Java for the Gameboy Advance

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."

Comments

A Great Day For Mankind

[Anonymous Coward]

This is fucking awesome! I am so happy about this, I just crapped my pants! But don't worry, Java has automatic garbage collection so I won't even have to change myself!

J2ME

[FortKnox]

J2ME has become extremely popular with most handheld devices. Most new PDA's and Mobile Phones contain some variation of the J2ME. So if you are an ambitious entrepreneur (maybe dreaming of getting into the gaming industry?), J2ME may be your ticket. J2ME (IIRC) comes with J3D (at least it does in the Zarus), so there is a lot you can do with it.

Re:J2ME

[gl4ss]

maybe midp2.0 has some 3d(haven't checked into that), but midp1.0 does not(which is what the phones available on the market now support).

in fact the gfx abilities of it are pretty limited(you get basic primitives and can plot images and basically that's it), though there's properiaty extensions for example nokia phones that allow some 'cooler' stuff, like plotting array of pixels straight to screen, but lacking such 'features' never made it impossible to code some great games on older systems before.

however, it's very easy to (start to) develop midlets because it's so limited, and on the other hand it has an oldschool feeling because you can't assume the system has megabytes of memory for spare, and missing floating points it's time to dig up all those old fixed points libs you've had and refresh your memory. and provided that you take different screen sizes into consideration and different screen depths(that is, you don't hardcode it to look right on just one size screen) you will have it running on quite big amount of mobile devices without porting it spesically to every machines quirks(in theory at least, in practice as well)..

the biggest hurdle i find that j2me games have is that most midp1 devices allow only 1 key to be pushed down at a time (this makes input for jump'n'run and such games a bitch).

Not just games

[bsharitt]

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.

Re:Not just games

[bsharitt]

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.

Re:Not just games

[MeanE]

Mamma miea...you hava an emale. Would you like to read it now or duel it with your pokemon.

hmm

[Masami Eiri]

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.

pretty cool

[ih8apple]

Here's a Java Applet which can run GameBoy software.

Therefore, (if the applet's updated to run the GBA SP software), you can run Java applications on your Java GB emulator.

JVM on GB on JVM on GB on JVM..........

Code Warrior Wireless studio for free

[asmithmd1]

Motorola bought Metrowerks and for a limited time you can download a full version of Code Warrior wireless studio for free. All you have to do is sign up at Motocoders This is a full featured IDE that is all set-up for J2ME development

Bluetooth

[FortKnox]

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.

Homebrewing

[Anonymous Coward]

Im a homebrew developer for the GBA and the GBA is very easy to program for as it is. I belive this may just be a bottleneck in speed for the already slow ARM7 processor it has. The GBA does not have any 3D acceleration hardware (it shouldnt, it has incredible 2D capabilities which is it's market), so i think Java3D would also be out of the question. This may be a good way to let the people who have never worked on an imbedded system port there own projects very quickly, but if you know JAVA, try doing C for GBA. http://www.gbadev.org is a great place for finding out news on the GBADEV scene, as well a forum with many intelligent programmers and artists. http://www.ngine.de is home of the HAM development kit which for sompe people is very good. Also on EFnet there is the #GBADEV channel. There are usually about 50 people there at any given time.

JAMiD Information

[jetkust]

This story has a lot of information on it. The main site i believe has been slashdotted.

When will swing be ported

[Billly Gates]

Its such a lean, elegant, and fast that its perfect for a lightweight solution like an old gameboy.

Hooked

[Mattygfunk1]

I love the power and the flexibility of the gameboy. My problem? Tetris keeps sucking me back in.

Nintendo, PLEASE LET ME LIVE.

It started out fairly innocent. My brother offered to let me play one night on his. "Just a few games..." he used to say. It's like crack, and I was hooked. I'm now 22 and it has consumed my life. I have tried quitting cold turkey, but it was like the sky was falling and not fitting into place.

If they would only go one generation without it I might have a chance.

__
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MP3's?

[LS]

I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I hear about yet another device with virtually no memory that can now play MP3's. Who gives a rat's ass? I guess teenagers who listen to the same song over and over might like this feature.

LS

Moo

[Chacham]

Kewl. I wonder if someone will port a Gameboy Emulator to it. :-)