Java[tm] BluePrints for Wireless Gaming Sample Applications 1.0 Early Access > Overview |
The Java BluePrints for Wireless Gaming sample applications show how mobile games might be designed and implemented with Java technology. This bundle includes two sample games: The Java Bricks Sample Application and the Java Slugs Sample Application.
Developers wishing to learn more about the design principles behind the sample applications should visit the Java BluePrints for Wireless Web site.
This sample application is a stand-alone game.
The player controls a paddle, which can be moved to the right, and to the left. A ball bounces around inside the playing field, and the player has to meet two objectives to advance in the game. The playing field is bordered by walls on the left, right and the top side. The bottom side (which is where the paddle is located), is open. To prevent the ball from falling out the bottom, the player has to keep moving the paddle to the point where the ball would drop out.
The game is organized into a number of levels. In each level, there are a number of bricks placed in the playing field. Some of these bricks will just disintegrate upon contact with the ball, some have special properties. The player has to use the ball to clear all destructible bricks from the playing field to advance to the next level. If the ball drops out the bottom, the player loses a life. The player has three lives when the game starts. Once all lives are used up, the game is over.
During the game, the screen shows indicators that display the number of lives left, the current score, and the high score.
A demo mode automatically activates when the game has been idle for more than a few seconds.
Below are some screen shots of this sample game:
This sample application is a networked game.
It is a two-player, level-based game, with each player controlling the game through their own client device. Players are constantly on the move and need to avoid running into obstacles. For Slugs, these obstacles include level boundaries, brick walls, poison and the opponent. Slugs leave slime in their tracks, and for the purpose of this game we decided that the tracks also represent an obstacle. The goal for each level is to be the first player to reach the one slug house present in the level.
A few things have been added to the basic scenario to make the game more interesting. Some levels have extra lives which can be picked up by the first player who comes by. Also, heads of lettuce can be found at some places, which will boost player energy upon consumption. For a short period of time, the player will move twice as fast as usual. If the player runs into one of the aforementioned obstacles, they will lose a life. Each player starts out with three lives, and once the life count goes to zero, the game is over. Finally, some levels contain shovels and/or jetpacks. Upon picking up a jetpack and pressing 1 on their device, the player will start flying.
While flying, the player can cross most obstacles unharmed. Walls, poison and tracks are not harmful to the player in this state. However, running into a level boundary or into the opponent still is. The flying state is indicated on screen by painting the player differently than in the normal crawling state. The player will stay in the flying state only for a brief period of time. Once that time has passed, all of the usual obstacle restrictions apply once again.
The same rules apply when the player enters the digging state. This is done by picking up a shovel, and pressing 3 on the player's device. Please note that for the players to actually collide, they need to be on the same elevation level. That is, they both need to be crawling, flying or digging. They can cross paths unharmed as long as they move on different planes. In the game state, the number of remaining lives, jetpacks and shovels held by each player is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Below are some screen shots of this sample game: