Book review: Flash MX 2004 Games: Art to Actionscript

This book doesn't mess about. By the time you get to the end of chapter 1 you'll have built your first game. It's only a simple Pong clone but if you got this far you've got what it takes. This may sound like boot camp for games developers but it's all in a good cause. Games are some of the most complicated programs you can write and there is a lot to get through.

TITLE: Flash MX 2004 Games: Art to Actionscript
PUBLISHER: Focal Press
ISBN: 0-240-51963-9
PAGES: 428 b&w
CD: Yes
AUTHORS: Nik Lever
Click here to order

Things calm down a little after chapter 1 as we have the obligatory sections on learning the interface and the drawing and animation tools.

Chapter 3 is character animation and it's here where old school meets new. Traditional animators will breeze through this but readers from other disciplines are well advised to study it closely. Animation has a long history and there's a lot to take in for one chapter.

It's not long though before we hit some programming and it's here that the shoe is on the other foot. Animators have a lot learn from this. Actually, this is exactly what's so cool about games development. Building a game is a multi-skilled endeavour - No matter what you're background, you're bound to learn something new throughout the development process.

The philosophy behind the book is inclusive. Programming is as valid an artform as graphic design or animation. Hopefully this book will encourage creatives to explore it as a valid means of expression.

The book covers a lot of ground but it doesn't stretch to Flash MX2004 Professional - consequently you won't find any Actionscript 2. That's a shame but not a surprise as this is largely an update of last year's 'Flash MX Games: Actionscript for Artists'.

This book is aimed at anyone with a creative bent that may be looking to take up the challenge of writing games in Flash MX 2004. The author, Nik Lever, has been animating since the days of rubber keyboards and he brings a wealth of hard-won knowledge with him. If you have last years book then there's probably not enough here to warrant buying a new copy but if you don't, it's well worth the investment.
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