# Off-Topic Discussion > The Lounge > Tech Talk >  >  Recommend me a sprite game maker...

## slayer

And it can be something like C++

I'm doing this for my Technology Solutions class, and the program were using is called Alice, which is just 3d games.

I want to make a 2d sprite side scrolling game like megaman or metriod.

Now recommend me something...

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## ninja9578

C++ would be a good one.  Use Allegro for the graphics, it's easier than opengl/glut for beginners.

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## slayer

How easy is it to learn C++?

Also, how would I make a sprite?

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## slash112

i dont know about how easy it is to learn c++.

but to make a sprite you just use paint.net, make the background transparent, save the file, then in the program give it a name and when you need to use it refer to the name of the file.

oh and by the way, if you want it on xbox aswell, get XNA, that lets you make it compatible for xbox

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## Ynot

sprites are usually large images, containing all the different "actions" you want
Then you take the image, and programatically pick out each action to display

For example,
this is a sprite lifted from Half-Life
it forms the menu text animations as you pass the mouse over
http://www.snoopy.force9.co.uk/btns_main.bmp

It's all held within one large image
your program will pick out a section of the image to display
then some sort of trigger happens, and your program will shift to displaying a different section of the image

Look around for a C++ class, or similar, to load sprites and display sections
then play around with creating your own

just a simple 4-frame image, with a guy standing still, 2 frames showing running that alternate, and one with him jumping, say

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## slayer

I know how to save a sprite...I mean, how do I actually make my OWN sprite?

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## Ynot

> I know how to save a sprite...I mean, how do I actually make my OWN sprite?



just draw it....

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## ninja9578

I wrote a sprite creator once a long time ago.  I think it was called Inspiration sprite editor.  Let me see if I can find it.

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## Venomblood

Game Maker works well, because it's easy to use (maybe not, since you are already a good programmer) and it has a built in sprite animator.

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## slayer

I'm using that game maker thing, and I can't figure out how to get my sprite to move when it touches the ground. I can make it move in the air and jump and stuff, but he won't move when he's actually on the ground.

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## slash112

make a flying game then lol

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## arby

I'd recommend flash, but that's just me ;P

It's a different sort of sprite usage, anyway

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## slash112

slayer, is it alright if you copy and paste your wee game's program into a spoiler? im just really curious as to what yours looks like. or is it too big to go into a post.

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## slayer

wee game...? You mean that game maker thing I'm messing with?

I'm not actually making a program...

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## ninja9578

It's always best to write your own engine.

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## slash112

> wee game...? You mean that game maker thing I'm messing with?
> 
> I'm not actually making a program...



oh right, i thought you were making a program using c++

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## Sornaensis

> It's always best to write your own engine.



What.

Everyone knows that real pros always start out writing their own API first.

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## ninja9578

lol.  

He's kidding slayer, use Allegro or OpenGL  :tongue2:

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## Cowmaster94

C++ is pretty hard to learn...

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