QB was one of the earlier languages I played around with, too, actually, and only ten years ago. I think it was an excellent environment for learning to program

QB was one of the earlier languages I played around with, too, actually, and only ten years ago. I think it was an excellent environment for learning to program. It was simple, with many built-in functions for graphics and audio—everything a growing game programmer needs. It also had a pretty good editor, with documentation and examples only a right-click away. The now-defunct QB4All community was also very friendly and helpful. Furthermore, I’d say that having an underpowered but batteries-included language helps focus you on the goal of making a thing, rather than the process. It also encourages hacking, to circumvent the language’s restrictions. Could you ask for better?