Learn Cocos2D

The iPhone Game Kit introduces you to Cocos2D, the leading, community-supported iPhone and Android game engine. We’ve included commented code, real application examples, and a whole book to make sure you get a firm hold on Cocos2D and the basics of game development. You will learn to work with nodes, layers, cameras, and a lot other useful functions that you can use on any kind of iPhone or Android project, even regular apps.

iPhone Game Development

Objective C is the native language of the iPhone and learning to use it is crucial to mobile game development success. As you advance through the book, you will find that programming in Objective C is easy, powerful, and fun, even if it’s the first time you’ve ever programmed. You will also be learning Xcode, one of the best development environments around, guaranteeing that by the time you are through with the Game Kit, you will know the way through the iPhone SDK like the palm of your hand.

Level Making

The Game Kit teaches you the Tiled Map Editor and will walk you through the process of creating levels and tilemaps for your games. This includes adding multiple object layers, obstacles, decoration, and getting everything ready to build your game world with Cocos2D just as you imagine it. With the massive artwork library that’s included in our Kit, you will be able to quickly choose among hundreds of textures, characters, objects, and everything you need to populate your maps. Finally, a dedicated chapter on sprites and animation will teach you how to make your characters come to life.

Make iPhone Games

Never developed a game before? Worry not, we’ve got you covered! The Game Kit also teaches you the basics of game development, including collisions, sound effects, getting familiar with the iPhone game engine, and implementing artificial intelligence in your games. Insider tips and tricks from an industry professional will also give you the scoop on the do’s and don’ts of game development. While focused on Cocos2D and iPhone game development, what you’ll learn with the Game Kit will help you in your follow-up projects, regardless of the platform you are developing for.

What is Cocos2D?

The iPhone Game Kit is built upon the excellent Cocos2D for iPhone project, the leading free framework for developing games, demos, and other apps for the iPhone, iPad, and now Android, thanks to Cocos2D-X. It uses Objective C (iPhone’s native language), insulates you from having to learn low-level OpenGL, and remains a blazing-fast platform to create apps on. Many best-selling games have been developed using Cocos2D. It’s also community-supported by an incredible group of developers that will generously go out of their way to help any beginner to iPhone game development. Learn more about what is Cocos2D and why is it one of the best iPhone game engines.

Explore the Kit

Take a look inside the Kit at some of the game development topics we will cover.