Reddit mentions of Beginning Java SE 6 Game Programming

Tutorials

• GameDev Java Game Programming 1
  
• GameDev Java Game Programming 2
  
• GameDev Java Game Programming 3
  
• Keyboard and Mouse Input
  
• Active Rendering
  
• Stone Paper Scissor
  
• Open GL tutorials
  
• Double Buffering, Movement, Collision Detection
  
• Advanced Vectors
  
• Regular Expressions
  
• Pong
  
• 2D Java Game Video Tutorials
  
• A few small game tutorials
  
• NewBoston Game tutorials : source
  
• BlackJack
  
• Poker
  
• ApexJava Youtube tutorials
  
• ThousandCodes Java Tutorials
  
• Dice Game
  
• Turk4n's game tutorials
  
• A few Java Game tutorials
  
• MrJavaHelp Tutorials
  
• Mouse Acceleration
  
• Java 2s Tutorials
  
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  Libgdx Specific
  
  
• BadlogicGames
  
• libgdx wiki intro tutorial
  
• Updated tutorial based on above
  
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  LWGJL Specific
  
  
• Accelerated Java Game Tutorials
  
• LWJGL Ninja Cave Tutorials
  
• SHMUP with source
  
• NeHe Tutorials
  
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  Engines, Frameworks, Libraries
  
  
• Slick2d
  
• Java Monkey Engine
  
• LWJGL
  
• PulpCore
  
• JGame
  
• Golden T Game Engine
  
• Espresso
  
• Xith3d
  
• jPCT
  
• Ardor3d
  
  ---
  Source
  
  
• Ultima Clone
  
• First part of a Link to the Past in java
  
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  Books
  
  
• Killer Game Programming in Java
  
• Developing Games in Java
  
• Beginning Java Game Programming
  
• Advanced Java Game Programming
  
• Pro Java 3D Game Development
  
• AI Algorithms for a Prototype Game Software in Java 1.6
  
• Introductory Programming with Simple Games: Using Java and the Freely Available Networked Game Engine

Everyone will have a different opinion for this, I think. But for me, I started learning C++ before Java, and I found it great for underlying concepts at the time (all those "beginner programming" tutorials stuff), but I don't think I really fully understood the concepts of OOP, classes, etc. until I did Java. However, that could just be because of the way my university program is structured (poorly).

Personally, I loved writing a game in Java. I didn't use the exact game in his book (he does asteroids, I made a vertical scrolling space shooter), but the fundamental concepts of movement, sprites, sounds, collision detection will be the same (mostly) for any (basic) game.

Looking at that course list, the C->Java->C++ sounds like a good structure - procedural (C), OOP using Java, and then OOP in C++ - OOP concepts seem to work better in Java as it almost forces it on you... I'd probably skip the C if you already know the basics.

All that being said, I love C++ and can't straight up turn anyone away from it. Java is easy to pick up if you already have concepts from C++ (my opinion, but I think most will agree).

I followed this entire book and it was pretty useful. You won't really end up with a blockbuster game at the end of it, but your understanding of various game programming concepts will be strengthened.