Customer Reviews

Nintendo Wii Flash Game Creator's Guide: Design, Develop, and Share Your Games Online

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As a flash programmer I bought this book based on my interest to deploy applications/games for the console (Wii).

I regret my decision ever since.

This book is ridiculous for any Flash programmer. Its a complete shame, it tours the reader through flash giving you almost no information about the platform we want to deploy. Just a simple flash guide.

The truth is, Wii flash support is very limited (as Adobe says), and the author is just trying to make some money without acknowledge this.

A plain example of this is the lack of controller interactivity. Although the editorial review speaks about "Integrate unconventional mouse and Wii controller interactivity", the book only tries to use the mouse positions and click's because that's all the flash supports in this platform. There's no official way of detecting the controllers button state or accelerometer info.

I feel a little bit scammed. The title is true, but misleading. What it really is is an adequate introduction to programming in ActionScript. Then there is a brief description of how to sign up (as in "pay")for the Internet capability of the Wii, and the reader is directed to upload the game he or she has created and to play it online using the Wii.

Since I have been programming Flash games for years, I didn't need the instruction part. And the other part has just been given to you in its entirety above. I was hoping to know how to create a game I could burn to a miniCD and play on the Wii. Then I could use that knowledge in the course I teach on game programming in Flash.

I can't believe I bought this piece of junk. I wanted to learn more about Flash game programming a few years ago and at the time WiiWare looked like a promising platform to deploy on. Not only did this book not cover the most recent version of ActionScript (what it does cover it does poorly), it barely even mentions anything about the Wii at all. The author should be ashamed of putting out this sorry stack of paper, which was obviously done merely for some quick cash. Avoid at all costs.

Looking at the table of contents, I was disappointed to see the tutorials focused on ActionScript 2. At this point, stay away from any as2 book as it's a dead language, even Adobe says you shouldn't use it anymore. If you're looking for a good book on learning to program games on the flash platform, I highly suggest Foundation Game Design by Rex Van Der Spuy, the 2nd edition should be out any day now so it would probably be wise to wait for that version.