The following are additional tools that I’ll be using:

• Magnifier – This application has a couple of crucial features for viewing sprite animation. First, it’s draggable and resizable and can be set to stay on top. Secondly, it can update its magnified view automatically, allowing you to see your animation running.
• PNG Gauntlet – When you need to reduce the file size of a PNG file, this tool does it perfectly. The interface is an extremely easy to use drag-and-drop window. The program then tries all sorts of compression algorithms to find the smallest one without sacrificing quality.
• The Font Thing – This is an older application that seems to have stood the test of time. It’s a font viewer that allows you to preview both installed and uninstalled fonts.
• IZArc – While researching different development tools I found myself with compressed installation files of all sorts. This program handles it all.
• Comodo – Seems to be a competent and complete Firewall and Anti-virus solution. It has a great sandbox feature for running untrusted programs in an isolated environment and always asks for confirmation on how new programs can access your system. The thing I like the most about it though is how lightweight it seems on my system. I list this application because, with all the freeware I’m suggesting, it’s just peace of mind to know what these non-commercial and, often, hobbyist programs are doing.
• Pivot – It’s an amazingly simple stick figure animation tool. Two features that this tool lacks is the ability to color different body parts on the same figure (for differentiating limbs and such) and being able to animate the length of the sticks (you can only rotate them). Still, the program is great and finding workarounds for more complex animations is always an option.
• Pencil – Just as MyPaint made me glad to have a graphics tablet for digital painting, Pencil does the same for hand-drawn animation. It’s great for prototyping animation techniques beyond simple spriting. If nothing else, you just have to try it if you have a graphics tablet and any inkling towards making pictures move.

Note: A few other animation applications that are worth looking into are  Skeleton (a spiritual successor to Pivot), Animata, and GAP (GIMP Animation Package). Also, for coding purposes, Notepad++ is a great alternative to Programmer’s Notepad.

• Blender – Everything you’ll need to do in 3D is in this application; modeling, texturing, and animation. It’s a bit daunting at first and uses a somewhat unconventional (non-Windows) control scheme, but it’s extremely flexible and powerful. It’s great for low-poly modeling for 3D rendering in the browser or creating highly detailed exported bitmaps for pre-rendered 2D animation.
• Synfig – This is something that I will try out when the need arises for more complex 2D animation. It’s been developed for creating TV show quality bitmap and vector-based cartoon animation. The only critical feature it seems to be missing is a bone (pivot/joint) animation system. However, it’s been recently mentioned on the forums that this feature is being implemented.
• Audacity – I’ve yet to try it out, as I’m not concerned with sound in my game development yet, but it’s easy to see where this tool compliments MODPlug nicely. I’m confident that it’s a competent sound editor.
• MyPaint – Though it lacks the flexibility to be a full image editing program, it does digital painting like no other. The wet brushes alone make this application more effective than GIMP for creating a painted look in my digital art. Of course, a graphics tablet is a must with this software.

Note: I mentioned earlier about using SoundManager for controlling audio in JavaScript games, but the support for sound in HTML5 may remove the need for it.

I recently purchased a NYKO Core controller for the PlayStation 3, as it’s wired with a standard USB cable and was quite affordable. I’m pleasantly surprised that the gamepad works without any need for 3rd party drivers; just plug it in and Windows recognizes it as a USB game controller. However, I do have to press the home button on the controller once for it to start working each time the computer boots up. (Also, the player 1,2,3,4 lights continue to blink.)  I use JoyToKey to map the controller’s buttons and directional pad to keyboard strokes. If I decide later to use the rumble feature in the controller, MotioninJoy provides drivers and full configuration options for all PlayStation 3 compliant controllers and can even emulate it as an Xbox 360 controller… and, of course, it turns off the blinking lights.

• OpenOffice.org – Perfect for documentation and planning. It’s a full office suite that’s comparable to and compatible with Microsoft Office.
• Programmer’s Notepad – I’m not a fan of cluttered and complicated interfaces and this application is exactly what I want when coding. It’s extremely configurable and easy to use.
• GIMP – Every essential feature that Photoshop offers, GIMP does it just as well. Whether I’m creating pixel art, using a drawing tablet or cleaning up graphics to post on this blog, GIMP does everything you need for bitmap graphics.
• Inkscape – Depending on your style, vector art is another option when creating graphics. It also allows you to work in pixel and sub-pixel levels, which is ideal for sharp looking bitmap exporting.
• MODPlug – Allows you to create sound effects and music with surprising efficiency. I found it difficult to understand the process of setting up a new song at first, but now I fully appreciate the flexibility and control it offers.
• SoundManager – Honestly, I have not tried it out yet, but the linked page gives you a live, working rundown of what it offers and I’m positive that it will do everything I need for controlling sound.
  Note: There is a newer version called SoundManager 2, but I don’t see a need to use that one, unless there’s a massive performance boost, as it seems to offer way more than I actually want.
• Firefox – This is my browser of choice, but it really shines when using the following tool…
• Firebug – Essential for debugging complicated scripts and understanding exactly what your code is doing while it’s doing it, and it works within the Firefox browser.
• WordPress – I took a peek at other blog sites and this one is easily the most comprehensive and user-friendly. The reason I list WordPress is that you might as well share your JavaScript games with the world as you build them because there’s no way to keep your source code and assets from prying eyes.
• FileZilla – A solid FTP program that does exactly what it’s supposed to do.

Note: There are a lot of free hosting services out there to share your games, but I’ve chosen to use my ISP’s web hosting as it’s not costing me anything extra. Also, I’m hesitant to use any existing JavaScript libraries as I need to hone my skills first.

I’m using a couple of peripherals for development. I use a scanner to bring in pencil drawings and a Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet to color my artwork. I’m in the process of learning how to use the tablet more effectively, but the control is phenomenally better than a mouse. If your style is purely pixel-based, a mouse will do just fine, but I like the flexibility a tablet offers.

I’m patiently scouring the stores for a solid PC game pad and/or joystick. There are times when a game controller actually enhances the experience beyond what a keyboard and mouse can do, and I’m all for that.

As the title for this site suggests, JavaScript will be the basis for my game development. I’m familiar with the language, but it’s the accessibility and future potential that gets me excited about creating games with it. Personal computers, mobile devices and gaming systems typically have web browsers that support JavaScript. The thought of playing one of my creations on the Wii through the Opera browser is enough to sell me on the concept.

I realize that there are disadvantages to using JavaScript, but I also fully accept them. Working within a web browser forces you to be economical with your project scope, and that’s a healthy restriction to have. I want to keep my goals with this endeavor attainable and simplicity is key. It also encourages a person to do more with less, and I’m sure that’s something even professional developers can respect.