Game system, game processing method, storage medium having stored therein game program, game apparatus, and game controller

1. A game system including a game controller having an inertial sensor and configured to transmit first data based on an output from the inertial sensor to outside, and a game apparatus configured to communicate with the game controller,

the game apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:

receive the first data transmitted from the game controller;

based on the first data, execute game processing for catching a predetermined game character;

generate second data corresponding to the game character as a target to be caught in the game processing; and

transmit the second data to the game controller, and

the game controller comprising:

a receiver configured to receive the second data transmitted from the game apparatus;

a sound outputter configured to output a sound; and

a sound output controller configured to, based on the second data received by the receiver, cause the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character.

2. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

the game controller further comprises:

a light emitter; and

a light emission controller configured to, based on the second data, cause the light emitter to emit light in a color corresponding to the caught game character.

3. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

the execution of a game where the game character is caught is performed by determining success or failure of the catch of the game character.

4. The game system according to claim 3 , wherein

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to, when it is determined that the catch of the game character is successful, further transmit, to the game controller, third data for outputting a sound corresponding to the game character,

the receiver of the game controller further receives the third data, and

in accordance with the fact that the receiver receives the third data, and based on the second data, the sound output controller causes the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the game character of which the catch is successful.

5. The game system according to claim 3 , wherein

the game controller further comprises:

a light emitter; and

a light emission controller configured to, based on the second data, cause the light emitter to emit light in a color corresponding to the caught game character,

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to, when it is determined that the catch of the game character is successful, transmit, to the game controller, fourth data for causing the light emitter to emit light in a color corresponding to the game character,

the receiver of the game controller further receives the fourth data, and

in accordance with the fact that the receiver receives the fourth data, and based on the second data, the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light in a color corresponding to the game character of which the catch is successful.

6. The game system according to claim 3 , wherein

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to transmit, to the game controller, data indicating a result of determining the success or failure of the catch of the game character, and

the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light in a color corresponding to the success or failure of the catch of the game character corresponding to the result of the determination.

7. The game system according to claim 3 , wherein

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to, before the success or failure of the catch of the game character is determined, transmit the second data corresponding to the game character to the game controller.

8. The game system according to claim 7 , wherein

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to, before the catch, identify the game character as the target to be caught, and

before the success or failure of the catch of the game character is determined, the at least one processor of the game apparatus transmits the second data corresponding to the identified game character to the game controller.

9. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

the game controller further comprises a vibrator, and

the game system further comprises a processor configured to, when a predetermined operation is performed on the game controller to catch the game character, vibrate the vibrator based on an output from the inertial sensor of the game controller.

10. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

the game controller further comprises a vibrator, and

the game system further comprises a processor configured to, before success or failure of the catch of the game character is finalized, intermittently vibrate the vibrator of the game controller.

11. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

in accordance with the fact that the game character is caught, and based on the second data, the sound output controller causes the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character, and based on the second data and an output from the inertial sensor, further causes the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character after the catch, or based on after-the-catch data corresponding to the caught game character and an output from the inertial sensor that are received from the game apparatus separately from the second data, further causes the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character after the catch.

12. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

the game controller further comprises a direction inputter,

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to, based on an operation on the direction inputter, execute a process of searching for the predetermined game character in a virtual world,

the at least one processor of the game apparatus executes game processing for catching the searched-for game character based on the first data, and

in accordance with the fact that the searched-for game character is caught, and based on the second data, the sound output controller causes the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character.

13. The game system according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one processor of the game apparatus is further configured to:

display on a display screen a virtual space where an object that resembles an external appearance of the game controller is placed; and

during the execution of the game processing, based on the first data received from the game controller, control a position and/or an orientation of the object in the virtual space, and

based on the first data received from the game controller, the position and/or the orientation of the object in the virtual space are controlled to correspond to a position and/or an orientation of the game controller in real space.

14. A game processing method for performing a process using a game controller having an inertial sensor and a sound outputter that outputs a sound and configured to transmit first data based on an output from the inertial sensor to outside, the game processing method comprising:

receiving the first data transmitted from the game controller;

based on the first data, executing game processing for catching a predetermined game character;

generating second data corresponding to the game character as a target to be caught in the game processing;

transmitting the second data to the game controller;

receiving the transmitted second data; and

based on the received second data, causing the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program to be executed by a computer included in a game apparatus for performing a process using a game controller having an inertial sensor and a sound outputter that outputs a sound and configured to transmit first data based on an output from the inertial sensor to outside, the game program comprising:

receiving the first data transmitted from the game controller;

based on the first data, executing game processing for catching a predetermined game character;

generating second data corresponding to the game character as a target to be caught in the game processing; and

transmitting the second data to the game controller, thereby, based on the second data, causing the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character.

16. A game apparatus for performing a process using a game controller having an inertial sensor and a sound outputter that outputs a sound and configured to transmit first data based on an output from the inertial sensor to outside, the game apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:

receive the first data transmitted from the game controller;

based on the first data, execute game processing for catching a predetermined game character;

generate second data corresponding to the game character as a target to be caught in the game processing; and

transmit the second data to the game controller, thereby, based on the second data, causing the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character.

17. A game controller capable of communicating with a game apparatus, the game controller comprising:

an inertial sensor;

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the game apparatus, first data based on an output from the inertial sensor;

a receiver configured to, in game processing for catching a predetermined game character, receive, from the game apparatus, second data corresponding to the game character as a target to be caught;

a sound outputter configured to output a sound; and

a sound output controller configured to, when the game apparatus notifies a user based on the first data that the predetermined game character is caught, then based on the second data, cause the sound outputter to output a sound corresponding to the caught game character.