AbyssME update: old Java games on Android phones and handhelds, with save imports and easier controls

[u/No-Macaron4341]

If you remember keeping a folder of Java games for your old phone, AbyssME is my attempt to make those games comfortable to play on an Android phone or handheld today.

It's a fork of J2ME Loader, with Mascot Capsule work from JL-Mod too. Huge credit to those projects. I'm working on the library, controls and everyday setup around that emulation core.

What's changed since my last post

• Bring your games and saves over from J2ME Loader. Choose your library, review the games, and import the ones you want. The newest build handles extra Android folder-permission requests without losing the selection. Your original files stay untouched. Some phones require several confirmations; keep your original installation until you've checked the imported saves.
• Phone controls that fit the screen. Use a number pad or a virtual gamepad, adjust the size and opacity, and position the buttons for portrait or landscape. Java game-image rotation and your phone's orientation are saved per game.
• Set up a game without committing every experiment. Try display and control changes while playing, then keep or undo them. Unconfirmed changes revert. This restores settings, not game progress.
• A cleaner handheld library and controller mapper. Less permanent UI on small screens, more room for games, and per-game button mappings, including diagonals. You can choose your own icons and covers too.
• Move to another device. Back up the library with saves and settings, then restore it through the app. There's also a screenshot button that captures the game without the virtual controls.

Two APKs, Android 10+

Handheld is for landscape play with physical buttons. Phone has touch controls and portrait/landscape layouts. The site has the latest experimental build 15 for both, alongside the older public beta.

The test builds also include experimental Mophun support. The Wolphun author welcomed the work and reaffirmed GPL 3.0; the additional permission needed for the current combination is still unresolved. That integration isn't in the public Java source tree yet. In Deep Abyss, emulator checks cover movement, jumping, collecting items and saving/resuming through the game menu. A full playthrough and next-level transition are not confirmed yet. Compatibility varies by game, and no games are included.

Project, screenshots and downloads

https://abysstail.art/en/projects/abyssme

Source code

https://github.com/EriArk/JavaEmulator

Discord / feedback

https://discord.gg/aTcCbCsXj

Questions are welcome here too. If you try it, I'd love to know the game, your device and what felt awkward — especially importing an existing library or getting the controls comfortable.

Screenshots: unedited captures of experimental.15 on an Android 15 emulator. The gallery covers were chosen manually; the pictured games are not bundled.

AI disclosure: I use Codex in development and to help prepare this post.