in S826), 1 is added to the number of opening / closing times to return to S820 (S828), and if the opening / closing for the set number of times has been completed (S824). Y), the small hit game is completed.

In the prerequisite technique, the number of big hits in the second game is generally larger than the number of big hits in the first game, that is, the second game has one big hit than the first game. Although it was designed to have a higher expected value of winning a prize ball in, in another example, the first game may be designed to have a higher expected value of winning a prize ball than the second game. However, it may be designed so that the expected value of winning the prize ball in the first game and the second game is substantially equal. In the latter case, it may be designed so that the average number of unit games included in the special game executed in the first game and the special game executed in the second game is equal. For example, in the first game, a special game in which the unit game is executed 10 times with a probability of 100% is executed, and in the second game, a special game in which the unit game is executed four times with a probability of 50% is executed. However, there may be a special game in which the unit game is executed 16 times with a probability of 50%. Further, in any case, when a specific area is provided in the large winning opening and the game ball that has entered the large winning opening enters the specific area or passes through the specific area, in the normal game after the special game is completed. It may be configured so that a specific game such as a probabilistic state is performed. In this case, the special game executed when the big hit is made in the second game is easier to enter the specific area than the special game which is executed when the big hit is made in the first game. It may be configured so that the probability that the normal game in the probabilistic state is executed is high after the end of the special game. For example, the first hit in which a special game in which it is relatively difficult to enter a specific area is executed, and the second hit in which a special game in which it is relatively easy to enter a specific area is executed. It may be provided so that the second game has a higher probability of being a second hit than the first game. Alternatively, the probability of a second hit in the first game may be less than 100%, but the probability of a second hit in the second game may be configured to be 100%.

(Example)
Hereinafter, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be described. This embodiment has the following three main features regarding the effect display. Reduced display of decorative pattern fluctuation screen 2. Stop timing of alternative symbols in a specific effect 3. Execution control of look-ahead effect according to game status and number of held items

1. 1. Reduced display of decorative pattern fluctuation screen:
During the development of super reach or special production, other production elements (for example, animation of characters, etc.) are used as the main production in a manner that hinders the visibility of fluctuations in the normal decorative design (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "decorative design"). May be displayed. In this case, the alternative symbol may be displayed in a variable manner in order to secure the fluctuation of the symbol.

However, the alternative symbol is for ensuring that the symbol is changing or in a reach state, and the fluctuation process is simplified as compared with the normal decorative symbol. For example, until a temporary stop is displayed, only a simple forward fluctuation is displayed. Therefore, it is difficult for the player to recognize the symbol change in the variable display of the normal decorative symbol and other effect elements displayed on the screen together with the variable display of the normal decorative symbol. Therefore, in this embodiment, when displaying a notice or effect that reduces the visibility of the fluctuation of the normal decorative symbol, a screen for displaying the notice or effect and displaying the normal decorative symbol in a variable manner (hereinafter, "design variable screen") ”) Is displayed on a reduced screen (hereinafter referred to as“ reduced variable screen ”).

FIG. 26 shows a display example of the symbol variation screen. Three decorative symbols 500 are displayed on the symbol variation screen 510. The decorative symbol 500 corresponds to the decorative symbol 61 of the prerequisite technique, and corresponds to a normal decorative symbol. The three decorative symbols 500 are composed of a first decorative symbol 501 which is a left symbol, a second decorative symbol 502 which is a middle symbol, and a third decorative symbol 503 which is a right symbol. Hereinafter, the first decorative symbol 501, the second decorative symbol 502, and the third decorative symbol 503 are collectively referred to simply as the decorative symbol 500. The decorative symbol 500 has a specific portion 505 representing a number, a character, and a symbol for specifying a symbol type of the decorative symbol, and an incidental portion 506 representing a pattern or character displayed incidentally to the specific portion 505. For example, an image representing the numbers "1" to "8" is used as the display of the specific portion 505, and a character of a type corresponding to each of the numbers "1" to "8" is displayed as the display of the incidental portion 506. The image to be represented is used.

Each of the decorative symbols 500 is variablely displayed in a predetermined decorative symbol display area 504. Although the decorative pattern display area 504 is shown as a rectangular area, it does not necessarily have to be a rectangular area, and an area having an arbitrary shape may be set according to the appearance form of the decorative pattern 500. Good. For example, a region having a shape along the contour of the decorative symbol 500 may be set as the decorative symbol display area 504. Further, the decorative symbol display area 504 is not a fixed display area, but is set so as to be dynamically changed according to the type of the variable effect pattern and the effect display process defined in the variable effect pattern. The decorative pattern display area 504 is mainly set near the center of the effect display device 60, that is, at a position where it is easy for the player to pay attention. Therefore, the decorative symbol 500 can be said to be an effect image that is a main part of the effect displayed on the effect display device 60.

In the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment, the variation pattern of the special symbol that can be selected by the first variation pattern determining means 231 and the second variation pattern determining means 232 is a pseudo-continuous variation (hereinafter, also referred to as “pseudo-ream”). Includes the corresponding pseudo-ream pattern. Pseudo-continuous variation is an effect that makes it appear as if a plurality of symbol variations are executed in a pseudo manner by displaying a plurality of symbols as if they were paused in one symbol variation. In other words, it is an effect that the three decorative symbols 500 appear to repeat the fluctuation and the stop a plurality of times in one fluctuation of the special symbol.

When the pseudo-continuous pattern is selected as the variation pattern of the special symbol, the effect determining means 303 selects the pseudo-continuous effect pattern in which the pseudo-continuous variation is defined as the variation effect pattern of the decorative symbol 500. When the pseudo continuous effect pattern is selected, the effect display control means 305 causes the effect display device 60 to display the pseudo continuous variation of the decorative symbol 500 in the manner defined by the pseudo continuous effect pattern.

The variable effect pattern of the decorative symbol 500 that can be selected by the effect determining means 303 displays at least one effect element (hereinafter, also referred to as “effect object”) other than the decorative symbol 500 in addition to the variable display of the decorative symbol 500. Prescribe. Like the decorative symbol 500, this effect object may also be displayed in an aspect (shape, pattern, color, motion, etc.) that suggests a lottery result (for example, a winning / failing determination result) on the main substrate 200. As shown in FIG. 26, the effect object 512 includes various character images 513, item images 514, and message images 515. Although not shown in FIG. 26, the effect object 512 also includes a background image of the symbol variation screen 510, blinking of light on the symbol variation screen 510, and the like.

As described as a prerequisite technique, the effect determining means 303 is based on an effect element other than the decorative symbol 500, for example, an image of a specific character or a predetermined motif, depending on the final determination result or the preliminary determination result of the winning / failing lottery. One may be selected from a plurality of types of advance notice effect patterns in which the display process of the advance notice effect suggesting the result of the determination is defined. The notice effect pattern of the present embodiment includes a special notice effect pattern that is a pattern that stipulates that the notice effect is displayed in a manner that impedes the visibility of the symbol variation screen 510.

When the display of the advance notice effect is determined by the effect determination means 303 and the special advance notice effect pattern is selected, the effect display control means 305 displays the symbol change screen at a predetermined timing during the symbol change defined by the special advance notice effect pattern. The notice effect screen is displayed in a manner that impairs visibility. The special notice effect pattern of this embodiment stipulates that the notice effect screen is displayed over the entire display area of the effect display device 60 as a so-called full-screen notice. The special notice effect pattern is not limited to the full-screen notice, and the notice effect screen may be displayed on a part of the symbol variation screen (for example, a range covering at least a part of the decorative symbol display area 504). It may be a defined one.

The effect display control means 305 of the present embodiment renders the image data of the symbol variation screen and the image data of the notice effect screen individually, and the images of each screen are layered and displayed on the effect display device 60. This image data can be said to be the frame data described in the prerequisite technology. When the special advance notice effect pattern is selected, the effect display control means 305 displays the advance notice effect screen rather than the symbol change screen in the front layer when viewed from the player, while continuing the display processing of the symbol change screen. In addition, the notice effect screen is displayed over the entire surface of the effect display device 60. In other words, the notice effect screen is displayed on top of the symbol variation screen. As a result, the notice effect screen is displayed in a manner that hinders the visibility of the symbol variation screen.

As a mode for displaying the notice effect screen in a manner that hinders the visibility of the symbol change screen, the notice effect screen may be displayed instead of the symbol change screen. Further, the notice effect screen may be displayed in a manner in which the visibility of the symbol variation screen is lower than usual, while the visibility is higher than that of the symbol variation screen. Further, the notice effect screen (layer) may be displayed in front of the symbol variation screen (layer) with a predetermined transmittance (for example, transparency 0). Further, the notice effect screen may be displayed on the entire surface of the effect display device displaying the symbol variation screen.

In the special advance notice effect pattern of this embodiment, the transparency of the advance notice effect screen is set to 0. Therefore, when the notice effect screen is displayed on the appearance, it is not possible to confirm the state of the symbol change screen covered by the notice effect screen, for example, the change state of the decorative symbol 500. In such a case, in the conventional gaming machine, the player may be shown that the symbol is changing by displaying the alternative symbol together with the notice effect screen. FIG. 27 shows a display example of the notice effect screen and the alternative symbol. On the notice effect screen 520 of the figure, the notice element image 522, which is an effect element constituting the notice effect, is displayed. For example, the warning element image 522 is an image that suggests a hit / fail determination result based on the number of stars, colors, and the like. The notice element image 522 may be an image suggesting a hit / fail determination result by a step-up notice.

In FIG. 27, three alternative symbols 524 are displayed together with the notice effect screen 520. The three alternative symbols 524 are composed of a first alternative symbol 525 which is a left symbol, a second alternative symbol 526 which is a middle symbol, and a third alternative symbol 527 which is a right symbol. The alternative symbol 524 is a symbol for simplifying and displaying the decorative symbol 500 in a small size, and has an appearance display form corresponding to a specific portion 505 representing a number, a character, or a symbol for specifying the symbol type. As the alternative symbol 524, for example, an image showing numbers, letters, and symbols as they are, and an image in which numbers, letters, and symbols are patterned or decorated are used.

Each of the alternative symbol 524s is variablely displayed in a predetermined alternative symbol display area 528. The alternative symbol display area 528 is not a fixed display area, but is set so that it can be dynamically changed according to the type of the variable effect pattern and / or the advance notice effect pattern and the effect display process defined by these patterns. May be good. The alternative symbol display area 528 is set at a position outside the decorative symbol display area 504, not near the center of the effect display device 60 in which the decorative symbol display area 504 is set. For example, the lower right of the effect display device 60 or It is set to the lower left position. The alternative symbol display area 528 is set to be a region relatively narrower than the decorative symbol display area 504. That is, the alternative symbol display area 528 is set to a position and size that does not easily interfere with the display of the effect image (for example, the notice element image 522) displayed near the center of the effect display device 60. The alternative symbol display area 528 may be set at a position on the upper left or upper right, or may be set at a position deviated from the center of the effect display device 60 in any direction including the up, down, left, and right directions.

By displaying the alternative symbol 524, it is possible to show the player that the symbol is changing (in other words, the symbol change period) even while the decorative symbol 500 is not displayed. However, the alternative symbol 524 is variablely displayed in a simple manner for the purpose of guaranteeing the symbol variation, and the symbol change at the time of pseudo continuous operation and the display presence / absence of the effect object 512 are not reflected in the variation of the alternative symbol 524. Therefore, when the notice effect screen 520 is displayed in a manner that reduces the visibility of the symbol variation screen 510, the player cannot confirm the symbol change of the decorative symbol 500 on the symbol variation screen 510 or the effect object 512. It was. The symbol change of the decorative symbol 500 is a variation process different from the normal variation process, and includes a variation different from a simple variation in the forward direction. For example, it includes operations such as sliding and returning.

As a result, when the notice effect screen 520 is displayed, the effect on the symbol change screen 510, for example, the change of the symbol such as the pseudo-ream and the effect that the display of the effect object 512 plays an important role, the player's intention It was difficult to raise expectations. Further, when the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 is completed and the player can visually recognize the symbol variation screen 510 again, the symbol change and the display of the effect object 512 on the symbol variation screen 510 are halfway. It sometimes made the player feel uncomfortable.

Therefore, when the effect display control means 305 of the present embodiment displays the advance notice effect screen 520 in a manner that hinders the visibility of the symbol change effect screen 510 according to the special advance notice effect pattern, the symbol variation screen 510 is reduced as it is. The variable screen is displayed together with the notice effect screen 520. Specifically, for each of the plurality of types of advance notice effect patterns, it is stipulated that either the alternative symbol is displayed, the reduced variable screen is displayed, or neither the alternative symbol nor the reduced variable screen is displayed. You may. The special notice effect pattern of this embodiment, which is a full-screen notice, is defined to display a reduced variable screen, and the effect display control means 305 starts displaying the notice effect screen 520 during the symbol change according to the special notice effect pattern. Start displaying the reduction / fluctuation screen at the timing.

FIG. 28 shows a display example of the notice effect screen and the reduction fluctuation screen. The effect display control means 305 displays the reduced variation screen 530 on the advance notice effect screen 520 in synchronization with the display start of the advance notice effect screen 520 during the symbol change. The effect display control means 305 displays the reduced variable screen 530 in the mini window 532, which is a screen frame that occupies a part of the display area of the effect display device 60. The position of the mini window 532 is set to a position that does not easily interfere with the display of the main effect image (for example, the advance notice element image 522) displayed near the center of the effect display device 60. For example, in FIG. 28, it is set at the lower right position of the effect display device 60.

The reduced variation screen 530 is a screen showing the contents of the symbol variation screen 510 whose visibility is obstructed by the notice effect screen 520 (which is hidden in appearance in the embodiment) as it is. The reduced variation screen 530 can be said to be a reduced image while maintaining the screen configuration of the symbol variation screen 510 including the decorative symbol 500 and the effect object 512. Further, the reduced variation screen 530 can be said to be an image in which only the sizes of the decorative symbol 500 and the effect object 512 on the symbol variation screen 510 are reduced, and their arrangement positions, variation modes, movements, and the like are displayed in the same mode. As described above, since the display content of the reduced variable screen 530 is the same as that of the symbol variable screen 510, the display of the reduced variable screen 530 changes the stop timing, slippage, return, etc. of the decorative symbol 500, and the effect object 512. The display mode can be confirmed by the player.

The effect display control means 305 of this embodiment (for example, the drawing circuit 336 of FIG. 12) continues the display process of the symbol variation screen 510 behind the display of the notice effect screen 520. Specifically, the effect display control means 305 may store the frame data of the symbol variation screen 510 in the VRAM (for example, the frame buffer 338 of FIG. 12) even while the notice effect screen 520 is being displayed. The effect display control means 305 (for example, the display circuit 340 in FIG. 12) copies the frame data of the symbol variation screen 510 stored in the VRAM, and executes a predetermined conversion process for reducing the display size on the copy data. Then, the converted frame data may be acquired as the frame data of the reduced fluctuation screen. The effect display control means 305 may display the converted frame data in the mini window 532 of the effect display device 60. As a result, the reduced variable screen 530, which is a reduced version of the symbol variable screen 510, is displayed. The data conversion process for reducing the screen size may be implemented as a function of the VDP (Video Display Processor).

The effect display control means 305 ends the display of the reduced variation screen 530 when the state in which the visibility of the symbol variation screen 510 is hindered by the notice effect screen 520 is terminated. Specifically, the effect display control means 305 also ends the display of the reduced variation screen 530 at the timing when the effect period defined by the special advance notice effect pattern ends and the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 ends. If the notice effect screen 520 is hidden, the visibility of the symbol variation screen 510 is improved, and in this embodiment, the symbol variation screen 510 is redisplayed on the front surface of the effect display device 60, so that the reduction variation screen 530 is displayed. This is because it becomes unnecessary.

In this way, the effect display control means 305 synchronizes the display start timing of the notice effect screen 520 with the display start timing of the reduction variation screen 530, and the display end timing of the advance notice effect screen 520 and the reduction variation screen 530. Synchronize the display end timing. In other words, the display of the reduced variation screen 530 is started in synchronization with the timing when the symbol variation screen 510 becomes difficult to see, and the display of the reduced variation screen 530 ends in synchronization with the timing when the symbol variation screen 510 becomes easy to see. ..

The effect determining means 303 may select a pseudo continuous effect pattern as the variable effect pattern, and may select a special advance notice effect pattern as the advance notice effect pattern by a lottery independent of this. That is, the effect determining means 303 may select both the pseudo continuous effect pattern and the special advance notice effect pattern at the start of the symbol variation accompanying one ball entry, depending on the result of the hit / fail determination associated with the ball entry.

In this case, the effect display control means 305 displays the notice effect screen 520 as a full-screen notice during the symbol change, and displays the reduction change screen 530 in synchronization with the display of the notice effect screen 520. Further, if the execution timing of the pseudo-ream is included in the display period of the notice effect screen 520, the pseudo-continuous variation effect of the decorative symbol 500 is displayed on the reduced variation screen 530. Furthermore, when the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 ends and the reduction variation screen 530 ends while the pseudo continuous variation effect is being displayed on the reduction variation screen 530, the continuation of the pseudo continuous variation effect is displayed on the symbol variation screen 510. .. As described above, since the pseudo continuous variation effect is actually displayed on the symbol variation screen 510 behind the advance notice effect screen 520, the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 ends and the reduced variation screen 530 ends. Then, the continuation of the pseudo continuous variation effect can be presented to the player on the symbol variation screen 510. In this way, even when the advance notice effect screen 520 is displayed during the symbol change, the effect on the symbol change screen 510 can be continuously presented to the player.

According to the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment, while the notice effect screen 520 is displayed in a manner that impedes the visibility of the symbol variation screen 510, the reduction variation screen 530 is displayed to display the effect content on the symbol variation screen 510. Visibility can be maintained. That is, even when the notice effect independent of the symbol variation effect is displayed as the main effect, the effect of the symbol variation screen 510 in which the symbol change such as the pseudo-ream and the display of the effect object 512 play an important role is reduced. It can be confirmed by the player via the 530, and it becomes easy to raise the expectation of the player as the developer intended.

Further, since the effect content of the symbol variation screen 510 and the display content of the reduction variation screen 530 are the same, the player feels uncomfortable when the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 ends and the symbol variation screen 510 becomes visible again. It is possible to avoid having to embrace. That is, even when the notice effect screen 520 is displayed in full screen, the effect on the symbol variation screen 510 can be continuously presented to the player. In addition, the continuation of the pseudo continuous effect displayed halfway on the reduced variation screen 530 and the continuation of the operation of the effect object 512 can be presented to the player on the symbol variation screen 510.

Furthermore, it is possible to execute a notice effect that reduces the visibility of the symbol variation screen 510 without considering the symbol change timing on the symbol variation screen 510 (in other words, the variation effect pattern), the display timing of the effect object 512, and the like. As a result, restrictions on the start timing and end timing of the advance notice effect can be reduced, the degree of freedom of the advance notice effect can be increased, and the variation of the advance notice effect can be increased. In other words, the degree of freedom in designing the advance notice effect pattern can be increased.

In the above embodiment, while the notice effect screen 520 is displayed by the special notice effect pattern, the display of the symbol variation screen 510 is continued behind the display. As a modification, the effect display control means 305 may stop the display process of the symbol variation screen 510 during the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 by the special advance notice effect pattern, and the symbol variation screen 510 may be stopped when the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 ends. Display processing may be resumed. Even while the display process of the symbol variation screen 510 is stopped, the frame data generation process of the symbol variation screen 510 and the storage process in the VRAM are continued for the display of the reduction variation screen 530.

2. 2. Stop timing of alternative symbols in a specific production:
As described above, at the time of super reach development, special production, etc., the symbol variation may be presented to the player by using the alternative symbol 524 instead of the decorative symbol 500. Here, the control of the "specific effect" in which the battle effect is mainly displayed as the main effect instead of the variable display of the decorative symbol 500, the decorative symbol 500 is hidden, and the alternative symbol 524 is displayed will be described. The specific effect may be both a big hit and a miss, and finally notifies the big hit or the miss. In addition, a plurality of jackpot notification timings are provided for the specific effect. Therefore, even if the big hit is not notified at the earlier timing, there is a possibility that the big hit will be notified at the later timing, and one purpose is to maintain the expectation of the player for a long period of time.

Here, the alternative symbol 524 is a simple variation for the purpose of presenting to the player that the symbol is changing or is in the reach state, and the decorative symbol 500 is changed such as slipping or returning. Is not reflected in the fluctuation of the alternative symbol 524. Therefore, depending on the stop timing of the alternative symbol 524 in the specific effect, the player may be able to recognize the result before presenting the result of the big hit or the miss in the main effect to the player. That is, the result may be distorted in the middle of the specific production, the fun of the specific production may be impaired, and the expectation of the player may not be sufficiently fueled by the specific production.

Therefore, in the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment, the stop timing of the alternative symbol 524 at the time of coming off is set after the earliest hit notification timing for the specific effect provided with a plurality of hit notification timings. As a result, it is possible to prevent the result from being distorted in the middle of the specific effect, and to prevent the interestingness of the specific effect from being impaired. This will be described in detail below. As described above, strictly speaking, the alternative symbol 524 will eventually be in a temporarily stopped state. In the following description, the description of stopping the alternative symbol 524 means, strictly speaking, a temporary stop.

As with the alternative symbol, there is a so-called fourth symbol as a dramatic symbol having a size smaller than that of a normal decorative symbol. The fourth symbol can be regarded as a form of the decorative symbol, but is different from the alternative symbol in various points. The first difference is that the fourth symbol has a greater degree of simplification of the appearance of the normal decorative symbol than the alternative symbol, and typically has an appearance display form corresponding to a portion indicating the symbol type of the normal decorative symbol. Does not have. For example, the fourth symbol may be a circular image that can change to a plurality of colors, that is, may show only blinking of light.

The second difference is that the fourth symbol is single and typically indicates whether or not the symbol is changing. In addition, depending on the display mode when stopped, whether or not it is a big hit and the type of big hit may be indicated. For example, the fourth symbol indicates that the symbol is changing due to its color change, and indicates that the symbol is stopped by stopping the color change. It is difficult to express in the fourth symbol whether it is in the reach state or what kind of reach symbol it is. The third difference is that the alternative symbol is not displayed every time the symbol changes, but is displayed in a limited manner in some effects. For example, among the effects with super reach development, it may be displayed only after the super reach development, and may be returned to the normal decorative pattern display at the end of the fluctuation. On the other hand, the fourth symbol is displayed with each symbol variation.

The plurality of types of variable effect patterns that are candidates selected by the effect determining means 303 are a plurality of types that are determined to reach the notification timing for notifying the hit / fail determination result through a specific effect process including the variation display of the alternative symbol 524. Includes a specific production pattern of. Each of the plurality of types of specific effect patterns defines the display of the effect of the same category. The effects in the same category may be effects in which the effect elements such as characters, backgrounds, and items are common. In addition, the effects may be similar in appearance, such as displaying a battle or displaying a similar story. In addition, the production may be content that evokes an idea similar to that of a player.

Each of the plurality of types of specific effect patterns of this embodiment includes a super reach effect indicating that the expectation of a big hit is higher than that of a normal reach effect, and as a super reach effect, the process of battle and victory or defeat by multiple characters are described. Determine the display of the battle effect to be shown. That is, each of the plurality of types of specific effect patterns suggests and notifies the player whether it is a big hit or a miss depending on the victory or defeat indicated by the battle effect and the stop mode of the alternative symbol 524.

Further, the plurality of types of specific effect patterns include a plurality of hit specific effect patterns for notifying that the hit / fail determination result is a big hit, and a miss specific effect pattern for notifying that the hit / fail determination result is out of order. For each of the plurality of hit specific effect patterns, it is determined which of the plurality of jackpot notification timings is to be notified. In this embodiment, as a plurality of hit specific effect patterns, a normal hit specific effect pattern for notifying a big hit at the first timing and a delayed hit specific effect pattern for notifying a big hit at a second timing after the first timing. Is stipulated.

The out-of-specification effect pattern is to stop the alternative symbol 524 in an out-of-order manner at a timing after the earliest timing among a plurality of big hit notification timings defined by the plurality of hit-specific effect patterns, in other words, to notify the out-of-order. To determine. Specifically, in the off-specification effect pattern, it is defined that the alternative symbol 524 is stopped after the second timing in which the delay hit specific effect pattern notifies the big hit.

The effect determining means 303 selects the normal hit specific effect pattern as the variation effect pattern when the hit / fail determination result indicates a big hit and the variation pattern of the special symbol is associated with the normal hit specific effect pattern. Further, when the hit / fail determination result indicates a big hit and the variation pattern of the special symbol is associated with the delay hit specific effect pattern, the effect determination means 303 selects the delay hit specific effect pattern as the variation effect pattern. .. The type of jackpot indicated by the hit / fail determination result may be either a jackpot with a transition to a probability change or a jackpot without a transition to a probability variation, or both.

Further, when the hit / fail determination result indicates a deviation and the variation pattern of the special symbol is associated with the deviation specific effect pattern, the effect determination means 303 selects the deviation specific effect pattern as the variation effect pattern. The production time of each of the normal hit specific effect pattern, the delay specific effect pattern, and the off specific effect pattern is determined to match the symbol variation time defined by the variation pattern of the corresponding special symbol. When a certain variation pattern of a special symbol is selected, the effect determination means 303 selects one of a specific effect pattern and another type of variation effect pattern that matches the variation time defined by the variation pattern by lottery. You may choose.

FIG. 29 is a timing chart showing an effect process using a plurality of types of specific effect patterns. FIG. 29A shows a part of the effect process by the normal hit specific effect pattern, which is one of the hit specific effect patterns. Specifically, it shows the production process after the development to a super reach production in which the expectation of a big hit is higher than the normal reach production. FIG. 29 (b) shows a part of the effect process by the delayed hit specific effect pattern, which is one of the hit specific effect patterns, and FIG. 29 (c) shows a part of the effect process by the off-specific effect pattern. There is. The production content before the development of Super Reach, in other words, the production content from the start of symbol fluctuation to the normal reach is common to the normal hit specific production pattern, the delay hit specific production pattern, and the out-of-specification specific production pattern.

FIG. 30 shows a display example of a symbol variation screen based on a normal hit specific effect pattern, FIG. 31 shows a display example of a symbol variation screen based on a delay hit specific effect pattern, and FIG. 32 shows a symbol variation screen based on an off-specific effect pattern. A display example of is shown. In these symbol variation screens, the battle effect image 540 is displayed in the center of the screen as the main effect, while the decorative symbol 500 is hidden. Then, the alternative symbol 524 is displayed at the lower right of the screen.

First, the production by the normal hit specific production pattern will be described. As shown in FIG. 29 (a), in the normal hit specific effect pattern, after displaying a predetermined development effect indicating that the normal reach has shifted to the super reach, the battle effect as the super reach effect is displayed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 30A, the effect display control means 305 displays the battle effect image 540 in place of the decorative symbol 500 in the central portion of the symbol variation screen. At the same time, the alternative symbol 524 is displayed in the reach state (here, the reach of "3") at the lower right of the screen.

Further, as shown in FIG. 29A, in the normal hit specific effect pattern, the content of notifying the big hit is displayed at the end of the battle effect. For example, as shown in FIG. 30B, by displaying the battle effect image 540 in which the character corresponding to the reach symbol (here, “3”) wins the battle, the battle effect image 540 suggests a big hit. In addition, along with the suggestion of a big hit by the battle effect, the fluctuation of the alternative symbol 524 is stopped in the big hit mode. As a result, the player is notified of the occurrence of a big hit.

Next, the effect of the specific effect pattern per delay will be described. As shown in FIG. 29 (b), the process of displaying the battle effect as the super reach effect is the same as that of the normal hit specific effect pattern in the delay hit specific effect pattern (FIG. 30 (a)). However, in the delayed hit specific effect pattern, after displaying the content suggesting the deviation in the battle effect, the battle is restarted with a predetermined revival effect in between, and finally the content for notifying the big hit is displayed. In the delayed hit specific effect pattern of this embodiment, the timing of suggesting a deviation by the battle effect (that is, the elapsed time from the start of the symbol variation) is set to be the same as the timing of notifying the big hit in the normal hit specific effect pattern. Further, in the delayed hit specific effect pattern, the timing of notifying the big hit is determined after the timing of notifying the big hit in the normal hit specific effect pattern. This delay time may be about 2 to 3 seconds.

For example, as shown in FIG. 31 (a), in the delay hit specific effect pattern, the character corresponding to the reach symbol is displayed with the battle effect image 540 that loses the battle, thereby suggesting a temporary deviation. The delay hit specific effect pattern continues the variable display of the alternative symbol 524 once it suggests a deviation. After that, as shown in FIG. 31B, the battle is restarted and the battle effect image 540 in which the character corresponding to the reach symbol wins the battle in reverse is displayed to suggest a big hit. In addition, along with the suggestion of a big hit by the battle effect, the fluctuation of the alternative symbol 524 is stopped in the big hit mode. As a result, the player is notified of the occurrence of a big hit.

Next, the production by the detached specific production pattern will be described. As shown in FIG. 29 (c), the process of displaying the battle effect as the super reach effect is the same as that of the normal hit specific effect pattern (FIG. 30 (a)). However, in the disengagement specific effect pattern, the content for notifying the disengagement is displayed after a lapse of a predetermined time after displaying the content suggesting the disengagement in the battle effect. In the disengagement specific effect pattern of this embodiment, the timing of suggesting disengagement by the battle effect (that is, the elapsed time from the start of the symbol variation) is set to be the same as the timing of suggesting a big hit in the normal hit specific effect pattern.

Further, in the disengagement specific effect pattern, the timing at which the variation of the alternative symbol 524 is stopped is determined after the jackpot notification timing by the delay hit specific effect pattern, and in this embodiment, after the jackpot notification timing by the delay hit specific effect pattern. In other words, the disengagement special effect pattern is determined as the stop timing of the alternative symbol 524 after the latest timing among the plurality of big hit notification timings defined by the plurality of hit specific effect patterns, that is, as the timing of the disengagement notification.

For example, as shown in FIG. 32 (a), in the disengagement specific effect pattern, the disengagement is suggested by displaying the battle effect image 540 in which the character corresponding to the reach symbol loses the battle. The out-of-order hit specific effect pattern continues to display the variation of the alternative symbol 524 at the time when the battle effect image 540 suggests the out-of-order. Up to this point, it is the same as the specific effect pattern per delay. However, in the off-special effect pattern, as shown in FIG. 32 (b), the big hit notification in the delay hit specific effect pattern is maintained without displaying the revival effect, in other words, while maintaining the mode suggesting the out of the battle effect image 540. After the timing, the alternative symbol 524 is stopped in an out-of-order manner. As a result, the player is notified of the disconnection.

Actually, after the alternative symbol 524 is temporarily stopped in the jackpot mode, at the final stage of the production, the decorative symbol 500 in the fixed stop state is replaced with the substitute symbol 524 in the jackpot mode in synchronization with the stop of the special symbol. It may be displayed. Similarly, after the alternative symbol 524 is temporarily stopped in the detached mode, at the final time of the effect, the decorative symbol 500 in the fixed stop state is displayed in the detached mode in place of the alternative symbol 524 in synchronization with the stop of the special symbol. You may.

As described above, in this embodiment, the beginning of the fluctuation of the alternative symbol 524 (that is, the super reach development timing) is the same for the normal hit specific effect pattern, the late hit specific effect pattern, and the off special effect pattern. On the other hand, the final stage of the fluctuation of the alternative symbol 524 (that is, the notification timing of whether or not it is correct) is different from each other, and the normal hit specific effect pattern, the late hit specific effect pattern, and the off special effect pattern are obtained in the order of earliest.

In a game machine equipped with a specific effect that has the possibility of both big hit and miss, and there are multiple types of big hit notification timings, if the alternative symbol is stopped at the same timing as the earliest big hit notification timing at the time of loss, Even though the main production (for example, the battle production image 540) was not completed, there was no possibility of a big hit, and the player's expectation could not be fully fueled. In other words, the significance of providing a plurality of jackpot notification timings may be impaired. According to the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment, the notification timing is set after the earliest timing among the plurality of jackpot notification timings. As a result, at least after the earliest jackpot notification timing in the specific effect, the possibility of both jackpot and miss remains, and it is possible to prevent the player's expectation from being impaired at an early stage.

Further, according to the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment, the latest timing or later of the plurality of jackpot notification timings is set as the off notification timing. That is, the off-notification timing is set after the timing when the player who sees the specific effect recognizes that there is no possibility of a big hit. As a result, while there is a possibility that a delayed jackpot may occur, it is possible to prevent the missment from falling out first by stopping the alternative symbol, and the player is expected to generate a jackpot even after the dropout is suggested by the battle production, and the player's expectation. It becomes easier to maintain the feeling for a long time. That is, even if it is a simple variable display by the alternative symbol 524, the significance of providing a plurality of jackpot notification timings is lost by delaying the stop timing of the alternative symbol 524 at the time of disconnection from the result display of the main effect. To prevent. Furthermore, in the delay hit specific effect pattern, there is no need to take a troublesome method such as "temporarily stop the alternative symbol 524 with a detached combination and change the alternative symbol 524 to a hit combination at the timing of the resurrection effect". Fluctuation can be realized.

The effect using the reduced variable screen 530 explained in the above "1. Reduction display of the decorative symbol variable screen" and the alternative symbol 524 explained in the above "2. Stop timing of the alternative symbol in a specific effect" were used. It goes without saying that the effect may be displayed as separate symbol fluctuations, but both may be displayed within one symbol variation period. An example will be described below.

As described above, the production content before the development of the super reach, for example, the production content during the normal reach from the start of the symbol variation is common to the normal hit specific production pattern, the delay hit specific production pattern, and the out-of-specification specific production pattern. Here, as a production before the development of Super Reach, a pseudo continuous production of the decorative design 500 is defined. The effect determining means 303 selects one of the specific effect patterns according to the result of the hit / fail determination by the main board 200, determines the execution of the advance notice effect by the advance notice lottery, and selects the special advance notice effect pattern. This special notice effect pattern defines a full-screen notice on the notice effect screen 520 from a certain point after the start of the symbol change to a time before the development of Super Reach.

The effect display control means 305 displays the notice effect screen 520 on the entire surface of the effect display device 60 from a certain point after the start of the symbol variation, and displays the reduction variation screen 530 in synchronization with the display. The effect display control means 305 displays the pseudo continuous effect of the decorative symbol 500 on the reduced variable screen 530. The effect display control means 305 ends the display of the advance notice effect screen 520 at the advance notice end timing determined by the special advance notice effect pattern, and also ends the display of the reduced / variable screen 530 in synchronization with the end. As a result, the symbol variation screen 510 is displayed again on the effect display device 60. The effect display control means 305 displays the super reach development effect on the symbol variation screen 510, and thereafter displays the battle effect as the super reach effect and the variation and stop (temporary stop) of the alternative symbol 524 on the symbol variation screen 510. ..

3. 3. Execution control of look-ahead effect according to game status and number of held items:
An effect (so-called "look-ahead effect") may be executed according to the pre-judgment result for the reserved ball for which the change of the special symbol has not been executed. Here, the hold ball means a lottery value or a random number stored in the hold control means 240 when the ball enters the first start port 11 or the second start port 12. The process of determining the content of the look-ahead effect is also referred to as "look-ahead lottery process" below. Many game machines have adopted look-ahead effects, and various variations are being sought to fuel the expectations of players. Currently, while avoiding monotonous look-ahead effects, it is efficient according to the specifications of the game machines. The present inventor considered that the technology for realizing the look-ahead lottery process is becoming more important.

The pending change notice, which is one of the look-ahead effects, will be described. FIG. 33 shows a display example of the hold lamp image on the screen of the effect display device. In this embodiment, each time the first start port 11 or the second start port 12 is won and held, the hold lamp images displayed at the lower part of the screen of the effect display device 60 are turned on one by one. In addition, when the symbol variation display corresponding to the lit hold lamp image is started, the hold lamp image is moved to the center of the lower part of the screen to be enlarged and displayed, so that the symbol variation corresponding to the hold lamp image is currently displayed. Indicates that it is displayed. It is shown that the figures change in time series from (a) to (e).

In the figure (a), each time the winning to the starting port is held, the first holding lamp image 551, the second holding lamp image 552, the third holding lamp image 553, and the fourth holding lamp image 554 are turned on in this order. I will go. The first hold lamp image 551 moves to the changing hold lamp image 555 and is enlarged and displayed at the timing when the symbol change is newly started. Further, in synchronization with this movement, the second hold lamp image 552, the third hold lamp image 553, and the fourth hold lamp image 554 are the first hold lamp image 551, the second hold lamp image 552, and the third hold lamp image 553, respectively. Move to the position of. As a general rule, the lighting colors of the first holding lamp image 551, the second holding lamp image 552, the third holding lamp image 553, and the fourth holding lamp image 554 are predetermined one color. In this figure, for the sake of simplicity, a hold lamp image expressing up to 4 holds is shown, but 4 hold lamp images for the 1st start port 11 and 4 hold lamp images for the 2nd start port 12 are shown. A maximum of 9 images are displayed in total, including the hold lamp image of the above and the changing hold lamp image in the center. Then, the four hold lamp images corresponding to the winning of the first starting port 11 are lit in white, the four holding lamp images corresponding to the winning of the second starting port 12 are lit in green, and so on. Lights in a specific color to distinguish them. Unless otherwise specified, this figure will be described as a hold lamp image corresponding to a prize in the first starting port 11.

In the hold change notice of this embodiment, a predetermined effect element (here, the hold lamp image) changes stepwise in the symbol change unit over a plurality of symbol changes until the symbol change corresponding to the preliminary determination result is started. It displays the possible processes. Specifically, when the effect determining means 303 receives a predetermined highly expected preliminary determination result (preliminary hit / fail determination result, prior pattern determination result, etc.) as the preliminary determination result corresponding to any of the reserved balls, it is reserved. As a change notice, the hold lamp image corresponding to the hold ball is lit in a different color than usual. For example, lighting in yellow instead of normally lighting in white suggests that highly expected results are pending.

In the example of this figure, a configuration in which lights are lit in different colors will be described, but as a modification, it is sufficient that some aspect including color is different from the usual one, for example, any one of color, pattern, shape, position, and operation. Alternatively, the plurality of lights may be turned on so as to have a mode different from the usual one. The lighting timings in different colors are various, in addition to the timing immediately after winning the first start port 11 or the second start port 12, that is, immediately after the effect determining means 303 receives the predetermined highly expected pre-determination information. It may be timing. For example, it may be the start timing of the symbol variation after receiving the predetermined highly expected pre-judgment result, the subsequent start opening winning timing after the reception, or the predetermined timing linked with the symbol variation effect or the advance notice effect after the reception. It may be timing.

In the example of this figure, the lighting color of the hold lamp image gradually changes as the number of symbol fluctuations progresses, from a color with a low degree of expectation to a color according to the high degree of expectation of a jackpot shown in the preliminary judgment result. Let me. For example, in this figure (a), it is lit in blue, which suggests that the degree of expectation is low, and yellow, red, and silver, which suggests that the degree of expectation is gradually high as it progresses to (b), (c), and (d). Finally, in (e), it is changed to gold, which suggests that the degree of expectation is the highest. In this way, out of the five stages of change, the number of stages that change according to the preliminary determination result is determined.

Further, the number of stages of color change may be determined according to the position of the hold lamp image when the lamp is first turned on according to the preliminary determination result. For example, when the lamp is first turned on at any of the positions of the third hold lamp image 553, the second hold lamp image 552, and the first hold lamp image 551 instead of the position of the fourth hold lamp image 554, the changing hold lamp image 555 is used. The color of the hold lamp image may be changed according to the number of steps until the image is moved to. Further, the number of steps from the position of the hold lamp image at the time of winning may be calculated back so that the color becomes a specific color at the end, and which color may be lit first may be determined.

FIG. 34 shows the basic structure of the pachinko gaming machine of this embodiment on the front side. Unlike the structure in the prerequisite technique, the second operating port 32 and the second starting port 12 are provided on the right side of the board surface, that is, at a position where it is easy to enter the ball when the game ball is strongly launched to the right. Here, the second starting port 12 (and the ordinary electric accessory 90) is provided in a positional relationship so that the game ball that has passed through the second operating port 32 can easily enter the ball. In this embodiment, the second operating port 32 is provided close to each other and the second starting port 12 (and the ordinary electric accessory 90) is provided close to each other in a positional relationship below. It should be noted that the number of game balls to be paid out due to the winning of the second starting port 12 in which the game ball enters when the ball is easy to enter is mainly the prize in the first starting port 11 in which the game ball enters in the normal state. It is less than the number of game balls paid out. In this embodiment, the former has one prize ball and the latter has three prize balls.

When the second starting port 12 is in an easy-to-enter state, the opening lottery of the ordinary symbol accompanying the entry of the ball into the second operating port 32 is likely to win and the ordinary electric accessory 90 is expanded. Due to the positional relationship between the second operating port 32 and the second starting port 12, the game ball that has passed through the second operating port 32 substantially enters the second starting port 12. Further, in the easy-to-enter state, the average number of fluctuations per unit time is larger than in the normal state, and the symbol fluctuation pattern less than the predetermined fluctuation time is intensively selected. Therefore, in the easy-to-enter state, it is easy to maintain a state in which the number of reserved second prize lottery values (hereinafter, also referred to as "the number of reserved second prizes") is relatively large, and typically the number of reserved second prizes is 3 or more. State is maintained. Since the number of prize balls associated with entering the second starting port 12 is one, it is permissible for a large number of game balls to enter the second starting port 12 when the ball is easy to enter.

On the other hand, in the normal state, it is difficult to enter the second starting port 12, so the player strikes left and aims to enter the first starting port 11, but the second in the easy entering state. It is not as easy to enter the first starting port 11 as the starting port 12. Therefore, in the normal state, the number of reserved first winning / failing lottery values (
Hereinafter, it is also referred to as "the number of first prize pending". ) Rarely reach the upper limit of four.

Upon receiving the pre-determination result transmitted from the main board 200, the effect determining means 303 determines whether or not to execute a special effect suggesting a hit / fail determination result as a result of a predetermined lottery process according to the pre-determination result. Decide accordingly. The special effect in this embodiment is a pending change notice that suggests the occurrence of a big hit and its expectation in the symbol change at present or several times later. The effect determining means 303 determines the execution of the pending change notice with the first probability (for example, 5%) when the preliminary winning / failing determination result indicates a deviation, while the first probability when the preliminary winning / failing determination result indicates a big hit. A higher second probability (eg, 10%) may determine the execution of the pending change notice.

When the effect determination means 303 determines the execution of the hold change notice, the effect decision means 303 determines the mode of the hold change notice with reference to a predetermined hold change notice table that serves as a reference for determining the mode of the hold change notice. When the mode of the hold change notice is determined by the effect determination means 303, the effect display control means 305 indicates the hold ball (corresponding to the preliminary determination result) to be notified in the color determined by the determined mode. Display the lamp image.

The hold change notice table shows the game state (specifically, the normal state and the easy-to-enter state) and the number of holds (specifically, the first prize hold number or the first prize hold number) that can be notified from the main board 200 to the effect determining means 303. It is provided for each combination of 2 prize-holding numbers 0-4). For example, a table for a normal state and a number of first prizes held, a table for easy entry and a table for a second prize holder of four, and the like are included. There is no limit to the number of pending change notice tables. For example, a reference area may be provided in one table when the number of first prizes held is one in the normal state, and a reference area may be provided in the easy-to-enter state when the number of second prizes is four. The effect determining means 303 may determine the mode of the pending change notice by referring to the area that matches the combination of the gaming state at the time of receiving the preliminary determination result and the number of reserved pieces.

In this embodiment, the target of the hold change notice in the normal state is the hold of the first win / fail lottery value, and the target of the hold change notice in the easy entry state is the hold of the second win / loss lottery value. As a modification, both the hold of the first winning / failing lottery value and the holding of the second winning / failing lottery value may be subject to the hold change notice in any game state. Hereinafter, the term "holding number" simply means the second winning holding number in the easy-to-win state, and the first winning holding number in the normal state.

Further, the hold change notice table includes a plurality of candidates each of which defines a combination of display modes of the effect element (here, the hold lamp image) in each of the plurality of symbol changes as candidates for the hold change notice mode. FIG. 35 schematically shows a pending change notice table. This figure shows a table in a normal state and for one first prize holding number. The “maintenance 1” column in this figure indicates a color to be lit on the first holding lamp image 551 corresponding to the entry into the first starting port 11 when the winning of the first starting port 11 is held.

Although not shown, the table for the number of reserved lamps 2 further includes a "holding 2" column that defines the color to be lit on the second reserved lamp image 552, and the table for the number of reserved lamps 3 is lit on the third reserved lamp image 553. The table for 4 hold lamps further includes a "hold 4" column that defines the color to be lit on the fourth hold lamp image 554. In the case of the hold change notice table corresponding to the normal state, the "hold 1" column, the "hold 2" column, and so on are the first hold lamp images 551 and the second corresponding to the entry into the first start port 11. The lighting color of the hold lamp image 552 ... Is shown. On the other hand, in the case of the hold change notice table corresponding to the easy entry state, the "hold 1" column, the "hold 2" column, and so on are the first hold lamps corresponding to the entry into the second starting port 12. The lighting color of the image 551, the second holding lamp image 552, ... Is shown.

In the "changing" column of FIG. 35, when the holding ball corresponding to the first holding lamp image 551 is subject to the symbol changing after one symbol change is completed, the changing holding lamp image 555 is turned on. Show color. As described above, one record of the hold change notice table shows the mode (process) of the hold change notice for one hold ball, in other words, the fourth hold lamp image 554, the third hold lamp image 553, and the third hold lamp image. 2 The combination (transition) of the lighting colors in the order of the holding lamp image 552, the first holding lamp image 551, and the changing holding lamp image 555 is shown. Hereinafter, each record that is a selection candidate in the hold change notice table is also referred to as a “hold change pattern”.

The “Big hit selection probability” column of FIG. 35 shows the probability of selecting the pending change pattern when the preliminary hit / fail determination result is a value indicating a big hit. Further, the "selection probability at the time of loss" column indicates the probability of selecting the pending change pattern when the preliminary hit / fail determination result is a value indicating a loss. It goes without saying that in the actual pending change notice table, a lottery value range that matches the selection probability may be set.

In the hold change notice table of this embodiment, when the advance hit / fail judgment result is a big hit, the lighting color of the changing hold lamp image 555, which is the final mode of the hold change notice, is red, as compared with the case where the advance hit / fail judgment result is wrong. The probability that silver and gold will be selected is set high. In this embodiment, the selection probability of the pending change pattern is changed based on whether the pre-hit / fail judgment result is a big hit or a miss, but as a modification, the selection probability may be changed according to the result of the pre-design judgment or the pre-pattern judgment. The selection probability may be changed for each combination of a plurality of types of preliminary determination results.

In the pending change notice of this embodiment, it is shown that the expectation of the big hit increases in the order of blue <yellow <red <silver <gold. In addition, each time the number of symbol fluctuations progresses, the lighting color up to that point is maintained or changed to a color with a higher degree of expectation. As shown in FIG. 35, when the number of pending changes is 1, the number of pending change patterns is 15. Here, the later the hold order of the hold ball corresponding to the pre-judgment result, in other words, the larger the number of symbol changes due to other hold balls until the symbol change corresponding to the pre-judgment result, the more the hold lamp image is displayed. The number of stages that can be changed increases, and the number of pending change patterns that should be defined in the pending change notice table also increases. For example, when the number of pending changes is 2, 3, or 4, the number of pending change patterns is 35, 105, and 371, respectively, and it is necessary to assign a selection probability (lottery value range) to each pattern. ..

The effect determining means 303 is based on the holding lamp image corresponding to the winning of the second starting port 12 according to the preliminary determination result when the number of the second winning hold is equal to or more than the first threshold value in the easy-to-enter state. Determine the mode of the pending change notice. In other words, when the number of second prizes reserved is less than the first threshold value in the easy-to-enter state, the process of determining the mode of the reservation change notice is skipped. In this embodiment, the pre-judgment result referred to for determining the mode of the pending change notice is the pre-hit / fail judgment result, but it may be a pre-symbol judgment result or a pre-pattern judgment result, and a combination of these plurality of types of judgment results. It may be.

The first threshold value, which is the execution condition of the pending change notice, is three. When the number of pending changes is 3, the effect determining means 303 refers to the pending change notice table corresponding to the easy entry of the ball and the number of reserved balls, and determines a specific pending change pattern with a probability according to the preliminary determination result. select. When the number of pending changes is 4, the effect determining means 303 refers to the pending change notice table corresponding to the easy entry of the ball and the number of reserved balls, and has a probability of a specific pending change pattern according to the preliminary determination result. Select. As a modification, the first threshold value may be an upper limit value (4 pieces) of the second prize holding number, or may be set to a number larger than the lower limit value (1 piece) of the second prize holding number. ..

Further, the effect determining means 303 holds a table for the second prize holding number of 3 pieces and a table for the second winning prize holding number of 4 pieces as the holding change notice table to be referred to in the easy-to-enter ball state, while the second winning prize. The table for 1 hold quantity and the table for 2 second prize hold numbers are not held. That is, in the pachinko gaming machine 100 of this embodiment, the table for the second prize hold number 1 and the table for the second prize hold number 2 are undefined as the hold change notice table to be referred to in the easy-to-enter state. It may be, in other words, it does not have to be implemented.

In the easy-to-enter state, it is easy to maintain a relatively large number of second prizes reserved, and in particular, the pachinko game of the present embodiment in which the second operating port 32 and the second starting port 12 are arranged in the positional relationship shown in FIG. In the machine 100, the number of second prizes held is approximately 3 or more during the period of easy entry. Based on this, the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment is configured not to execute the hold change notice when the number of second prizes held is less than 3 in the easy-to-enter state. According to this configuration, it is possible to shorten the development period by reducing the amount of programs without substantially causing disadvantages such as reducing the chances of executing look-ahead effects such as pending change notices, and also testing and debugging game machines. The cost required for this can be reduced. For example, the table (or the definition data of the hold change pattern) corresponding to one or two hold numbers in the hold change notice table for the easy entry state becomes unnecessary. Further, it is possible to reduce the number of steps for development work such as allocation of the lottery value range for the hold change pattern corresponding to one or two hold numbers and the number of steps for testing.

Further, in the normal state, when the number of first prizes held is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the effect determining means 303 uses the number of first prizes held less than the second threshold as a reference for determining the mode of the reservation change notice. Use the pending change notice table that corresponds to. In this embodiment, the second threshold value is set to 4, and the effect determining means 303 refers to the hold change notice table corresponding to the first winning hold number of 3 when the first prize hold number is the upper limit of 4. The mode of the pending change notice is determined. As a modification, the second threshold value may be three, and the effect determining means 303 has a hold change corresponding to the first prize hold number of two when the first prize hold number is four or three. The mode of the pending change notice may be determined with reference to the notice table.

Further, the effect determining means 303 is used as a hold change notice table to be referred to in the normal state, for a table for the first prize hold number 1, a table for the first prize hold number 2, and a table for the first prize hold number 3. While holding the table, it does not hold the table for the first prize holding number of 4. That is, in the pachinko gaming machine 100 of the present embodiment, the table for the first prize holding number of 4 pieces may be undefined as the holding change notice table to be referred to in the normal state, in other words, it does not have to be implemented.

The effect display control means 305 notifies the hold change notice that the pattern is determined when the first prize hold number is equal to or more than the second threshold value in the normal state at the time of receiving the pre-determination result, that is, during the current symbol change, and after the next time. Display when the symbol changes. The effect display control means 305 of the present embodiment displays the hold change notice whose pattern is determined when the number of the first prize hold is 4 in the normal state at the start of the next symbol change, and the hold change notice. Starts when the target hold rank is third. Specifically, for the hold change pattern selected from the hold change notice table for the first prize hold number 3 when the first prize hold number is 4, the hold change notice in the mode defined by the pattern is given to the hold change notice by the third hold lamp. Start from the position of image 553.

As described above, in this embodiment, the hold change pattern is determined when the number of first prizes held is 4 in the normal state, and the display of the hold change notice in the determined pattern is delayed until the next and subsequent symbol changes. As a modification, when the effect determining means 303 receives the pre-judgment result when the number of first prizes held is 4 in the normal state, the pre-judgment result is stored, and at the next symbol change (for example, at the start of the symbol change). , The hold change pattern may be determined according to the pre-determination result stored in advance and the hold change notice table corresponding to the number of holds 3. Then, the display of the pending change notice may be started at the same time.

In the normal state, the player aims to enter the first starting port 11, but the number of first prizes held in the normal state is often less than four. Based on this, in the pachinko gaming machine 100 of this embodiment, when the number of first prizes held is exceptionally four in the normal state, the hold change pattern is based on the same criteria as when the number of first prizes held is three. To decide. In this way, by simplifying the pending change notice in a situation that is unlikely to occur in reality, the development period is reduced by reducing the amount of programs without substantially causing disadvantages such as monotonous effect of the pending change notice effect. Can be shortened. In addition, the cost required for testing and debugging the gaming machine can be reduced. For example, among the hold change notice tables for the normal state, the table (or the definition data of the hold change pattern) corresponding to the number of holds 4 is not required. Further, it is possible to reduce the man-hours for development work such as the allocation of the lottery value range for each hold change pattern corresponding to the four hold numbers and the man-hours for the test. In this embodiment, the hold change notice is illustrated among the look-ahead effect and the look-ahead notice, but the technique described in this embodiment can be applied to the look-ahead effect and the look-ahead notice in general other than the hold change notice, and has the same effect. Play. That is, according to the aspect of the present embodiment, it is possible to realize an efficient look-ahead lottery process while suppressing the monotonization of various types of look-ahead effects and look-ahead notices.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart showing an operation related to the pending change notice. When the effect determining means 303 receives the pre-determination result from the main board 200 (Y in S840), the effect determining means 303 determines whether or not the current gaming state is an easy-to-enter state. If the current game state is an easy-to-enter state (Y in S842) and the number of second lottery pending is 3 or more (Y in S844), the effect determining means 303 draws a lottery as to whether or not the pending change notice is executed. (S846). When the execution of the hold change notice is decided (Y in S848), the effect determining means 303 refers to the hold change notice table corresponding to the second prize hold number, and determines the hold change pattern with a probability according to the preliminary determination result. Determine (S850).

The effect display control means 305 starts displaying the hold change notice according to the hold change pattern determined by the effect determination means 303 (S852). For example, when the number of the second lottery hold is 4, the fourth hold lamp image 554 is displayed in the color specified in the "hold 4" column of the hold change pattern selected from the hold change notice table for the number of hold 4. Turn it on. After that, the hold change notice is advanced in the colors specified in each of the "hold 3" column, "hold 2" column, "hold 1" column, and "changing" column of the hold change pattern. When it is decided not to execute the hold change notice (N of S848), when the number of the second lottery hold is less than 3 (N of S844), when the preliminary judgment result has not been received (N of S840), and thereafter. The process is skipped and the flow of this figure ends. If the game state at the time of receiving the pre-determination result is not the easy-to-enter state but the normal state (N in S842), the normal state process is executed (S854).

FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing in detail the normal processing of S854 in FIG. 36. The effect determining means 303 determines by lottery whether or not to execute the pending change notice (S860). When it is decided to execute the hold change notice (Y in S848), if the number of the first lottery hold is less than 4 (N in S864), the effect determining means 303 sets up a hold change notice table that matches the hold number. With reference to this, the pending change pattern is determined with a probability according to the preliminary determination result (S866). The effect display control means 305 starts displaying the hold change notice according to the hold change pattern determined by the effect determination means 303 (S874).

When the first lottery hold number is 4 (Y in S864), the effect determining means 303 refers to the hold change notice table for the hold number 3 and determines the hold change pattern with a probability according to the preliminary determination result. Determine (S868). The effect display control means 305 is an image of the holding ball corresponding to the pre-determination result, that is, the fourth holding lamp image 554 is displayed in the normal mode (S870). Until the currently executing symbol change is completed, the fourth hold lamp image 554 is continuously displayed in the normal mode (N in S872). When the movement timing of the hold lamp image corresponding to the pre-determination result is reached, that is, at the start of the next symbol change (Y in S872), the effect display control means 305 displays the hold change notice by the hold change pattern determined in S868. Is started (S874).

The present invention has been described above based on examples. It is understood by those skilled in the art that this embodiment is merely an example, and that various modifications are possible for each of these components and combinations of each processing process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. is there. Hereinafter, modification examples will be given.

The pachinko gaming machine 100 of the modified example may be a so-called ST machine that executes a probability change of cutting the number of times. The specific game control means 270 does not continue the probability change until the next big hit occurs, but when the probability change is continued for a predetermined upper limit period, for example, when the symbol variation (disengagement) of a predetermined number of times is completed, the probability change is performed. Terminate and return to the normal probability state. The maximum duration of the probability change may be 4 times or 150 times as the number of symbol fluctuations, and may be appropriately designed. Further, the specific game control means 270 may continue the easy entry state during the continuation of the probability change, or may end the easy entry state at the end of the probability change and return to the normal state. In addition, the easy entry state may be continued up to a predetermined period (the number of times a specific symbol changes) after the end of the probability change.

The pachinko gaming machine 100 as the ST machine may hold a special variation pattern for the production of the pending villa as a variation pattern for four symbol variations after the end of the special game. Then, the special variation pattern may be selected in the four symbol variation after the end of the special game (typically, the symbol variation due to the reserved ball of the second winning / failing lottery which is the priority digestion target). The special variation pattern is 1-2 in order to continuously show the previous special game (finished special game) and the later special game (newly executed special game) when the pending villa occurs. It may specify an ultra-shortening fluctuation of about seconds. In this case, the effect determining means 303 performs a look-ahead lottery process (for example, pending change) based on the preliminary determination result accompanying the entry into the starting winning opening during the period from the end of the special game to the end of the four symbol fluctuations. The lottery process related to the notice) may be suppressed. The period in which the special fluctuation pattern is selected is a period in which the player's expectation is fueled depending on whether or not the pending change villa occurs, and since it is a super-shortened fluctuation, it is not meaningful to execute the pending change notice. Because. According to this aspect, further efficiency of the look-ahead lottery process can be realized.

Further, the pachinko gaming machine 100 as the ST machine may display the consecutive villa end effect when the final symbol changes in the probabilistic state (the symbol changes when the maximum duration expires). For example, the effect determining means 303 counts the number of symbol fluctuations in the probabilistic state, and when the final symbol change in the probabilistic state is out of the range, the effect element for suggesting or notifying the end of the consecutive villa is included. You may decide to execute the production. In this case, the effect determining means 303 is in the period from the detection of the entry ball corresponding to the final symbol change in the probabilistic state based on the preliminary determination result to the end of the final symbol change due to the deviation, or immediately before the end of the probable change. During the period of 4 fluctuations (that is, when the remaining period of the probability change is less than or equal to the upper limit of the number of pending changes), a look-ahead lottery process based on the pre-judgment result associated with entering the starting winning opening (for example, a lottery process related to the notice of pending changes) May be suppressed. The content of the production changes significantly during and after the probability change, but if the pre-reading notice such as the pending change notice is continued across the production during the probability change and the production after the end of the probability change, it is easy to cause confusion for the player. .. Further, the special symbols that mainly fluctuate during the probabilistic change and after the probabilistic change are different (for example, the former is the second special symbol 52 and the latter is the first special symbol 51), and the special symbols to be read ahead are also different. Therefore, if the pre-reading notice is continued during and after the probabilistic change, the pre-reading notice that is inconsistent with the game state will be displayed, and the player is likely to be confused. According to this aspect, it is possible to further improve the efficiency of the look-ahead lottery process while suppressing the occurrence of inconsistency between the game state and the look-ahead notice and causing confusion for the player.

The "random number" referred to in the present specification or the scope of the patent claim does not have to be a physical random number generated by a random number generation circuit or a true random number in a mathematical sense, and is a hardware random number or random number generation using a 16-bit counter. It may be a pseudo-random number such as a software random number using an algorithm. Alternatively, a combination of a hardware random number and a software random number, for example, a plus random number method in which the initial value is changed each time the counter makes one round may be used.

Strictly speaking, when the term "table" or "criteria (selection criteria)" is used in the present specification or claims, the correspondence between the first parameter such as a lottery value and the second parameter such as a value indicating an option. Not only refers to the data defined in the table structure, but also broadly includes the case where such a correspondence is realized by a program structure in which the second parameter is derived from the first parameter. Including them, the concept is substantially synonymous with "table" and is appropriately referred to as "criteria (selection criteria)". Further, when a table structure is used, the selection criteria that are substantially one type may be composed of a combination of a plurality of structurally subdivided tables, but the term "multiple types of selection criteria" is subdivided. Shows the actual number of types of tables, not the number of converted tables.

In the pseudo continuous variation effect, the number of pseudo symbol variations may be counted and the counted number may be notified to the player. For example, information indicating how many times the pseudo symbol variation occurs may be displayed on the effect display device 60, or may be notified by the lighting mode of the decorative lamp 111 or the like. The pseudo symbol variation in the pseudo continuous variation effect and the symbol variation in the main effect may be counted without distinction. By displaying the reduced variable screen 530, which is a reduced version of the symbol variable screen 510 when the notice effect screen 520 is displayed, the pseudo symbol variation number is continuously displayed between the reduced variable screen 530 and the symbol variable screen 510. , It is possible to prevent the player from feeling uncomfortable at the end of the display of the notice effect screen 520.

The effect display device may be composed of a combination of a plurality of display devices as well as a case of being composed of a single display device. In the case of a plurality of displays, displays of different sizes such as a combination of a main liquid crystal and a sub liquid crystal may be combined, the sub liquid crystal may be arranged at a position adjacent to the main liquid crystal, or a position other than the game board, for example, firing. It may be installed near the handle. When installed in the vicinity of the launch handle, it may be configured in the form of a touch panel that can be operated and input by the player.

Further, in the above embodiment, a pachinko machine in which a game ball (prize ball) is paid out as a profit based on the entry of a ball is illustrated, but instead of paying out the prize ball, an electronic profit management system is used to pay out the game ball. It can also be applied to so-called enclosed type pachinko machines that manage firing and prize ball grants. In such an enclosed type pachinko machine, typically, a predetermined number of game balls circulate in the game machine and play a game with the circulated game balls, and the game balls can be launched instead of paying out the prize balls. Benefit the player by increasing the number of times. For example, a ball circulation means that receives a game ball that has rolled in the game area and sends it to the game area again without discharging it to the outside of the game machine to circulate it in the game machine, and the number of shot balls and the number of received balls of the game ball. , And a ball number management means for managing the number of balls held based on the number of prize balls paid out, and a ball holding display means for displaying the managed number of balls held.

The invention of the present application is not limited to the above embodiment, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist. In addition, various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiment, or some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiment. .. Further, it is possible to appropriately combine the components over a plurality of embodiments.

The gaming machine described in the above-described embodiment and modification can be expressed as follows.
The ball game machine of the first aspect executes a winning / failing determination triggered by a game board in which a game area is formed, a start winning opening provided at a predetermined position in the game area, and a ball entering the starting winning opening. A normal game when the hit / fail judgment means, the effect display device in which the symbol for showing the result of the hit / fail judgment is displayed in a variable manner, and the result of the hit / fail judgment are hit and the symbol is stopped and displayed in a mode indicating the hit. A special game control means for executing a special game that is more advantageous to the player, and a production decision to select one from a plurality of types of fluctuation patterns in which the fluctuation display process of the symbol is defined according to the result of the hit / fail judgment. A means and an effect display control means for displaying a symbol variation screen for displaying at least one effect element other than the symbol on the effect display device, which is a screen for variably displaying a symbol according to a variation pattern selected by the effect determination means. , Equipped with. The effect determination means selects one from a plurality of types of advance notice effect patterns in which the display process of the advance notice effect that suggests the result of the result of the hit / fail judgment is determined by the effect elements other than the symbol according to the result of the hit / fail judgment, and the effect display. When the control means causes the effect display device to display the advance notice effect screen in a manner that hinders the visibility of the symbol change effect screen according to the specific advance notice effect pattern selected by the effect determination means, the control means changes the symbol including the symbol and the effect element. Display a reduced screen while maintaining the screen configuration of the screen.

The effect display control means may end the display of the reduced screen when the state in which the visibility of the symbol variation screen is obstructed by the notice effect screen is terminated.

For multiple types of fluctuation patterns, when displaying a pseudo continuous fluctuation that makes it appear as if a plurality of symbol fluctuations have been executed by displaying a plurality of symbols as if they were paused in one symbol fluctuation. The pseudo continuous fluctuation pattern used is included, and the effect display control means displays the pseudo continuous fluctuation on the reduced screen when both the pseudo continuous fluctuation pattern and the specific advance notice pattern are selected according to the result of a certain hit / fail judgment. You may.

The ball game machine of the second aspect executes a winning / failing determination triggered by a game board in which a game area is formed, a start winning opening provided at a predetermined position in the game area, and a ball entering the starting winning opening. A hit / fail determination means, a special game control means for executing a special game that is more advantageous to the player than the normal game when the result of the hit / fail judgment is a hit, and an effect display device that displays the effective content. A pattern storage unit that stores a plurality of types of effect patterns in which the variation process of the decorative symbol indicating the result of the pass / fail judgment is determined, and one of a plurality of types of effect patterns depending on the result of the pass / fail judgment. The effect determining means for selecting and the effect display control means for displaying the variation of the decorative pattern on the effect display device according to the selected effect pattern are provided. The variable display displayed on the effect display device includes a variable display of the decorative symbol and a variable display of the alternative symbol. The alternative symbol has an external display form corresponding to the part indicating the symbol type of the decorative symbol, and the decorative symbol is variablely displayed in a narrower area than the variable display area, and the variable process is simplified instead of the decorative symbol. The plurality of types of specific effects are defined to reach the notification timing for notifying the result of the pass / fail judgment through a specific effect process including the variable display of the alternative symbol. Includes patterns. The plurality of types of specific effect patterns include a plurality of hit specific effect patterns for notifying the hit result, and a miss specific effect pattern for notifying the result of the loss. For each of the plurality of hit specific effect patterns, it may be determined which of the plurality of hit notification timings is to be notified, and for the off specific effect pattern, the earliest of the plurality of hit notification timings. It may be stipulated that the alternative symbol is stopped in an out-of-order manner at a timing after the timing of.

The plurality of hit specific effect patterns are a pattern that notifies the result of the hit at the first timing and a pattern that suggests the result of the deviation in the specific effect process and hits at the second timing after the first timing. It may include a pattern for notifying the result. The disengagement specific effect pattern may be defined to stop the alternative symbol in the disengagement mode after the second timing while suggesting the result of the disengagement in the specific effect process.

The ball game machine of the third aspect is provided at a predetermined position of the game board in which the game area is formed and the game area, so that the ball can change from a relatively difficult state to an easy state. A start winning opening with an openable expansion mechanism, a symbol display device that displays a variable display of the symbol for showing the result of the winning / failing judgment, and a ball entering the starting winning opening are more advantageous to the player than the normal game. A winning / failing determination means for executing a winning / failing determination based on a lottery value for determining whether or not to shift to a special game in a state of being in a state, and a symbol corresponding to the winning / failing determination with a lottery value up to a predetermined number. The hold control means that holds until the start of the variable display, the special game control means that executes a special game when the result of the hit / fail judgment is a hit, and the ease of entering the starting winning opening after the end of the special game are normal states. The specific game control means for shifting to the easy-to-enter state in which the expansion mechanism is opened so as to be higher, the effect display device for displaying the effect content, and the effect content to be displayed on the effect display device are determined. The effect determining means and the effect display control means for displaying the effect content determined by the effect determining means on the effect display device are provided. The winning / failing determination means pre-determines the information regarding the lottery value corresponding to the entry regardless of whether or not the symbol variation display corresponding to the entry is immediately started when the entry is made to the start winning opening. The effect determining means determines the mode of the special effect that suggests the result of the hit / fail judgment according to the preliminary determination result as the effect content, and holds the ball in the easy-to-enter state by the hold control means. When the number of lottery values is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the mode of the special effect is determined according to the preliminary determination result.

The effect determining means is a standard for determining the mode of the special effect according to the type of the preliminary determination result, and is correct or not according to the standard corresponding to the number of the lottery values held by the hold control means. The mode of the special effect is determined according to the pre-judgment result notified from the determination means, and the effect determination means is based on the reference corresponding to the hold number when the hold number is a predetermined number or more in the ball entry easy state. Therefore, the mode of the special effect may be determined.

An operating port that is provided at a predetermined position in the game area and triggers an open lottery for determining whether or not to open the expansion mechanism provided at the start winning opening for the entry of the game ball, and a normal for showing the result of the open lottery. An ordinary symbol display device in which the symbols are displayed in a variable manner may be further provided. The starting winning opening and the expanding mechanism are provided in a positional relationship in which the game ball that has passed through the operating opening can easily enter the ball, and the specific game control means sets the winning probability of the open lottery in the normal state in the easy entering state. The fluctuation time of the normal symbol may be shorter than the fluctuation time in the normal state, and the opening time of the expansion mechanism may be longer than the opening time in the normal state.

The ball game machine of the fourth aspect is provided at a predetermined position of the game board in which the game area is formed and the game area, so that the ball can change from a relatively difficult state to an easy state. A start winning opening with an openable expansion mechanism, a symbol display device that displays a variable display of the symbol for showing the result of the winning / failing judgment, and a ball entering the starting winning opening are more advantageous to the player than the normal game. A winning / failing determination means for executing a winning / failing determination based on a lottery value for determining whether or not to shift to a special game in a state of being in a state, and a symbol corresponding to the winning / failing determination with a lottery value up to a predetermined number. The hold control means that holds until the start of the variable display, the special game control means that executes a special game when the result of the hit / fail judgment is a hit, and the ease of entering the starting winning opening after the end of the special game are normal states. The specific game control means for shifting to the easy-to-enter state in which the expansion mechanism is opened so as to be higher, the effect display device for displaying the effect content, and the effect content to be displayed on the effect display device are determined. The effect determining means and the effect display control means for displaying the effect content determined by the effect determining means on the effect display device are provided. The winning / failing determination means pre-determines the information on the lottery value corresponding to the entry regardless of whether or not the symbol variation display corresponding to the entry is immediately started when the entry is made to the start winning opening. The effect determination means is a standard for determining the mode of the special effect that suggests the result of the hit / fail determination according to the type of the prior determination result, and is a lottery held by the hold control means. According to the standard corresponding to the number of reserved pieces, which is the number of values, the mode of the special effect according to the pre-judgment result notified from the pass / fail determination means is determined as the effect content, and the number of reserved pieces is a predetermined number or more in the normal state. In this case, the effect determining means uses a standard corresponding to the number of reserved pieces less than a predetermined number as a standard for determining the mode of the special effect.

The effect display control means may display a special effect determined when the number of held items is a predetermined number or more in the normal state at the next and subsequent symbol changes.

The special effect displays the process in which a predetermined effect element can change stepwise in a symbol variation unit over a plurality of symbol variations up to the symbol variation corresponding to the pre-judgment result, and the standard is the special effect. As the mode candidates, a plurality of candidates may be included, each of which defines a combination of modes of the effect elements in each of the plurality of symbol variations.

60 effect display device, 100 pachinko game machine, 221 first hit / fail determination means, 222 second hit / fail determination means, 240 hold control means, 260 special game control means, 270 specific game control means, 303 effect determination means, 305 effect display control Means, 510 symbol fluctuation screen, 520 notice production screen, 530 reduction fluctuation screen.

Claims (1)

A game board with a game area formed,
A first start winning port provided in the game area,
A second starting winning opening provided in the game area and having an expansion mechanism that can be opened so that the game ball can enter from a relatively difficult state to an easy state.
The first winning / failing determination is executed based on the lottery value for determining whether or not to shift from the normal game to the special game which is in a state advantageous to the player, triggered by the entry into the first starting winning opening. The first winning / failing judgment means and
A second winning / failing determination means for executing a second winning / failing determination based on a lottery value for determining whether or not to shift to the special game, triggered by entering the ball into the second starting winning opening.
A first display control means for varyingly displaying a first symbol indicating the result of the first hit / fail determination, and
A second display control means for varyingly displaying a second symbol indicating the result of the second hit / fail determination, and
With the predetermined number as the upper limit, the lottery value according to the ball entering the first start winning opening is held until the start of the variation display of the first symbol corresponding to the first winning / failing judgment based on the lottery value, and the predetermined number With the upper limit, the hold control means for holding the lottery value according to the entry into the second start winning opening until the start of the variation display of the second symbol corresponding to the second winning / failing determination based on the lottery value.
If the first spruce determination result becomes per, and a special game control means for the second propriety determination result indicates to execute the special game when a per,
A specific game control means for shifting to an easy-to-enter state in which the expansion mechanism is opened so that the ease of entering the second start winning opening becomes higher than the normal state after the end of the special game.
A production display device that displays the production content and
An effect determining means for determining the effect content to be displayed on the effect display device, and
An effect display control means for displaying the effect content determined by the effect determination means on the effect display device, and
With
The information on the lottery value according to the entry into the first start winning opening and the information on the lottery value according to the entry into the second start winning opening immediately display the symbol variation corresponding to the entry. It is configured so that the effect determining means can be notified as a preliminary determination result regardless of whether or not it is started.
The effect determining means modifies the mode of the special effect that suggests the result of the first hit / fail determination or the mode of the special effect that suggests the result of the second hit / fail determination according to the preliminary determination result. Determined as content,
The special effect in the easy-to-enter state is intended to hold the lottery value according to the entry into the second start winning opening, and corresponds to the entry into the second start winning opening. When the number of held lottery values is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is displayed on the effect display device.
After the end of the special game, the period from the transition to the easy-to-enter state to the end of the predetermined number of symbol fluctuations is a variation pattern in which a short variation time for an effect different from the special effect is defined. The symbol variation is performed using the special variation pattern, the special effect based on the hold caused by the ball entering the second start winning opening during the period is not executed, and the first start is performed during the period. A ball game machine that does not execute the special effect based on the hold caused by entering the winning opening .

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