I am a hobbyist game programmer (when I get the time). My preferred tools are Game Maker, Flash, and RPG 2000. Game Maker is a great GUI for making games, and makes the process quite a bit easier. Flash is what I originally learned on, and is good for small online games. RPG Maker is a monster. There is a lot you can do it, and I have yet to complete my first game with it. The resources section will contain code snippets, sprite sheets, and other useful game making notes and links.