Topic: Java Coming to Game Boy Advance

[WindyMan]

Play those quirky Java-based internet games, download MP3s, and even make your own Java stuff on your GBA!

Java MIDP Game Developers Can Start Playing With Nintendo Game Boys

aJile Brings Sun's Latest MIDP 2.0 Java Technology to Millions of Stand-alone Game Devices

GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE, SAN JOSE, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- aJile Systems Inc., a company founded by the developers of the first direct execution Javaâ„¢ microprocessor, has created the world's first game development kit to bring Java MIDP technology to millions of Nintendo®'s Game Boy® Advance players. aJile's JAMiDâ„¢ game development kit is also the first platform to use Sun's latest MIDP 2.0 technology, which offers advanced audio and graphics features to Java mobile game developers.   Hundreds of Java-based MIDP game titles are already available for tens of millions of Java-enabled mobile phones sold worldwide by leading handset vendors. With aJile's new JAMiD game development kit, hundreds of thousands of Java software developers can now create multimedia mobile games that will also play on millions of Game Boy® Advance and Game Boy® SP players worldwide.

The key component of the JAMiD kit is the Java game cartridge, which plugs into the external card slot on any Game Boy® Advance or Game Boy® Advance SP, bringing Java capabilities to the world's most popular mobile game player. The JAMiD cartridge will allow users to run MIDP games while listening to MP3 music, both of which can be downloaded from dozens of Internet sites.

The JAMiD cartridge includes aJile's high-performance direct execution aJ-100 Java microprocessor, an MP3 audio player, and all of the necessary memory and interface hardware to download and run MIDP-compatible games and MP3 audio. aJile is selling the JAMiD as a complete development kit with software tools that enable game developers to rapidly create exciting MIDP game titles for Game Boy® handhelds. aJile is also negotiating with OEMs in Asia, Europe and North America to manufacture and merchandise consumer versions of the JAMiD game cartridge.

aJile Deploys MIDP Game Network

As part of its gaming initiative, aJile is also building an online game portal, where mobile game developers from around the world can distribute their MIDP games directly to users. aJile will make it possible for game developers to offer both free and for-fee downloads to the global gaming community. Owners of Java-enabled handsets, PDAs and stand-alone game players will be able to access a wide selection of the latest MIDP games from aJile's single online destination.

"aJile firmly believes that Java will be at the heart of mobile gaming, entertainment and interactive commerce. And we believe that mobile handsets, game players and computing devices should all have access to a common source for MIDP games," said aJile Vice President of Marketing Danh Le Ngoc. "For the first time, aJile's JAMiD game development kit links the huge Java development community with the enormous Game Boy® user community. We expect that consumer products based on our JAMiD cartridge will bring wireless and peer-to-peer gaming and entertainment to the millions-strong stand-alone game player market."

[Fammy2000]

Since Java isn't built into the Game Boy, any programs you write would not be widely available. Unless I was really into MIDP programming, I'd skip this one.

A book entitled "Programming the Nintendo Game Boy Advance" is coming out soon. I'd invest my time in learning the real system. At least your games could be played on emulators.

[GlitchMaster]

Heh, so now the GBA SP has almost everything the N-Gage does... except a cell phone.  

[Grey Ninja]

I don't know why anyone would WANT to use Java on the GBA.  I have done some GBA programming in C++ and I found the experience both rewarding and relatively simple.  Java is slower than C++ (BIG thing on the GBA as the CPU isn't too hefty), and isn't really that much easier to program in.  Personally I will steer clear of this one, and I think that most (if not all) developers will think the same way.