Java ME on Symbian OS: Inside the Smartphone Model

Chapter 8. Writing MIDP Games

The Game API that came with MIDP 2.0 made mobile phone game development a thing of beauty. Although hundreds of games were written, sold and shipped on MIDP 1.0 devices, ushering in (and indeed creating) an exciting new industry for mobile games, it was MIDP 2.0 that elevated art into science.

At the start of this chapter, we investigate some general game concepts as well as those specific to mobile phones, look at how the MIDP 2.0 Game API makes Java ME an easy choice for mobile game development and the benefits that Symbian OS brings to the whole picture. We also throw together a very quick and simple game to demonstrate some Game API basics. A brief analysis of this first game prepares us for the more advanced concepts and techniques discussed in Section 8.4.

Section 8.4 focuses on more advanced game development on Symbian OS using the Java ME optional JSR libraries which are now standard on Symbian OS as part of MSA support. In this section, we discuss the design, planning and implementation of a game which aims to demonstrate a wide variety of techniques you can add to your toolkit. Many of these are only feasible on Symbian OS as many other mobile platforms have built-in constraints on MIDlets.

In addition to showing correct use of the core Game API, we also aim to show how to use the Mobile Media API (JSR-135) for audio effects, see how the Scalable 2D Vector Graphics API (JSR-226) can be used to build a compelling menu system, review the use of ...