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Java for the Gameboy Advance

Posted by Hemos on from the flash-roms-r0x0r dept.

heavy writes "For everyone who is wondering what else they can do with their newly purchased Gameboy Advance SP comes JAMiD - Java Action Media Interactive Device. What is it? "The aJile Systems JAMiD JAM-ID100C cartridge will turn your Nintendo® Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Advance SP system into a jammin' Java interactive gaming machine capable of playing those free Java games popping up all over the Internet. Based on Sun Microsystem's J2ME Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP), the JAMiD accelerated Java platform will run MIDP 1.0/2.0 games and other multimedia MIDlets." It can also play MP3s...a developer version available now and a consumer version is coming soon. Way cool."

12 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Not just games by bsharitt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm sure this won't just be for games. It might even turn out to be possible to add cheap PDA functionality to a GBA too.

    1. Re:Not just games by RexRuther · · Score: 3, Interesting

      But why? A PDA is better suited for PDA work and a GBA for games.

      --
      -"The early bird catches the worm, but the late bird sleeps the most"
    2. Re:Not just games by bsharitt · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Some people who use a PDA a lot, but don't play games enough to justify buying a GBA might play games on their PDA. The same goes for people who play their GBA a lot, but don't need a PDA enough to buy one, but might need that functionality occasionly.

    3. Re:Not just games by generic-man · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Why install a whole Java VM to get an address book, calendar, etc.? There's already a cartridge that does it for $10.

      --
      For more information, click here.
  2. hmm by Masami+Eiri · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Should prove to be interesting. How will one put the games on the cartidge though? That would require a specially built device for it, which would either require money or scrapping another GBA.

    still cool though.

  3. Bluetooth by FortKnox · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Now, I just heard this from an EB manager, but he said the plans are for the next Gameboys to have bluetooth in them to allow multiplayer without any cords. This would make it like calculators where you can just 'beam' (non-cartridge)games/apps to other people.

    --
    Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
  4. For lack of better specs... by GoRK · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Note that this almost certainly has its own internal CPU for this as the gba's internal CPU is not up to task - especially with the bitmapped (framebuffer) modes that a java interpreter would demand. Still, a very neat application.

    As close to java as you can get on the gba? There are some waba VM's out there... here is one:

    http://www.badpint.org/jaysos/

  5. what i want to see by Photon01 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    what id really like to see is the ability to download video onto a gba cartridge and play it back.

    It would be great to be able to take an anime episode or two somewhere with me. It seems to me that the GBA screen, especially the SP's lit one would be great for playing back anime.

  6. I am impressed by electro_mike · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I was considering going with one of those illegal things that lets you flash your own carts. But I deffenetly not now that this is out and will be totally legit. Plus it is not limited to just games because it's java!

  7. very very cool! by smd4985 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    i'm most impressed. obviously having J2ME support for the GBA is a smart move by Nintendo (i bet they are setting up developers for their next GB, which is rumored to have wireless support built-in). allowing consumers to access the java API is even more impressive - smart idea for allowing home-grown innovations to blossom.

    i put off getting a GBA SP but i'll grab one as soon as the java access is available.

    --
    smd4985
  8. Even worse by jvalenzu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    what's worse even than that is the fact that you can buy a pad of paper and pencil for like $3.

  9. A more versitle solution? by veredox · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I realize that the goal of this project was not to provide a versitle solution but rather to allow existing MIDP games to be played on the GBA. However, I think it would be fun to write a JVM for the GBA that would allow you to run any (okay not any, but with less limitation) java application or applet MIDP or not. Also, rather than having to buy a cartridge with its own processor, why shouldn't the program be run on the GBA's processor and loaded from a standard cartridge or even a multiboot cable. Slow? Yeah, it would be slow. There's no question about that. But it would certainly be more in the spirit of Java. I've started a sourceforge project to try and tackle this task. If you are interested in helping out, please inquire there.