Just to make sure it is clear to you one thing: Java and Javascript are completely different languages.
They have similar names but their purpose and syntax are pretty different

About the 2D engine:
- I tried making a 2D game in Unity3D but it was not so nice.
- You would have to use a 2D framework (as a plugin in Unity) to help you. I used a free one (Orthello2D) but I didn't like it much. A lot of people recommended a paid one (Sprite Manager) but I didn't want to risk buying one without knowing for sure it would fit my needs.
- Anyways you can find a good tutorial with the Orthello2D here.

Hope this helps somehow

i think i will try Orthello2d. What was the problem with orthello?

Also when making your 2d game what went wrong?

A lot of folks are using C# / XML because of the wide Windows / Xbox support.
Quite a few folks like using Java, due to the portability.
Some folks like using Python / Pygame because of easy language.

It's all up to you. 2D games with sprites have been made in HTML / PHP / Jscript before.
Heck, due to the power of HTML5, many things are possible with that.

The #1 question you have to ask yourself is:
Do I feel comfortable with the language?

If you want to distribute your game, than portability comes into play, but just to code a 2D game, almost any language can be used.

The thing is that i am going to be learning javascript in school so i would probably become comfortable with it i just want to know if it is powerful enough to make games as big as limbo or have lighting effects like shadows.

SDL is very useful with lots of examples. (not javascript though)

Right now there is a big hype about HTML5. Even HTML4 was suited to creating very basic games (with a little bit of CSS "cheating" to move stuff around and do animations), but with the new canvas, you seem to have a full-fledged drawing surface and API (no longer required to use CSS hacks). If you are indeed learning Javascript and not Java, then going the web route would make your game quite portable. A fun fact is that you can just put in your university's web page, no jsp hosting required, and all your friends will be able to play it, even on their tablets and phones. From what I've heard, the major problem is sound. For advanced effects, there is WebGL.

I've never used Unity, so I can't compare.

[quote name='mk.jr.fan' timestamp='1344043251' post='4966002']
learning javascript in school so i would probably become comfortable with it i just want to know if it is powerful enough to make games as big as limbo or have lighting effects like shadows.

Just make sure your not confusing javascript and java. Javascript is an embedded language most commonly used in HTML web pages (I think this is the one your referring to). Java is a full programming language.

Javascript is not a very powerful language, its meant to be "bolted onto" something else for basic control of that. In most cases that's a web browser and it can be used to detect that the mouse has entered the area a button covers and then change the colour of the button. With HTML5's canvas element and javascript you can make a basic game, alot of CPU power would be lost just in moving 1 sprite though. Internet explorer doesn't seem to like canvas elements though, kinda just ignores them. Theres also webGL which is far more powerful than a canvas element on its own but much harder to use. Unfortunately few browsers support webGL, the webkit API itself does so any browser with webkit will most likely support webGL (chrome and safari are 2 examples that use webkit and support webGL, there is other work to be done though so there are webkit browsers that don't support it), I don't know if firefox does, internet explorer doesn't. Making a limbo clone through javascript and canvas would be a bit convoluted, through webGL would be slightly less convoluted but a bit harder, performance would still be less than desirable. Shadows would almost certainly not be possible without webGL.

Usually those sorts of browser games are done as either a flash object or java applet, minecraft for example is usually played as a standalone java program but there is a java applet playable in browser (link to free version thats played in browser: http://www.minecraft.net/classic/play). Only thing about using flash or java applets is that the web browser will require additional plugins and the user will have to have flash or java on their systems, not usually an issue anyway.
[/quote]

but how can javascript be used in unity? if i try to code the game in javascript not by it self but with unity would it have less capabilities then coding in c#? or is it because it is "bolted onto" unity that it makes it it stronger?

I've recently started having a play around with Moai which is primarily for 2D games and I've been very impressed.

what is moai? is it just a cloud storage? or do you just put your game on that cloud for people to use?

Moai SDK is a platform for game development which uses the Lua scripting language.
Read the website for more info ( I do not personally use it ) http://getmoai.com

Here is a tutorial if you wish to take a look at whats involved http://getmoai.com/m...g-squisher.html

ok thanks!

Related:
http://getmoai.com/blog/double-fine-chooses-moai.html