[Hiro_Antagonist]

This game was made using DirectX and C# (.NET).

C# is a much easier language to learn and code in that C++, but it does come with some problems. However, if you're just starting out with coding, C# is a great language to learn... There are a huge number of C# jobs out there (at least around Seattle), and it is slowly becoming more and more viable for games.

We also use DirectX -- Specifically Direct3D for our graphics. I know this sounds strange, since it's only a 2D game, but Direct3D gives us access to more advanced graphics tricks like fluid scaling, rotation, alpha blending, etc. These graphics tricks are all very important for looking polished in this day and age.

To give you an idea of the order of magnitude of this project, I've been working on it full time for a year and a half, and I've had part-time attention from 4 other people for things like graphics, UI design, sound, and additional development. I would recommend starting on a very small and modest project that you don't plan on selling. This will give you a chance to learn, make custom API's for your coding style, and get an idea of what it would take for a larger project.

I hope that helps, and best of luck!

-Hiro_Antagonist