In Cocos2d, it is really easy to create awesome-looking games mainly because you can add effects such as motion streak and particles without much hassle. On top of this, Cocos2d also includes some basic effects that are built in and would be very hard to create otherwise using shaders.

Although this book doesn't cover shaders, it is a good starting point to understand what all is possible with shaders, which is virtually endless.

In this chapter, we will look at the basic effects that come with Cocos2d. We will also discuss how to add special effects such as motion streak and particles. We will finally conclude the chapter by taking a look at how to add dynamic 2D lighting to the game.