Example of creating a particle effect in cocos2d 3.0

ParticleEffect.m

- (CCParticleSystem *)createParticleEffectInCode {

  CCParticleSystem *emitter = [[CCParticleSystem alloc] initWithTotalParticles:50];
	emitter.texture = [[CCTextureCache sharedTextureCache] addImage: @"stars-grayscale.png"];
    
	// duration
	emitter.duration = CCParticleSystemDurationInfinity;
    
	// Gravity Mode: gravity
	emitter.gravity = CGPointZero;
    
	// Set "Gravity" mode (default one)
	emitter.emitterMode = CCParticleSystemModeGravity;
    
	// Gravity Mode: speed of particles
	emitter.speed = 160;
	emitter.speedVar = 20;
    
	// Gravity Mode: radial
	emitter.radialAccel = -120;
	emitter.radialAccelVar = 0;
    
	// Gravity Mode: tagential
	emitter.tangentialAccel = 30;
	emitter.tangentialAccelVar = 0;
    
	// angle
	emitter.angle = 90;
	emitter.angleVar = 360;
    
	// emitter position
	emitter.position = ccp(160,240);
	emitter.posVar = CGPointZero;
    
	// life of particles
	emitter.life = 4;
	emitter.lifeVar = 1;
    
	// spin of particles
	emitter.startSpin = 0;
	emitter.startSpinVar = 0;
	emitter.endSpin = 0;
	emitter.endSpinVar = 0;
    
	// color of particles
	emitter.startColor = [CCColor colorWithRed:0.5 green:0.5 blue:0.5 alpha:1];
	emitter.startColorVar = [CCColor colorWithRed:0.5 green:0.5 blue:0.5 alpha:1];
	emitter.endColor = [CCColor colorWithRed:0.1 green:0.1 blue:0.1 alpha:0.2];
	emitter.endColorVar = [CCColor colorWithRed:0.1 green:0.1 blue:0.1 alpha:0.2];
    
	// size, in pixels
	emitter.startSize = 80.0f;
	emitter.startSizeVar = 40.0f;
	emitter.endSize = CCParticleSystemStartSizeEqualToEndSize;
    
	// emits per second
	emitter.emissionRate = emitter.totalParticles/emitter.life;
    
	// additive
	emitter.blendAdditive = YES;
    
  return emitter;
}