High graphics, high experience, high memory. That's what a game is like on your Android phone nowadays. But what about Java games for Android? Not very long ago, you would enjoy playing Java games on a little screen. The old Java games bring so much nostalgia… And even though these games won’t look the best graphically anymore, they can still have great gameplay.
And you can still play these games… I will tell you how to further in this article. So stay tuned.
Did you know that the original version of Minecraft is written in Java? And do you know the game Runescape? That one is made in Java too. Do you have a favorite game that’s made in Java?
Even since Java is not widely used in other video game development, it is the main programming language used to making games for Android devices.
And after more than 25 years, it’s still one of the most popular languages used today. Java runs on devices from microwaves to printers and advanced video game systems.
In this article you will know:
- Why Java was used for Android games
- How to play old Java games on Android
- If it is legal to download Java games
- The best Java games for Android
I hope you’re having a blessed day and enjoy reading my article!
Why Android Games Are Made In Java
You deserve to know something about the technology behind your favorite games.
It becomes a lot easier for developers to create Android gaming apps since Java is the official language of Android development. Plus it is supported by the Android studio.
Android wanted to create a platform where their apps can run on every device, and Java was the answer for this. Their applications could run on anything that had Java’s virtual machine called the ‘JVM’, or the Dalvik virtual machine: DVM on older versions of Android).
This made it possible for Java games to run in optimum performance with the feature of platform independence.
Java is based on the ‘oops’ concept. Maybe this doesn’t sound good, but with the ‘oops’ I mean Object Orientated Programming. This type of programming is about creating objects that contain both data and functions.
Well, this comes in handy when creating video games. Think about all those characters, creatures, and objects that appear in the game… Each of them has its functions, carrying its data.
Android And Java: Big Friends
Android and Java: these two are great friends who work in harmony together. With Android using Java as a base language for their operating system and the development of mobile apps, developers could build awesome games for Android! In the Android SDK (software development kit) you can find a lot of Java’s libraries with math, graphics, and data structures.
Is Java The Best Programming Language for Android Games?
Java is not a hard language to understand comparing to other languages like C++ for example. And once you learn Java, it will be a lot easier to learn programming languages too. You’ll not only learn the language but the key elements of programming as well.
Now I have to think about my French teacher. She said: ‘’When you learn French, you will open the doors to learning Italian and Spanish too!‘’ And it’s the same with learning these languages.
So Java is more flexible, portable, and easier to learn. And even the Android OS (operating system) itself is developed in Java. So once you master it you will be able to easily develop Android apps. But it comes with boundaries.
It is not an efficient language for creating 3D games. Developers had to adapt to other more suitable platforms since performance-related limitations started to rise. For instance, the language C++ is are more powerful than Java and can be used to create any type of application, but harder to learn and to master.
The main benefits of Java are:
- It is a relatively easy programming language to learn (comparing to others)
- Java has a rich community on support with adequate answers all over the web
- Especially for 2D games, Java is an excellent choice
- It works very well with Android apps
And if you thought that the Java gaming world was dead: it isn't. You can play your favorite Java games on your current Android phone!
How To Play Old Java Games
Now you know something about the technology why Java is used for creating games for Android: the real fun lies in playing them, right?
You can relive your old gaming days with an amazing app called ‘J2ME Loader’. You can find and download it on the Play Store and it makes you able to play most 2D games on your modern smartphone! It can also support some of the 3D games.
This app gives you the option to scale the game, use a virtual keyboard, and change other individual settings for each application. Just imagine playing these games on a bigger screen instead of a small mobile phone in the early days…
Download Your Java Games
The first thing to do to play your Java game on your Android phone is to find a download of the game on the internet. The download must be in a .jar file (meaning that this format aggregates many Java files into one).
Is It Legal To Download Java Games?
You might be wondering: how can I get these old Java games? And how legal is this? Most of them can be simply downloaded for free from the web, but I want you to know that there’s no clear answer on how legal it is to download Java games.
Titles can be under stricter licenses, but lots of old Java classics are legal to download and enjoy for free. You can also have a look in the Play Store if you can find the app (most old apps won’t be there though), and see if you have to pay for it. If so, and you can download it for free somewhere else, you know it’s not legal.
Download The J2ME Loader In The Play Store
- Go to the Play Store and find the J2ME loader app.
- After you’ve downloaded and opened it, you will spot a ‘+ button’ or ‘add button’ at the lower right corner.
- Open your phone’s file manager and select the JAR program that you want to play to add it to the J2ME loader.
- Tap on the installed JAVA program which is the game you’d like to play.
- Enjoy! Make sure to manage the aspect ratio and screen size to your preferences.
Some games require tweaks to make the screen fit. It is important to know the resolution of your .jar (which is the java game) before you can load it.
This app seems the best Java mobile game emulator so far! It enables you to enjoy good old Java games on Android.
The Best Java Games For Android
So here we go, I’ll show you some of the best old Java games for Android! All these games can be played by using the J2ME loader. Of course, there are a lot more games to enjoy within the J2ME loader. But now you will have my best suggestions.
Gangstar Crime City
Have you played the game Grand Theft Auto, or would you like to play a game like it? Gangstar Crime City can be a lot of fun to you then. It is an open-world sandbox action game, where you take control of a gangster who has left his hometown. He is trying to make his name and become the biggest gang leader in town.
You can do missions, steal cars, shoot and take out rival gang members. But there are also funny side activities like street racing, launching a recording label, or running a restaurant. You can explore the world either on foot or on a vehicle.
Driver: San Francisco
This is a game that's all about driving and there will be no shooting sequences. You can freely roam the city, do challenges and missions to earn money, and buy new cars. These new cars first have to be unlocked by playing the game.
You can take out enemy cars, making jumps, compete in a race and collect boost power-ups. Driver: San Francisco is a mix of 2D sprites and 3D objects.
Heavy Weapon Deluxe
This is one of my personal favorites! I managed to buy it on Steam. It's crazy to see that a lot of old games are available on platforms as Steam nowadays. Just for a few dollars, you can buy them. But anyway, in Heavy Weapon deluxe you can control a single tank fighting waves of opponents. There are two modes: mission mode and survival mode.
All you have to do is move the tank to the left or the right and shoot at the sky which is filled with missiles, bombers, zeppelins, helicopters, and jets. What makes this game nice is that you start with a few bullets and slower-paced attacks. As soon as you complete a few missions you earn money to upgrade your tank. You can buy such things as defense orbs, and better bullets or rockets.
You’re constantly going forwards in the map till you survived the last wave and killed the boss. Then you completed the mission and you’ll go to the next area. But you’re not completely alone in the game. ‘Friendly planes’ in the game come by, and they will drop power-ups, nukes, gun powder, a shield, and much more.
Assassin’s Creed
If there's a game that always works well when you like to go on adventures, it's Assassin's Creed! The concept of these games is simple: roaming a city, being all-stealth-like, and assassinate things.
You will be thrown in elements of history too. Games you can think of are Assassin’s Creed II or Assassins Creed III.
GT Racing 2
Driving games are always great. It always gives me a feeling of freedom when I play these. Driving around as fast as you can, exploring the world, and become the first in the race. This app provides 67 licensed cars by over 30 manufacturers.
You will also find 13 tracks, and ghosts from real drivers. You can finish tiers, upgrade your car with a mechanic and real-world time, and play in both single and multi-player.
Splinter Cell
This game lets me think of Hitman (maybe you know that game). It is a third-person action game and focuses on being stealthy. You take on the role of Sam Fisher, which works for the secret organization NSA Black Operation, part of the U.S. government.
You can not only walk, jump or crouch, you can do a lot of things to complete your tasks. You can rappel, shimmy, cross horizontal wires, and do a split jump to take out enemies. It is better to prevent noise that alerts guards. You can kill your opponents, stun them, subdue them, hold them hostage.
It's all about avoiding danger so you will need to hide behind objects and sneak through shadows. Sam Fisher has a light meter to see how visible he is, and a night vision and thermal goggles as well. This makes you able to look in the dark and view warmer temperatures.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
The Prince of Persia can be a very fun game. You will arrive at the capital to visit the brother of the prince called Malik. You find out that there are lots of monsters in the city. You will need to get through the world by defeating your enemies.
The game also many options to use moves like wall jumping, sliding down a curtain, and timed sequence jumps. You will also encounter bosses which you have to defeat.
Bounce Tales
Another cool game that I want to mention is Bounce Tales. Bounce is the main character, and you have to move him forward by jumping to avoid obstacles. Bounce wants to find out why the colors around him seem to be disappearing. Later on, he sees that they are being absorbed by some large machines.
He wants to know more about why they are built and who has built them. And of course, he wants to destroy them.
Are You In For Something Completely Different?
Have you heard about the drink G Fuel? This is a widely used energy drink (formula) within the gaming world. It is a healthier alternative to other energy drinks but there are still some ingredients that might be questionable. Want to find out if G Fuel is bad for you? You should check it out.
