Recommendations for app to make a side scroller

[SithMaster]

After watching Invader Zim (finally) i want to take a shot at making something like an NES platformer starring Zim. Maybe ill take a try at a space sim with rf but right now i want something that would look retro. so i need an app to make the game so is there any specific ones that are free that someone can recommend?

[MakerOfGames]

I dont have any to recomend but I do have one to tell you to stay far away from. gamemaker. found at http://www.gamemaker.nl It is free and I tried making games in that before I went 3D with RF. Acctually if it wasnt for its terrible game making I probubly would still be in 2d. This program cannot make big games at all. I experianced extream lag and so many fragmented files I had to defrag my harddrive all too often to get the games to run with minimal lag. Do not use gamemaker for big projects. It has no problem with very simple games like pac man though. For something like you want to do, STAY AWAY.

[Juutis]

I have used Game Maker too and indeed it has some problems with large projects. Though it's handy if you want to make for example a simple 2D platform game.

One thing I like in Game Maker is that you can make .gif files easily with it. I bet there's much better programs that can make .gifs too but I'm lazy and stick with GM.

[Alek]

Any free c++ library would do. Why not try and code your game in SDL or Allegro?

[Ransom]

http://gamedev.sourceforge.net/
The Scrolling Game Development Kit

I've used this and was able to create some pretty complex stuff without any scripting at all. Make sure you go through the tutorials before you try it on your own.

[SithMaster]

thanks all ill try and take some time this coming weekend to check this stuff out. i might try gamemaker and the one from gamedev sourceforge. c++ programming is something i might consider in the future but not anytime this year its too involving.