History of Java Games

Reviews of Java Games |
Other Materials Dedicated to the History of the 2000s |

I don’t know what would be more difficult, to find a needle in a haystack or a person among us who hasn’t played Java games on his phone. It’s a whole era of mobile entertainment, the mention of which makes me feel quite nostalgic. For the sake of justice, I should say that users could run not only games but also a variety of programs on Java. For example, messengers like ICQ, browsers a la Opera Mini, and many other applications.

Click “Next” to watch other game reviews – all my videos dedicated to apps for the Java platform included in this playlist

Technical Background
Features of Java Games
Golden Zeros
Situation After the 2000s
Mark in History

Technical Background

Java is a programming language, which at one time I even tried to learn along with Python. I started to be interested in the latter since the days of Symbian’s peak because developers wrote many exciting programs for this OS in it. However, this couple was not “made for me,” and I learned a valuable lesson for my type of thinking: if you want to study something, do it separately and systematically, instead of trying to chase two birds with one stone at the same time.

Although I found Bruce Eckel’s book “Thinking in Java” quite interesting, I concluded that I would not enjoy this kind of activity. And doing something just for the money is not my thing. That is why I am sincerely happy for those programmers who enjoy their work. I know guys who were first interested in programming for fun and started coding because it’s curious for them.

It’s incredibly cool! After all, they monetized their hobby. Unfortunately, however, we are not all born geniuses of binary thinking. If you are like me, an ordinary person with a hobby, I invite you to read my book “How to Monetize Your Hobby.” In it, I present information in a much simpler way than the binary system of calculation. You can find it in the Books section.

So, the Java programming language divides into several families of technologies. One of them is Java Micro Edition, which, in turn, is designed for use on low-power devices. As you can guess, this category also includes our mobile friends.

Features of Java Games

A simultaneous advantage and disadvantage of games for Java is their multiplatform nature. Applications can run both smartphones and regular phones without an advanced OS. This moment played a cruel trick on developers, who had to make a heap of versions of the same game for different platforms and screen resolutions.

There were times when the versions for Nokia and Sony Ericsson differed dramatically in terms of graphics in favor of the latter. So when I saw that the difference in size was significant, I downloaded and installed the heavier version on my Nokia 6630. In most cases, the games ran smoothly (including ones created for Sony Ericsson phones).

On the other hand, a definite plus was the security system, which required user confirmation before performing any supposedly unsafe function. For example, to send an SMS or download a file from the Internet. Another undoubted advantage of Java applications is that they can launch using an emulator on a computer or Android-based smartphone.

Golden Zeros

Java ME saw the world in 2001. It took mobile gaming to a new level and stayed on the wave of popularity until the very end of the first decade of the new century. The phenomenon of Java’s success is quite simple. For most young people in the zeros, their own computer or a console like the latest Play Station remained an inaccessible luxury. Cell phones were much cheaper, and owners could take them anywhere. Moreover, many releases looked as good as Sega’s in terms of graphics.

Most developers tried to make games small in size because people usually downloaded them via slow and expensive mobile Internet. So instead of WAV or AAC format music (as was the case with N-Gage and Symbian games), users had to put up with modest polyphonic melodies. However, this did not affect the success of Java, and it was steadily taking over the mobile entertainment market. In the 2000s, it was almost impossible not to know about the existence of such applications.

Probably many people remember the catalogs with games for Java, where to get them, you had to send an SMS for fabulous money. Such offers were put up everywhere, from magazines to TV commercials. Many ports from other platforms and even more mods were released. Even I had my own Gravity Defied mod. And the most honorable people in the companies were those who could send games via IR or Bluetooth. As a rule, they were owners of Siemens phones or smartphones.

Situation After the 2000s

Due to the widespread of iOS and Android in the next decade, Java applications have lost their relevance. This change was due to several factors. Firstly, compared to games on the new operating systems, Java games were significantly slower. Secondly, devices on competitors’ platforms became more affordable, which soon led to a complete overturn in the mobile gaming industry.

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Mark in History

Not to say that the zenith of super-popular Java games lasted long, but it left an indelible mark on the hearts of teenagers and youth of the 2000s. Many of us will surely remember with warmth the moments of joy we experienced through such simple games (by today’s standards). At this point, I’m not saying goodbye to this platform. I invite you to join me in my future reviews of the landmark Java games. So see you soon, friends!