Gaming on the move has become very popular over recent years. With the arrival of the Nintendo Gameboy, people realized that they could take their games with them, and as technology has become more sophisticated these games have grown too, encompassing complex game mechanics, advanced 2D and 3D graphics, and engrossing stories and game worlds that the player can literally become lost within.

Alongside these game improvements is the explosion in popularity of mobile communication devices. Nearly everyone carries a phone with every time they leave the house. These devices have become much more than just phones however; they provide contact management, e-mail, Web browsing, satellite navigation, and entertainment.

Writing games for mobile devices allows both of these trends to be brought together into the same place. It is very easy for people to pick up and play games on mobile devices, as they always have the devices in their pockets. Whether they are progressing through a sprawling role-playing game on a train or simply want a few minutes casual diversion waiting for an appointment, mobile gaming can provide.

This book aims to bring you the knowledge and techniques that you will need to create your own games for Windows Mobile and Windows Phone classic devices. Starting with the basics of the platform and its development environment and progressing through to advanced topics such as 3D graphics, this book will guide you step by step toward creating a simple and manageable environment into which you can write your own mobile games and distribute them to the world for fun or profit. Example projects are provided to demonstrate all of the techniques discussed, and are ideal as a basis for experimentation.

It can be difficult to cater for the diversity of hardware available running Windows Mobile. This book will show you how to create games that work on the largest possible array of devices, catering for different screen resolutions, devices with and without touch screens, and accommodating all sorts of other hardware capabilities that your games may need to work with.