Macromedia Flash MX game design demystified: the official guide to creating games with Flash

This is it! Just about any question you could ask about game programming with actionscript in Flash is here. Starting with a design and math primer (for those of us who didn't pay that much attention in math), this book covers gaming physics, tile-based worlds, isometric games, excellent collision detection and pathfinding algorithims like A*, artificial intelligence, creating graphics, playing with sound, multiplayer games (you'll have to decide which server is best for you), and a large number of sample games and tutorials to get you started. I have never read a more thourogh work on this subject in the past 5 years. This book is not really designed for the beginner, as the actionscript is quite advanced and will require knowledge of the basics. Knowing your way around Flash is essential. The sample code is clean and very clearly explained, and Mr. Makar's style of writing is very direct (and occasionally humorous). This book is a must-have for any Flash developer's personal library.