Software Alternatives & Startups

JMonkeyEngine VS Monkey 2

Compare JMonkeyEngine VS Monkey 2 and see what are their differences

JMonkeyEngine

What is jMonkeyEngine? It's a free, open source game engine, made especially for Java game developers who want to create 3D games using modern technology.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Monkey 2

An easy to use, cross platform, games oriented programming language

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, JMonkeyEngine seems to be a lot more popular than Monkey 2. While we know about 23 links to JMonkeyEngine, we've tracked only 1 mention of Monkey 2.

social mentions
23 vs 1
Game Engine popularity
73% vs 27%
alternatives listed
118 vs 28

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

JMonkeyEngine
Monkey 2
Website jmonkeyengine.org blitzresearch.itch.io
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

JMonkeyEngine 6 features
Monkey 2 4 features
  • Open Source
    JMonkeyEngine is open-source, which means it's free to use and has a wide community of developers who contribute to its development and offer support.
  • Java-based
    It is built using Java, which makes it accessible to a large number of developers familiar with the language and benefits from Java's portability across different platforms.
  • Cross-platform
    JMonkeyEngine supports multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, enabling developers to create games that run on various devices.
  • Rich Feature Set
    The engine comes with a comprehensive set of features such as advanced 3D graphics, physics integration, terrain generation, and a user-friendly scene graph.
  • Active Community
    An active and responsive community provides forums, tutorials, and additional resources, helping both new and experienced developers.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    It includes its own SDK with an integrated development environment, which simplifies the process of game development by providing tools such as scene composer, model importer, and debugging tools.

Possible disadvantages

  • Java Performance
    Java generally has performance overhead compared to languages like C++ often used in other game engines. This can be a downside for performance-critical applications.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    While it supports Android, the engine's capabilities and performance on mobile platforms are not as robust as on desktops, and iOS support is limited.
  • Less Mature Asset Pipeline
    The asset pipeline of JMonkeyEngine is not as mature or comprehensive as those found in more established engines like Unity or Unreal, which may require additional effort for asset management.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to mainstream engines, JMonkeyEngine has a smaller ecosystem. This means fewer third-party integrations, add-ons, and professional-grade assets available for immediate use.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Java
    For developers not familiar with Java, there might be a steeper learning curve to become proficient with the language and its associated tools compared to more widely-used game development languages.
  • Less Commercial Support
    Being open-source and community-driven, JMonkeyEngine lacks the commercial support that some other engines offer. This can be a disadvantage for large-scale projects requiring professional backing.
  • Cross-Platform Development
    Monkey 2 allows developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, streamlining the development process and saving time.
  • Modern Language Features
    Monkey 2 supports modern programming language features such as type inference, generics, and lambda expressions, making it easier for developers to write clean and efficient code.
  • Active Community
    The Monkey 2 community is active and engaged, providing support, resources, and shared knowledge, which can be very helpful for both new and experienced developers.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Monkey 2 allows developers to contribute to its improvement, ensuring that it can evolve according to the needs and desires of the community.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Documentation
    Monkey 2's documentation can be sparse or outdated in some areas, which might pose challenges for new developers trying to learn the language or troubleshoot issues.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to more popular programming languages, Monkey 2 has a smaller ecosystem, which might limit the availability of libraries, tools, and third-party support.
  • Less Recognition
    Monkey 2 is not as widely recognized or adopted in the industry as some other programming languages, potentially impacting its perceived credibility and the availability of job opportunities.
  • Development Pace
    While being open source is an advantage, the development pace of Monkey 2 might be slower than that of proprietary or more commercially supported languages, potentially delaying updates and new features.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

JMonkeyEngine 3 videos + Add
Monkey 2 0 videos + Add

A Closer Look at the jMonkeyEngine

More videos

  • - jMonkeyEngine -- The Others Game Engine Series
  • - jMonkeyEngine3 Engine Showcase

No Monkey 2 videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
JMonkeyEngine
Monkey 2
73% 73%
27% 27%
76% 76%
24% 24%
87% 87%
13% 13%
42% 42%
58% 58%

User comments

Share your experience with using JMonkeyEngine and Monkey 2. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

JMonkeyEngine no reviews yet
Monkey 2 no reviews yet
  • The Top 10 Video Game Engines
    www.gamedesigning.org · Sep 2020

    Right off the bat, the team boldly claims that using their engine will be easier than utilization and outright learning C++, which is true. C++ can be a hang-up for many not familiar with programming, and...

We have no reviews of Monkey 2 yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

JMonkeyEngine 23 mentions
Monkey 2 1 mention
  • Unity's Licensing Changes: Discover Stride a Community-Driven Open-Source Engine
    > Unfortunately, this is yet another open source game engine with too small a user base. I wonder why some engines are seemingly destined for success and others... aren't. Godot got really big, despite a somewhat similar feature set:... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • My recommendation on which language and libraries to use for the engine.
    There more `bare-metal` engines like https://jmonkeyengine.org/ (well it is not C++, it is Java based)... Source: over 3 years ago
  • [Hobby] Need help implement Continuous Collision Detection in a classic top-down multiplayer space shooter
    This project develops a cross-platform Subspace client and server written in Java. It was developed from scratch on the idea of extensibility and modularity. The server is based on modules/frameworks highly optimized for scaled,... Source: over 3 years ago

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  • Wonkey: A cross-platform FOSS programming language by the creator of BlitzBasic
    On one hand, BlitzBasic and BlitzMax was a key moment for me, 15 years ago, of 'getting' programming - I clearly remember as a teenager when some basic concepts clicked together, and here I am many years later a full-time indie game... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

Alternatives to JMonkeyEngine and Monkey 2

When comparing JMonkeyEngine and Monkey 2, you can also consider the following products.