Installing Java games on mobile

My existing, quite old, Samsung E700 mobile finally broke last weekend. The phone sort of still works but the main display when you flip it open is screwed up and only sometimes shows the menu properly when opened partly at a funny angle. It's lasted a few years so I got my monies worth from it, and as I'm not that interested in 3G, Video Calling and Mobile Video I hadn't been that bothered with upgrading it (even though my GF has been moaning for ages that is was old and didn't do much!).

Anyway I popped into the local Orange shop and they had the Samsung Z400 on special offer, and while it does a lot more than I wanted (3G, video calling, MP3 playback etc...), at the price it was worth it as the basic models that looked rubbish and didn't do much were only £10 less.

They had none in stock though so I have to wait until Friday to pick one up.

So now what I was wondering. I have a load of mobile Java games that I downloaded recently and was wondering if anyone else has ever tried to install Java games locally onto their mobile? I've purchased Java games before now using WAP and downloaded them through the mobile which worked fine, but I need to know if anyone has tried installing Java games they "acquired" and if they got them to work?

On looking through a few sites it seems I can only install them via gprs, by using one of the free services that allow you to upload files, then access the files via the mobile to download and install them. A bit annoying, but if it works it will still be cheaper than actually purchasing and downloading the games properly. ;)

It varies from phone to phone. You'll need to Google around a bit and find a guide on how to do it on your model. In my experience Nokia phones are quite easy and Motorola's are a pain in the arse. Not sure about Samsung but if I find anything, I'll let you know.

EDIT: Bad news I'm afraid. Only 'Dragonfly platform' Samsung phones have been hacked to allow games to be transferred without using GPRS. The Z400 uses the SHP platform, leaving GRPS as your only option. Pressure from the mobile networks on the handset maker I guess.

Oh well. That is a bit annoying but at least using GPRS it can be done. Better than not at all.

I finally got the new mobile today, but I didn't get a Z400 in the end. It was still out of stock at all the shops I tried, so I ended up getting a Samsung E900. Really nice little phone with a nice loud volume so I might actually be able to hear the alarm on this one!

And doing some googling it appears that it is much easier to install games onto the E900. I can just copy them onto the phone via USB and then install them by typing a * code to access the java install menu on the phone (which I've already tried and it does access the menu correctly) and then select the jar file to install. Off now to try it out. ;)

I installed a couple of java games on my Nokia (forgot the model number) a few years ago. I just downloaded them from WAP sites via GPRS as they were avaliable from those sites for free (I found them via Google). I don't know anything about paying for games.

But I hardly ever played games on the mobile phone anyway, and I havn't even used the mobile phone at all since about February (I just switched it on every couple of months to check for messages, and there were none).

Nokia's bundled software allows you to install Java game via. Cable or Bluetooth. I think you can even just plonk the file on the memory card through Windows Explorer and that'll work too.

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But I hardly ever played games on the mobile phone anyway, and I havn't even used the mobile phone at all since about February (I just switched it on every couple of months to check for messages, and there were none).

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The network will disconnect you if you don't make a paid-for call, text or data service in (I think) 90 days.

Using the * code to bring up the Java install menu worked perfectly. Not all games I tried would install. I suppose they were not all compatible with my phone, but the rest installed perfectly and play fine. So I now currently have 40 games on my new phone and I've deleted the annoying try before you buy games it had included on it. :)

What is the point of them including some games on the phone and 1 minute after starting to play them they end with the message "Do you wish to purchase this game?" Pointless. The version of Lemmings it came with is really well ported though. Practically identical to the Amiga original, just smaller.

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Originally Posted by AlexJ

Nokia's bundled software allows you to install Java game via. Cable or Bluetooth. I think you can even just plonk the file on the memory card through Windows Explorer and that'll work too.

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But I hardly ever played games on the mobile phone anyway, and I havn't even used the mobile phone at all since about February (I just switched it on every couple of months to check for messages, and there were none).

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The network will disconnect you if you don't make a paid-for call, text or data service in (I think) 90 days.

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No it doesn't.

And this site doesn't work properly when zoomed into it.
It stays between the blue bars even when zoomed in. Really annoying as I can't currently see what i am typing unless it goes onto the next line.

Why are you zooming into the site? It isn't designed to be viewed at really low resolutions, although it does display correctly at 800x600 which is smaller than design standards need these days.

Use Opera if you want to zoom into a site as it does true zooming, not just enlarging the text and messing up layouts.

I am using Opera (duh). I need to zoom into most things as I can't see them otherwise due to large distance between my eyes and the monitor.

How far away from the monitor are you sitting Steve? :unsure:

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Originally Posted by Stephen Coates

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Originally Posted by AlexJ

Nokia's bundled software allows you to install Java game via. Cable or Bluetooth. I think you can even just plonk the file on the memory card through Windows Explorer and that'll work too.

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But I hardly ever played games on the mobile phone anyway, and I havn't even used the mobile phone at all since about February (I just switched it on every couple of months to check for messages, and there were none).

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The network will disconnect you if you don't make a paid-for call, text or data service in (I think) 90 days.

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No it doesn't.

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Might be more correct to say "No it hasn't". A phone I lost and then found about a year later had been disconnected and when checking with the network (O2) they said it was due to lack of use and the number may have been reassigned so I'd have to have a new one. They may give you longer than 90 days, but from that 90th day, there's nothing preventing them from cutting you off.

Is that true of all networks?

Also what about sim cards with numbers assigned but never actually used? Does that mean that after 90 days those sim cards might have their numbers disabled?

The big 4 have all got it written in their T&C. It only applies to PAYG mobiles, contract phones will keep the number for as long as you pay line rental regardless of how many calls you make. I've just checked the T-Mobile T&C's (my current network) and their policy is 180 days. I'm not sure what the situation is with sim cards that aren't activated.

SIM cards tend to have expirey dates on them. I know O2 ones do but I'm not sure about others. I found out about these when I sold a load of free ones and people asked me when they expired (I did actually make quite a bit on money doing that).

I know O2 will also cut you off after not using your telephone for a long period of time but I'm not sure how you have to use it to stop that happening. I don't know what Virgin do, but my phone still works.

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How far away from the monitor are you sitting Steve?

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About 6 feet. ( I reorganised everything in my room and no longer have room to set the computer up properly).

I had a Motorola V550 that runs Java nicelly.
Here in Portugal, mobile market is quite advanced, most companies of telecomunications and mobile phones do their tests in Portuguese market first before selling the product in rest of europe
Thru local Vodafone, i have probably 100 java games ready to download directly thru mobile phone for around 1 euro each , same games cost 2 or even 3, no more then that.

The major problem, is that after a while playing games your eyes will begin to hurt a litle, mobile phone screens are not so good....
I played a lot Prince of persia sands of time during train travels, and my eyes always hurt a litle after 30/45 minutes...

But i only did it thu direct download, i never install them thru pc or samething similar.

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Originally Posted by Stephen Coates

I don't know what Virgin do, but my phone still works.

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Their website says:

"We may suspend our services or disconnect any SIM card(s) from the network without warning if you choose not to make a call or send a text message for 180 days or more"

I've been going through a load of Java games on my new phone this week.

The phone codes to access and install the games works fine, with the only other hassle being JAD files which are needed with the game JAR files for the phone to install them, but many games I have didn't contain any JAD files so I've had to use a utility called JADMaker to create them which has worked perfectly.

I managed to download some nice mobile phone Java game torrents I found. Some games won't install, with the phone giving a Java error, which I assume means those games are not compatible with the E900, but many others install and run perfectly which is great.

The only other annoying thing is limited Java memory which is restricted to 4MB on the E900 so I can only install about 30 games at any one time. Not much memory allocated to Java when you consider the phone has 80MB of total built in memory, plus an SD Micro slot. So why do they only allocate 4MB for Java apps? It is still better than my old Samsung E700 that only had 1.5MB of Java memory.

I even managed to get a couple of my favourite games I had on my old phone installed and working, but not all of them. I was hoping Baldur's Gate would work because that ran too slowly to be playable on my old phone, and the new one would have been much faster to make the game fun to play.

The only game I can't find is Lemmings. The phone came with a trial version of the game and it's a nice port, looking and playing just like the Amiga version, but smaller. But I'm not paying £4.50 for it!

Among the games I've so far liked are:

Dr Frankenstein - An isometric puzzle game much like Cadaver or Knight Lore. Very nice graphics and good controls.
Dungeon Storm - A 3D hack and slash style action RPG. The 3D graphics rotate and move smoothly.
Crash Nitro - Based on the Crash Nitro Boost PSX game. More in common with sprite racers like Lotus it plays well.
Call of Duty 2 - A very nice port of this game. Intead of FPS, this mobile version using a third person above view and it works well on the small screen.
Empire Earth - A full 3D isometric version of this PC game.
Elkware's Backgammon - Nice version of backgammon, and the AI is fast so you are not waiting for it to think.
Othello - Good version of this classic board game
Worms - This is a very nice port of Worms. Works well and can be played between phones via bluetooth.
The Chaos Engine - Great port of the Amiga game, with the levels being very similar to the original.
Super Bomberman - Great port to the small screen.
Puzzle Bobble - Again a nice port of this game. One of my favourite puzzle games so great I got this one to work.
Tetris - You can't beat the classics.
Arkanoid - This plays just like the original, although the phone controls make it quite hard to control.
Alpha Wing - Very nice shoot 'em up
Tempest - Good version of this shooter. Very hard to control using the mobile controls.
Time Rider II - Nice Shoot 'em up

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Originally Posted by AlexJ

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Originally Posted by Stephen Coates

I don't know what Virgin do, but my phone still works.

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Their website says:

"We may suspend our services or disconnect any SIM card(s) from the network without warning if you choose not to make a call or send a text message for 180 days or more"

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That'll explain why it still works then, as I have called 789 a couple of times.