MXPA99004895A - Portable game machine, exhibition in color and memory for me - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable color display game machine is capable of being mounted in the same either of two cartridges. One cartridge is stored with background color palette data and object color palette data, while the other cartridge is with the background tone data and the object tone data. When a cartridge is mounted, a CPU creates color display signals for a background character and an object character, according to the background color palette data and the object color palette data read from the cartridge. When the other cartridge is mounted, the CPU creates the color display signals for a background character and an object character, based on the background tone data and object tone data read from the cartridge as well as the other data of color palette background previously established and color palette data of obje

Description

PORTABLE GAME MACHINE, EXHIBITING IN COLOR AND MEMORY FOR THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a portable gaming machine, of color display and a memory medium for it, more particularly, to a portable gaming machine that is capable of selectively mounting therein one of a first medium of memorized memory with black and white display tone data and a second memory medium memorized with color display data and a memory medium therefor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE Conventionally, there has been a gaming machine provided with an 8-bit portable liquid crystal display, ie a product named "Game Boy (registered trademark)" produced and marketed by the present applicant, in order to effect the REF .: 30382 display in shades of black and white when using a dot matrix liquid crystal display. In this portable or handy gaming machine, when a character is to be displayed, the black and white tones in four classes can be designed for each point that constitutes a character, thus displaying the character in black and white tones on a liquid crystal display screen. Meanwhile, in the disclosed Japanese Patent No. H7-204349 [A63F9 / 22, 24 / G06T 1/100] disclosed on August 8, 1995, based on a request filed by the present applicant, a converter apparatus is described wherein When a cartridge is used for a first gaming machine that exhibits black and white in a second gaming machine that can be displayed in color, a black and white image in image color can be displayed. In this prior art, the color display of the image is performed by interposing a color conversion converter apparatus between a cartridge and a second gaming machine. The portable game machine described above has character data stored in a memory (ROM) inside the cartridge. However, this character data is only black and white tone data. Consequently, the character should be displayed only in black and white tones. Meanwhile, in the disclosed Japanese Patent No. H7-204349, the color image display of black and white images has required a converter connection between a cartridge and a second gaming machine. However, this was inconvenient for use. In addition, the color conversion of the background and the images of the objects to be displayed was by an individual color palette, limiting the color display to an extremely small number of classes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is a main object of this invention to provide a new color, portable or maneuverable gaming machine. It is another object of this invention to provide a portable, hand-held or hand-held color display machine that can display color game characters even when either a black-and-white display memory medium or a memory medium is used. of color image display. It is another object of this invention to provide a portable or hand-held color display game and memory machine that can display a background image and an object image, respectively, based on different color palettes. A portable game machine, of color display according to the present invention, selectively mountable of both a first memory means and a second memory means, the portable color display game machine, comprising: a memory means that determines a means for making a first determination when the first memory means is mounted and a second determination when the second memory means is mounted; a first color processing means for performing a first color processing on the data read from the first memory medium in response to the first determination and for transferring a first color display signal; a second color processing means for performing a second color processing on the data read from the second memory means in response to the second determination and transferring a second color display signal; and a color display means for displaying one of the first color display signal and the second color display signal. In a preferred embodiment, the first memory means includes a tone data transfer medium for transferring the tone data, and the first color processing means including a first color palette for converting the tone data into the first one. color display sign. In a preferred embodiment, the second memory means includes a means of transferring color data to transfer the color data, and the second color processing means including a second pallet for converting the color data into the second color signal. display in color. In a preferred embodiment, the first color palette includes a first object background color palette used to display a color background character and a first object character color palette used to display an object character in color. In a preferred embodiment, the first object character color palette includes a second plurality of object color palettes. In a preferred embodiment, the second color palette includes a second color palette of background character used to display a color background character and a second color palette of an object character used to display an object character in color. In a preferred embodiment, the second background character color palette includes a third plurality of background color palettes, and the second object character color palette includes a fourth plurality of object color palettes. The memory medium for a portable gaming machine according to the present invention, which is to be removably mounted on a portable gaming machine to provide data and programs to an image processing means included in the portable gaming machine wherein memorized for the color display are both tone data for the image display and the color data and one of the tone data and the color data that are selectively used by a function of the image processing means of the portable gaming machine. In a preferred embodiment, the color data includes color palette data, the image processing means of the portable game machine that transfers the respective display signals for a background character image and an object character image, and the data of the color palette including the data of the background color palette to be used for the background character image and the color palette data of objects to be used for the character image of object. The present invention is a memory means that memorizes a program for the color display and a portable game machine, of color display using it, wherein, the memory medium includes a data memory area of the palette color of background image to memorize a plurality of color palette data classes for a background image, a color image data palette area of object image for storing a plurality of color palette data classes for an object image, and a color palette designation data memory area for storing the designation data of the background image color palette to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character of the background image and a designation data of the object image color palette to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character of the object image, and the portable color display game machine which a means of creating color image signal to create a background image signal based on the data of the background image color palette designated by the designation data of the background image color palette and a signal of object color image based on the background image color palette data designated by the designation data of the object image color palette. A color display game machine in accordance with the present invention, which is selectively mounted with any of a first memory means that memorizes a program for displaying in black and white and a second memory means that memorizes a second program for displaying in color, the first memory means including a memory area of the background image tone data for storing the tone data for a background image and an object image tone data memory area for storing the tone data for an object image, the second memory medium which includes a background image color palette data memory area for storing a plurality of color palette data classes for the background image, an object image color palette data memory area for memorizing a plurality of color palette data classes for the object image, and a color palette designation data memory area for storing the background image color palette designation data to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character of the background image and the designation data of the color palette of the object image to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character of the object image, any of the first medium of memory and the second memory medium including a compatible data memory area, of color for memorizing data representative of non-color compatibility or data representative of color compatibility, the color display game machine, which comprises: a means for determining memory medium for determining, based on the data stored in the compatible color memory data area, which of the first memory and the second memory medium in a medium is being mounted; a background image color palette memory means for memorizing the background image color palette data corresponding to the background image tone data stored in the first memory medium; an object image color palette memory medium for storing the object image color palette data corresponding to the object image tone data stored in the first memory medium; and a means of creating a color image signal to create a color image for the background image and the object image; wherein the means for creating the color image signal creates a color image signal for the background image based on a combination of the background image tone data and the color image data of the background image and a color image signal for the object image based on a combination of the tone data of the object image and the data of the object image color palette when the first memory medium is being mounted, is determined by means of memory medium discrimination, and a color image signal for the background image based on the background image color palette data designated by the image designation data of the background image color palette and a color image signal for the object image based on the object image color palette data designated by the designation data of the object image color palette when the second media is being mounted emory, is determined by the means of determining the memory medium. In one embodiment, the object image color palette memory medium stores the first data of the object image color palette and the second data of the object image color palette, the first memory medium comprising in addition the color palette designation data for designating the data of the color palette for the object image, the color image signal creation means which creates a color image signal for the object image, the means for creating a color image signal that creates a color image signal for the object image based on a combination of the object image tone data and the first object image color palette when the first color image palette The object image color is selected based on the designation data of the color palette, and a color image signal for the object image based on a combination of the object image tone data and the a color palette of the object image when the second object image color palette is selected based on the designation data of the color palette. Also, the portable color display game machine further comprises a means of operation to be operated by a user, and a means of changing the color palette to change the data of the color palette of the background image and the data of the color palette of the object image based on the color palette data selected by the operator- in response to an instruction to select a color palette by the operation of the operating medium, the means of creating the color image signal that creates a signal. color image for the background image based on a combination of the background image tone data and the background image color palette data changed by the color palette change medium, and an image signal of color for the background image based on a combination of the object image tone data and the object image color palette data changed by the color palette change medium. The first memory medium is previously stored, for example, with black-and-white tone data while the second memory means is previously stored with the color palette data and the color palette designation data. The portable gaming machine, color display determines whether a medium that is mounted at that time is the first memory medium or the second memory medium, based on the unsupported color code set in the first memory medium and a compatible color code set in the second memory medium. The portable color display game machine includes, for example, a CPU for performing a first color processing in the black-and-white data read in relation to a first determination of the first memory medium, thereby transferring a first signal of exhibition in color. Specifically, the first color display signal is created when combined with a first color palette established in the portable color display game machine and tone data. In a second color processing, a second color display signal is obtained by combining the second data from the color palette and the color palette designation data read from the second memory medium .. Any of the first signal of color display or the second color display signal is displayed, for example, on a color LCD. In the case where the first color palette includes a first color palette of background character used to display in color a background character and a first color palette of object character used to display an object character in color, the first Color processing in the background character is carried out by the background tone data and the first data of the background character color palette read from the first memory medium. In addition, the first color processing in an object character is done by the object tone data and the first data of the object character color palette read from the first memory medium. When the second color palette includes a second color palette of background character used to display in color a background character and a second color palette of an object character used to display an object character in color, the second color processing in a background character is carried out by the second data of the background character color palette read from the second memory medium. In addition, the second color processing in an object character is done by the second data of the object character color palette read from the second memory medium. Where the first color palette of background character and the second color palette of background character is set in each plurality of a number, the representation of background character can be made with variety in color. Similarly, if in the first object character color palette and the second object character color palette is set in each number plurality, the object character representation with color variety is made. The present invention provides a portable gaming machine, which can be displayed in color in which the first memory medium for the display of black and white tones of a second memory medium for the color display can selectively be used selectively. Furthermore, according to the invention, it is possible to use a first black and white display memory means for a conventional black and white display game machine in the portable color display game machine. Because of this, the resources of computer programs now in hand can be used effectively and the computer programs that are going to be used in the color game machine are extended in class.

Further, in accordance with the present invention, where a first black and white display memory means is used, conventional in the color display game machine, the background and object images are displayed in color by the apparatus data. of different colors from each other. It is possible to increase a maximum number of colors that will be displayed on a screen. The objects described above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an illustrative view showing a relationship of the exchange capacity between a compatible color cartridge and a color display game machine to which this invention applies and an exclusive black and white cartridge and the black and white games; Figure 2 is a complete block diagram of a color compatible cartridge and the color display game machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is an illustrative view showing an address space to which the CPU is accessible; Figure 4 is an illustrative view showing a ROM, external memory map of an exclusive black and white cartridge (unsupported color cartridge); Figure 5 is an illustrative view showing an external ROM memory map of a compatible color cartridge; Figure 6 is an illustrative view showing a memory map detailing the areas of the color palette; Figure 7 is an illustrative view showing an internal ROM memory map; Figure 8 is an illustrative view showing a memory map detailing the areas of the color palette; Figure 9 is an illustrative view showing an example of a compatible color code and a non-compatible color code; Figure 10 is an illustrative view showing an example of the main body discrimination data; Figure 11"is an illustrative view showing an internal memory map; Figure 12 is an illustrative view showing an exhibit ROM memory map; Figure 13 is an illustrative view showing the correspondence between a BG display area and an LCD display area; Figure 14 is a flow diagram showing a main routine of the operation of games in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 15 is a flow chart showing an initial adjustment process routine; Figure 16 is a flow diagram showing a game process (color) subroutine; Figure 17 is a flow diagram showing a subroutine of CPU operation speed changes; Figure 18 is a flow chart showing an initial adjusting subroutine of color adjustment; Figure 19 is a flow diagram showing a color palette selection subroutine; Figure 20 is a flow diagram showing a game process (color) subroutine; and Figure 21 is an illustrative view showing an example of a color palette selection window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES With reference to Figure 1, a portable color display game machine 10 (hereinafter referred to only as the "color display game machine") to which the invention is directed has an insertion hole (not shown). shown) in which a color compatible cartridge 12 or an exclusive black and white cartridge 14 to which this invention is directed is selectively mounted, thereby exhibiting color game characters on a color LCD 16. It should be noted that a portable black and white display game machine (hereinafter referred to only as the "black and white display game machine") 18 which does not have to be supported in this invention exhibits a character of game in four shades of black and white on a black and white LCD 20, when using a 12 color compatible cartridge or exclusive 14 black and white cartridge. Although explained in detail below, when a compatible color cartridge 12 is attached to the color display game machine 10, the color LCD (liquid crystal display) 16 exhibits one character, for example, at a maximum of 56 colors. Contrary to this, where a unique black and white cartridge 14 is used in the color display game machine 10, a game character is displayed in a maximum of 10 colors. That is, the color display game machine 10 uses different color palettes between the compatible color cartridge 12 and the exclusive black and white cartridge 14, thereby displaying a game image in a different number of colors. With reference to Figure 2, the color display game machine 10 includes, as noted earlier, the color LCD 16. This color LCD 16 is structured as a dot array display unit. This color LCD 16 is operated by the LCD controllers 22 and 24 to display color images on its screen. The LCD controller 22 selectively controls, say, one row while the LCD controller 24 selectively controls, say, a column. These LCD controllers 22 and 24 are supplied by the color image signals from a color display processing circuit 28 included in a CPU 26. The CPU 26 further includes a CPU core 30. This CPU core 30 is coupled to an internal ROM 32 and an internal RAM 34. The internal ROM 32 includes several data areas shown in Figure 7. Also, the internal RAM 34 is used as a working memory for the core 30. of CPU, and processes a memory area shown in Figure 11. CPU 26 further includes a basic oscillator 36. This basic oscillator 36 is structured, for example, by a quartz oscillator, and supplies an oscillation signal to a divider 38 of programmable frequency. This programmable frequency divider 38 performs frequency division on an oscillation signal from the basic oscillator 36 in accordance with the frequency division data from the CPU core 30, and supplies a frequency-divided signal as a clock for the core 30 of CPU.

The CPU 26 is connected to a connector 40 through an appropriate common bus. This connector 40 is selectively linked with a color compatible cartridge 12 or black and white exclusive cartridge 14 shown in Figure 1. The cartridge 12 or 14 includes an external ROM 42 or 44 and SRAM. In the case of a black-and-white exclusive cartridge 14, its external ROM 44 is pre-memorized with various data as shown in Figure 4. The external ROM 4 6 of the compatible color cartridge 12 is previously stored with the data shown in FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 6. The RAM 46 is used to store the game backup data. The CPU 26 is additionally supplied by respective operation signals of the operation keys 48a-48e. The operation key 48a is used to give instructions for moving a game character displayed on the color LCD 16 in four directions from up, down, left and right. The operation key 4-8a is a selection key used to select, say, a game mode. The operation key 48c is the so-called start key used to start a game play or temporarily store a game in advance. The operation keys 48d and 48e are contact button switches. By manipulating these operation keys 48d and 48e, a game character that is displayed on the 16 color LCD can be given several movements, ie, using weapons, jumping and so on. These operation keys 48a-48e are arranged on a front face of the main body of the color display game machine 10. A key matrix (not shown) sends an operation signal as controller data from the operation keys 48a-48e to the CPU 26. Using the extension RAM 50 as required, the CPU 26 executes the data processing and describes the display data to a display RAM 52 according to the game programs and character data given from the cartridge 12 or 14 as well as the controller data from the operation keys 48a-48e. This display RAM 52 is configured, as shown in Figure 12, by two, the first and second banks. The display RAM 56 has as a whole a memory area greater than a display interval of the color LCD 16 so that display by scrolling in up and down and / or left directions is possible. right on the 16 color LCD screen. As a result of color processing by the CPU 26, a sound signal that is transferred is adjusted at the level of the volumes 54 and 56 is transferred to a loudspeaker 58 and / or earphone jack 60. The sound signal transferred through this loudspeaker and / or earphone jack 60 includes the sounds of game effect and music of the game. The CPU 26 has an address space shown in Figure 3. The internal ROM 32 (Figure 2) of the CPU 26 is accessed by an address "0000H" -00FH "(hexadecimal number, exact for later) or" 02 OOH -08 FFH "when an internal / external ROM bank switch register R8 assumes" 0. "Other ROM address spaces (01000H-01FFH, 0900H-7FFFH) are accessed by external ROM 42 or 44. When the registration ROM bank switch R8 int erna / ext erna assumes "1", all ROM address spaces can be accessed by external ROM 42 or 44. Display RAM 52 (Figure 2) is accessed by an address "8000H-9FFFH" with the first or second bank that is switched. The SRAM 42 (Figure 2) of the cartridge 12 or 14 has an "AO 0 OH-BFFFH" address. The extension RAM 50 (Figure 2) has an address "C000H-DFFFH" where this expression RAM 50 has an initial bank, i.e. bank 0, is assigned to "C000K-CFFFH". The other banks 1-7 are assigned to "D000H-DFFFH",. The internal RAM 34 (Figure 2) of the CPU 26 is accessed through the address "FE00H-FFF FH". Figure 4 shows a memory map of the external P.CM 44 contained in the exclusive black and white cartridge 14. An area 44a of record data is previously stored with the data Icg ti c to verify in a described manner the eriorme e whether the cartridge is an authorized one or not, and u code r. c compatible color. The program area 44b is stored with a game program. 'r. ¿R e a ce dat s c i r. c 1 see the character data ae or. to; o s c a c e r e c t e r e r The code r, c compatible color in this mode is adjusted pro ur. cc ed ao different from a ccrr.pat icie code of ecler, that is, "00000000", as a •. . The data in the background character include black or white tea (4 tones) and the character codes that are exposed for each of the characters in the BTGO-BGm background. The object character data includes the black-and-white tone data (4 tones), the coordinate data, 5 the character data, the attribute data, and the registration designation data that are set forth for each of the Object characters OBJ0- OBJn. Figure 5 shows a memory map of 0 the external ROM 42 contained in the compatible color cartridge 12. An area 42 a of record data is memorized with similar logo data and a compatible color code of ma was similar to the black and white cartridge 14. ? 'J r. Á r e a Z? ' of the program is memorized with a game program and a program for determining the discrimination data of the main body. The main body discrimination data determining program is a C program for detecting the discrimination data of the main body shown in Figure 10 and determining whether the cartridge is attached to the machine 10 of; eg: s of exr. ibiciór. e color or the machine 18 of; e g is ae exhicieron er. black and white The data area 42c includes the background character data and the object character data. Incidentally, in this embodiment "10000000" shown in Figure 9 is established in a common compatible color code. The external ROM 42 of the cartridge 12 further includes a color palette area 42d. The background character data includes the color tone data (4 tones), character codes and attribute data that are exposed for each of the BGO-BGm background characters. The attribute data includes the color palette designation data. The color palette designation data is the data to designate which one will be used among the 8 palettes established for the background characters. Incidentally, the color palettes for background characters are 8 sets as noted above, where four different colors are combined, different for each color palette. The object character data includes the color tone data (4 tones), coordinate data, character codes and attribute data that are exposed for each of the OBJ-OBJn object characters, while the attribute data they include the color palette designation data. The color palette designation data is the data to designate which one will be used among the 8 palettes established for the object character. Incidentally, the object character color palettes are set to 8 as noted above, where three different colors are adjusted for each color palette. Explaining in more detail, the color palette area 42d shown in Figure 6 includes a growth color palette area 42dl (BG) and a 42d2 area of object character color palette (OBJ). The BG color palette area 42dl is formed with 8 color palettes of the BG color palettes 0-7 each of which includes 4 colors determined by the palette data 0-3. The OBJ color palette area 42d2 is formed with 8 color palettes of the OBJ color palettes 0-7 each of which is set with 3 colors of palette data 0-2. Each palette data is a data of 2 bytes (16 bits) representative of a color. By separately adjusting the background character color palette and the object character color palette as in this mode, it is possible to display a color game image in many colors on the LCD 16 of "color when using data comparatively diminished palette Incidentally, it is illustrated in Figure 6 that each of the 0-7 palettes of OBJ color is adjusted with palette data 0-3 for the sake of convenience., it should be noted that the palette data 3 is not set in the external ROM 42 even though they are established in the internal RAM 34. Figure 7 shows a memory map of the internal ROM 32 of the CPU 26 shown in Figure 2. This internal ROM 32 includes a registration data area 32a, "a program area 32b a data area 32c and an area 32d of the color palette table, similarly to the external ROM 42 or 42 of the cartridge 12 or 14. The registration data area 32a is pre-memorized with the logo data to verify authorization of the cartridge 12 or 14, ie, the external ROM 42 or 44, and the discrimination data of the main body shown in Figure 10. The color display game machine in the mode is set with the discrimination data of the main body, ie "00010001." Incidentally, although not directly supported in this invention, the exhibition game machine 18 in black and white, in a machine ina, it is adjusted with the main body discrimination data "00000001" and the machine, it is adjusted with the main body discrimination data "11111111". Returning to Figure 7, the program area 32b includes an initialization program specifically illustrated in Figure 15 and a color palette selection program shown in detail in Figure 19. The initialization program, in summary, is a program to verify a cartridge authorization. The initialization program determines whether or not there is a match between the logo data established in the registration area 42a or 44a of the external ROM 42 or 44 and the logo data 'set in the area 32a of the registration data of the the internal ROM 32. When both logo data are coincident, the relevant cartridge is allowed to be used. The color palette selection program is a program for displaying, as shown in Figure 21, a color palette selection window 16A on color LCD 16 (Figure 1 or Figure 2) to select which one is going to Use the black and white cartridge color palette 1-L areas. The data for displaying this color palette selection window is adjusted in the data area 32c. The color palette table area 32d is a color palette area having color data to display the color palette selection windows 16A and 16B (Figure 21) on a game screen 16c (Figure 21), which includes as shown in FIG. 8 a color palette area 32dl of the color palette selection window display and the color palette areas 32d21-32dL of the black and white cartridge (L is an arbitrary number). The color palette selection window display color palette 32dl area includes a 32dll color background palette (BG) and an object color palette 32dl2 (BJ), each of which adjusts with palette data 0-3. Each of the black and white cartridge color palette areas 32d2-32dL is set with a background color palette (BG) and two 0/1 object color palettes (OBJ). As explained above, an exhibit RAM 52 constitutes a display memory for displaying the background characters, wherein in this mode two display memories are formed. Each display memory, as shown in Figure 12 and Figure 13 has a memory capacity, corresponding to the number of blocks (1024) considerably greater than the number of blocks (360) to be displayed by LCD 16 of color. Accordingly, the game image that is displayed on the LCD 16 can be moved vertically in a smooth manner. The display RAM 52 has two banks, where each bank includes two display memories. Each bank is written by the character data of a background character that has been stored as point data and attribute data of each block. Here, the "block" is an area of 64 points formed at 8 X 8 points on the color LCD 16. With reference to a main game operation routine shown in Figure 14, if a cartridge 12 or 14 is mounted on the an insertion hole - (not shown) of the color display game machine 10, the CPU 26 (actually of the CPU core: Figure 2) executes an initially set speaker, shown in step S2. In the first steps S21, S22 and S23 of the initially set routine shown in Figure 15, the register area 34c of the internal RAM 34 (Figure 11) is initialized and data area 34a is cleaned OBJ. Additionally, the color palette area 34b is initialized. In the subsequent step S24, the CPU (core 30 CPU) reads logo data 42a area or 44a registration data of the external ROM 42 or 44, and transfers the logo data to the area of character data (Figure 12) of the display 52 RAM. In the modality, the logo data are adjusted as the logo data that will exhibit a "NINTENDO" logo brand that is a registered trademark owned by the present applicant. Accordingly, in step S25 a "NINTENDO" logo mark is displayed on the color LCD 16. It is noted that the arbitrary logo data is usable. In the next step S26, the CPU reads the logo data set in the registration data area 32a of the external ROM 32, and compares them with the logo data of the external ROM 42 and 44 read in the previous step S24 for determine in this way if these logo data are coincident with each other, I do not. together with this at step S27, the CPU 26 determines a complementary number of a sum of registration data set in the area 42a or 44a of log data of the external ROM 42 or 44, and determines whether they are coincident with complementary data set separately in the registration data area 42a and 44a of the external ROM 42 or 44, or not. S26 or S27 steps are steps to verify if the cartridge is mounted on the game machine display color at that time it is genuine or not cartridge, which are executed in accordance with an initialization program set in the program area 32b of the external ROM 32 shown in Figure 7. The determination of "NO" in any of these steps S26 and S27 means that an improperly created program is inoperable. In this case, the CPU executes an error process in step S28 where an infinite circuit is inserted into the internal ROM 32 and the game is not started. Therefore, if an unsuitable cartridge is attached to the display machine 10 in color, it is rejected for use thereof. In this way, this false cartridge is excluded. If "YES" is determined in both of steps S26 and S27, the cartridge that is mounted at that time is determined to be a genuine cartridge, and the process returns to the main routine shown in Figure 14. In step S3 of FIG. main routine, the CPU 2 6 determines whether the mounted cartridge is a compatible color cartridge 12 or a non-compatible color cartridge (black and white cartridge) 14. Each cartridge is pre-set with an incompatible color code or compatible color code. the register data area 42a or 44a, as shown in Figure 9. Accordingly, the CPU 26 in this case S3 can read a code and determine whether at least one bit in the higher order is "1" or "0" " If an unsupported color code "0" is detected in step S3, the CPU 26 determines that a black and white cartridge 14 is attached. If a compatible color code "1" is detected in step S3, the CPU 26 determines that a color cartridge 12 is mounted. Where a color cartridge 12 is mounted, a game process (including color processing) is executed in step S4. In the first step S41 of a game processing routine(color) shown in Figure 16, the CPU 26 reads the background color palette (BG) and the object color palette (OBJ) of the color palette area 42d of the external ROM 42, and transfers these palettes from color to the color palette area 34b of the internal RAM 34. In step S42, the CPU 26 reads the OBJ data of an object character that is to be displayed at that time from the data area 42c of the external ROM 42 according to the game program. This OBJ data is written to the OBJ data area 34a of the internal RAM 34. In addition, in step S43 a character code and a background character that is displayed at that time is transferred to the BG display data area of the display RAM 52. Subsequently, in step S44, the display RAM 52 is switched in the bank to the bank 1, and the attribute data contained in the BG data is described to each block. In the subsequent step S45, a color background (BG) character is displayed on the color LCD 16, by using a BG color palette designated by the color palette designation data contained in the BG attribute data. which have been transferred to the display RAM 52. Additionally, in step S46 an object character (OBJ) is displayed in color in the color LDC 16 when using an OBJ color palette designated by the palette designation data of color contained in the OBJ data transferred to the internal RAM 3. It should be noted that actually the steps of S45 and S46 are executed by a process of the physical computing equipment by the color display processing circuit 28 (Figure 2) included in the CPU 26. For this reason, Figure 16 shows these Steps S45 and S46 with broken lines. Meanwhile, in Figure 16 the actual game processes that are to be executed by the game program (i.e., conflict determination, core processing and so forth) do not always have to be supported in this invention and therefore allowed. In step S5, it is determined whether an instruction was given to change the speed of operation of the CPU by the game program or not. If there was an instruction to change the speed, then, in step S6, a speed change routine of FIG. 17 is executed. In the first step S51 of the CPU operating speed change routine, a signal is set switching speed (data) in a register R5 of CPU operating speed included in the registration area 34c of the internal RAM 34. In step S52, a frequency division relationship corresponding to the speed switching signal it is adjusted in the programmable frequency divider 38, thereby changing the system clock frequency. Accordingly, in CPU 26 in step S53 and subsequently operates in accordance with the operating speed changed in this manner. That is, in step S7 and subsequent to the main routine, the game process (color) is executed at the CPU operating speed, changed. Incidentally, the reason why in steps S6 and S7 the operating speed of the CPU is changed for the case of using a compatible color cartridge in order to perform the processing at a higher speed than the case of using a Non-compatible color cartridge is to prevent the processing from becoming heavy due to the increase in the number of colors that can be displayed or data that can be displayed. If a game termination is detected in the game processing (color), that is, in step S8, the main routine of the game operation is finalized.

Where the mounted cartridge is determined as a black and white cartridge 14 in the previous step S3, an initial color adjustment process of step S9 is executed. In the first step S91 of an initial color adjustment process routine shown in Figure 18, the CPU 26 (CPU core 30) sets a black and white cartridge mode in the R4 register of CPU mode formed in the log 34c area of the internal RAM 34. In the next step S92, a color palette corresponding to the mounted black and white cartridge is read from the color palette 32d21-32d2L area of the internal ROM 32, is written to the color palette area 34a of the internal RAM 34. Explaining in In the case S121 (Figure 20) of the game process routine (color) executed by step S12, the BG tone data set in the data area 44c of the external ROM 44 is written to the Rl register BG color palette, and the OBJ tone data set in the data area 4 4 c of the external ROM 44 is written to the OBJ tone palette record R2 or the OBJ1 tone palette record R3. In step S122, the CPU 26 reads the OBJ data for an object character to be displayed at that time from the data area 44c of the external ROM 44. These OBJ data are written to the OBJ data area 34a of the internal RAM 34. Further in step S123, a character code for a background character. which is to be displayed at that time is transferred to the data of the BG display area of the display RAM 52. After adjustment in the internal RAM 34, a color palette of black and white, arbitrary cartridge, as well as the BG tone data and the OBJ tone data in this manner, in step S124, the color display processing circuit 28 (Figure 2) exhibits a background character (BG) in a color set on the palette 0 of BG color on the color LCD 16 based on the tone data written to the Rl register of particularly of BG. In step S125, the color display processing circuit 28 exhibits an object character (OBJ) in a color set in the OBJ color palette 0 or the OBJ color palette 1 in the color LCD 16 based on in the tone data written to register R2 of color palette OBJ0 or palette register R3 of OBJ1, according to the registration designation data set in data area 44c of external ROM 44. In the main routine, it is determined every time in the SIO step if a color palette change request has been entered, or not, by the user or player. In the embodiment, wherein any of the operation keys 48a-48e shown in Figure 2 is pressed simultaneously, it is considered that a request for changing the color palette has been entered. That is, in the step SIO the simultaneous oppression of two keys is detected, a process routine of selection of color palette of the step Sil is executed. In step Slll of a color palette selection routine of Figure 19, an interruption of the physical computing equipment is introduced by the simultaneous oppression of two operation keys. In the next step S112, the background data (BG) for a color palette selection window set in the data area 32c of the internal ROM 32 are transferred to the display RAM 52 according to a selection program of color palette set in the program area 32b in the internal ROM 32, causing a window 16a and the cursor 16b shown in Figure 20 to be displayed on the color LCD 16. In step S114, the CPU 26 then determines whether a color palette was selected by the user or player. When the user or player selects a color palette, any of the operation keys 48a-48e is used. Accordingly, the CPU 26 can determine whether a color palette was selected or not when determining whether or not a relevant operation key was operated. Where the user or player selected the color palette, "YES" is determined in step S114. In the next step S115, the "color" data of the color palette 0 of BG, the color palette 0 of OBJ color and the palette 1 of OBJ color in the region 34b of the color palette of the internal RAM 34 are changed according to the selected palette data. In step S116, the palette data, ie the BG color palette 0, the OBJ palette 0 or the OBJ color palette 1, changed in step S115 are written to the color palette area 34b of the internal RAM 34 using the RIO and Rll registers of color palette writing designation. Therefore, the color of the color palette selected by the user is displayed in the window 16a of Figure 21. If in step S117 the determination button is pressed or the color palette selection is canceled by the user or player, in In step S118, the display or display of the window 16A and the cursor 16B is suspended, and in step S119, the interruption of the physical computing equipment is canceled. In this way, the user and player can appropriately change or select a BG color palette or OBJ color palette to be displayed according to the black-and-white tone data when using a non-compatible color cartridge 14 during the play of the game. Due to this, in the game process routine (color) executed after step Sil (Figure 14), BG characters and OBJ characters are displayed in color according to the color palette selected by the user. Incidentally, where the color compatible cartridge 12 is mounted on the black and white display game machine 18, it is natural that only the BG tone data and the OBJ tone data in the data area 42c is Use and display the characters in black and white tones. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that it is by way of illustration and example only and is not taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention which is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the present invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.

Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as property:

Claims (14)

1. A portable game machine, of color display mountable therein selectively to a first memory medium and a second memory means, the portable color display game machine is characterized in that it comprises: a means for determining the memory medium to make a first determination when The first memory means is mounted and a second memory means when the second memory means is mounted; a first color processing means for performing a first color processing on the data read from the first memory means in response to the first determination and transferring a first color display signal; a second color processing means for performing a second color processing on the data read from the second memory means in response to the second determination and transferring a second color display signal; and a color display means for displaying one of the first color display signal and the second color display signal

2. A portable, color display game machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the first memory medium includes a tone data transfer medium for transferring the tone data, and the first color processing means including a first color palette to convert the tone data into the first color display signal.

3. A portable, color display game machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second memory means includes a means of transferring color data to transfer the color data, and the second color processing means. which includes a second color palette to convert the data into color in the second color display signal.

4. A portable game machine of color display according to claim 3, characterized in that the first color palette includes colors in a first number, the second color palette including colors in a second number greater than the first number.

5. A portable, color display game machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the first color palette includes a first object background color palette used to display a color background character and a "first color palette". of object character used to display an object character in color.

6. A portable, color display game machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the first object character color palette includes a second plurality of object color palettes.

7. A portable, color display game machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the second color palette includes a second color palette of background character used to display a background color character and a second color palette of color. object character used to display an object character in color.

8. A portable, color display game machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the second background character color palette includes a third plurality of background color palettes, and the second object character color palette includes a fourth plurality of object color palettes.

9. In a memory medium for a portable gaming machine that is to be removably mounted in a portable gaming machine to provide data and programs to an image processing means included in the. portable gaming machine, the memory medium of the portable gaming machine is characterized in that: both tone data for the image display color data are memorized for color display; and one of the tone data and color data that is selectively used by a function of the image processing means of the portable gaming machine.

10. A memory medium for a portable gaming machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the color data includes color palette data, the image processing means of the portable gaming machine that transfers the respective display signals for a background character image and an object character image, and the color palette data including background color palette data to be used for the background character image and the color palette data of object to be used for the object character image.

11. A memory medium that memorizes a program for the color display and a portable color display game machine using the same, characterized in that: the memory medium includes a data memory area of the background image color palette for storing a plurality of color palette data classes for a background image, an object image color palette data memory area for storing a plurality of color palette data classes for an object image, and a color palette designation data memory area for storing the background image color palette designation data to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character of the background image and palette designation data. of object image color to designate an arbitrary area color palette for each character of the object image, and the portable color display game machine having a means for creating a color image signal to create a background color image signal based on the background image color palette data designated by the background image color palette designation data, and a object color image based on the object image color palette data designated by the designation data d object image color palette.

12. A color display game machine that is to be selectively mounted with either a first memory medium that memorizes a program for the black and white display and the second memory medium that memorizes a program for the color display, the first memory means including a background image tone data memory area for storing the tone data for a background image and an object image tone data memory area for storing the tone data for a object image, the second memory means including a background image color palette data memory area for storing a plurality of color palette data classes for the background image, a data memory area for object image color palette for storing a plurality of color palette data classes for the object image, and a color palette designation data memory area for storing the data designation of background image color palette to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character in the background image and the designation data of the color palette of the object image to designate an arbitrary color palette for each character of the object image, any of the first memory means and the second memory means including a color compatible data memory area for memorizing the data representative of the non-color compatibility or the data representative of the color compatibility, The color display game machine is characterized in that it comprises: means for determining the memory means for determining, based on the data stored in the color compatible data memory area, which of the first memory medium and the second medium of memory is the medium that is assembled; a background image color palette memory means for storing the background image color palette data corresponding to the background image tone data stored in the first memory medium; an object image color palette memory medium for storing the background image color palette data corresponding to the object image tone data stored in the first memory medium; and a means of creating a color image signal to create a color image for the background image and the object image; wherein the means for creating the color image signal creates a color image signal for the background image based on a combination of the background image tone data and the background image color palette data and a color image signal for the object image based on a combination of the object image tone data and the object image color palette data when the first memory medium is being mounted, the memory medium is determined by means of memory medium discrimination, and a color image signal for the background image based on the background image color palette data designated by the background image color palette designation data and a color image signal for the object image based on the object image color palette data designated by the object image color palette designation data when the second image medium is being mounted The memory is determined by the means of determining the memory medium.

13. A color display game machine according to claim 12, characterized in that the object image color palette memory means stores the first object image color palette data and the second color palette data. image object, the first memory means further comprising the color palette designation data for designating the color palette data for the object image, a means for creating the color image signal that creates a signal color image for the object image based on a combination of the object image background data and the first object image color palette when the first object image color palette is selected based on the designation data of color palette, and a color image signal for the object image based on a combination of the object image tone data and the second image color palette of object when the second object image color palette is selected based on the color palette designation data.

14. A color display game machine according to claim 13, characterized in that the color display game machine further comprises: a means of operation to be operated by a user, and a paddle changing means of color to change the background image color palette data and the object image color palette data based on the color palette data selected by the operator in response to an instruction to select a color palette by the operation of the operating means, a color image signal operating means that creates a color image signal for the background image based on a combination of the background image tone data and the image color palette data background changed by the color palette change medium, and a color image signal for the color image based on a combination of the object image tone data and the dat color palette of object image changed by means of color palette change.