Cutting Edge Java Game Programming with CD-ROM

This is a good book for the beginner who want to understand how the game programming looks like. I got a lot of detailed information about producing game via this book. This is not only a book for Java learner but for game programming.

The first half of the book concentrated on single player Java games. Provided with the book is a Java Framework within which games can easily be constructed. The first half started off great, however too much time was spent on explaining how the framework was built rather than on how to utilize the framework fully. There were some nice explanations of how games are constructed and some of the practicalities of playability and fast graphics. The second half of the book dealt with networked multi-player games and was much more difficult to follow, due to a very technical writing style. It would still be quite a climb to construct a multi-user game in Java.

CEJGP (The real name's too long!) is really great for anyone that knows a bit of Java and wants to start making good games for the web. It covers network games, multiplayer, single player, strategy games, a bit of Artificial Intelligence, and even how to make a Doom-type 3D game. Not recommended for someone just wanting to get in and start programming games, it does require some patience, especially if you aren't too familiar with Java or game programming.

FYI: The review is at, http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-09-1997/jw-09-bookreview.html Really liked the book.