Hey there!
I’m doing my senior project at Cal Poly, and I am interested in Java game APIs.
So far I’ve found two: Genuts and GameFrame.
I was hoping someone here would give me their opinion on these or let me know if there are other Java Game APIs I should know about.
Any feedback would be great! Thanks.
I am quite a newbie on these forums, but I saw GAGE: http://wiki.java.net/bin/view/Games/GAGE
I am not sure how good it is…perhaps a senior member can say more about it…
LWJGL http://sourceforge.net/projects/java-game-lib/
and of course the Sun-endorsed Core Gaming APIs
Thanks!!
So no recommendations? Can anyone tell me which one they think is better?
They all have their strengths and weaknesses. You’ll need to tell us what you plan to do.
I want to make 2d games similar to old Nintendo/Sega games. Scrollers, fighters, rpg’s, etc. Think of something similar to the first Zelda or Mario games, with the possibility of online versus/cooperative modes.
LWJGL then 
Or plain old Java2D if you’re not doing any fancy effects.
Cas
If you want use some Java UI features (AWT/Swing) then the core APIs JOGL, JInput, JOAL can also be used in place of LWJGL.
If you stick with Java2D, GAGE could be useful to you as well. It sounds like you won’t need the scene graph abilities of Xith3D.
You can do very fancy effects with Java2D - but maybe you cannot always do them fast…
Precisely 
And we all know what shitty Java games look like. No need to go perpetuating the myth! Use a new, lean API and amaze your peers.
Cas
Thanks for all the help. I’ve posted at other webiste’s forums and haven’t gotten nearly as much info.
Anyway, I think I’m going to have to write my own API. I figure it can’t be much harder than learning someone else’s API. Also, I can make my own classes do exactly what I want, and I’ll learn a lot more about how games work.
Tnaks again!
Nah, you’ll just end up wasting loads of time. Learn OpenGL and then the world’s your oyster.
Cas
[quote]Nah, you’ll just end up wasting loads of time. Learn OpenGL and then the world’s your oyster.
Cas
[/quote]
Well, I have to do a senior project anyway, so I might as well put in the extra time. Plus, I’ve done a bit of work on it already and it’s loads of fun.
Also…you guys have mentioned a lot of graphics APIs and stuff. Do Java2d and OpenGL really have gaming classes? As in, you don’t have to create a Sprite class or a CollisionDetector class or a GameField class, because the API already has them. I would think a game API would be build on top of something like OpenGL or Java2d.
Also, is does OpenGL do 2d?
[quote]Tnaks again!
[/quote]
That’s just embarassing.
I can’t resist! Here’s a game made using LWJGL and SPGL (which is a bunch of nicknacks I’ve thrown together over the years, amongst which is a sprite engine etc). So as you can see, OpenGL is pretty well suited to 2D 
Cas
You may also want to try the WorldShow3D browser.
This software has incorporated the most fundamental elements of a world (i.e., space, time, and human interactions) into the design, and the Show Stage model has overcome many limitations of the Scene Graph model in other 3D virtual world framework. With the WorldShow3D browser, you will find it’s so easy, so fun, and so robust to develop any 3D applications.
For more detials, please visit
I think this guy may have his terminology confused. Are you really
looking for an API or for an engine? What is your definition of an “API” ?
Anyway this would get more traffic over in “Newless Clubies”
Could you recommend me a good API to manage USB joypads actions ?
JInput. (Or LWJGL, if you subscribe to the rest of our gamedev API philosophy)
Cas