2-D games can be made for free with the right resources.
Making a two-dimensional video game is something that now can be done by virtually anyone with the right software and minimal programming skills. There are free game developing programs, free MIDI music files, free graphics packages and text and video tutorials floating around the internet in abundance the resources to get the job done. Combined with the prepackaged Microsoft Paint, the only things that limit a person from creating their own 2-D game for free are patience and practice.
Instructions
Choosing a Free Program
1. Download the Lite Edition of Game Maker 8 to create any sort of 2-D game you wish. This program is designed to be completely open-ended, and the limitations found in using the Lite Edition are very few. Though some programming knowledge will definitely assist you in creating a more complicated game, the program's drag-and-drop command system allows anyone who is new to game making to open it up and immediately get started. It also comes packaged with a small media library to get started.
2. Install Eclipse 2D MMORPG Maker to create a "massively multiplayer online role-playing game." This is a type of game where multiple players visit an interactive online world and exchange goods, battle monsters and complete quests. The programs provides graphics, audio and a pre-built engine for your games, but also allows for source-programming and importing of custom media if you wish to go beyond what the program presents.
3. Download Elecbyte's M.U.G.E.N 2-D Fighting Engine package to create a game similar to classics like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. The package comes with a dummy game titled "M.U.G.E.N" that you can edit using provided audio, character, background and engine editors. Though it does come with a free game engine and some editing utilities, the M.U.G.E.N package is not built with amateur game makers in mind, and will require a level of programming skill to use.
Graphics and Sound
4. Create graphics using Microsoft Paint. Any Windows user should already have this installed on their computer as part of the operating system. In it you can draw, copy, paste, stretch and crop images in the standard BMP (bitmap) format, which is supported by most game making software. If using it to create an animated character you will need a separate BMP file for every frame of animation, using one frame as a reference and then saving it as a new file.
5. Locate and download MIDI music files from site such as MIDI Zone and the Free MIDI File Database. MIDI music files are digital command-based compositions of songs, and their small file size will let your game use them quite efficiently. Unlike the sharing and distribution of MP3 files, MIDI files seemingly go unregulated and just about any song you could imagine should be openly available on a variety of websites.
6. Download graphics packages and pre-programmed game characters. A good place to do this is at the YoYo Games website, which provides a community resource center for people using Game Maker 8. Of course, characters and game engines created within the program will be exclusive to Game Maker, however if you wish to go another route universal BMP or JPG based graphics packages are provided.
Tags: Game Maker, graphics packages, MIDI music, MIDI music files, music files, free game