Its easier to start off with a game style that doesnt include the kind of collisions of a side scroller.
After/during (which can make you feel unusual..or at least did so to me) you make an entire program you learn through your own practice how much more easily, structurally and efficiently you could have done it. (Especially in learning to program in an object-orientated or (in blitzplus) 'object based' way), so its better to start with a simple program, and then make another, fresh, with what youve learned applied to practice on the design and implementation of the new program.
You could start off with something as simple as to have eg: No collision objects: player confined to be within a rectangular area, top down view (say like 2d Zelda games view).
Or just work up to a few dozen simplified retro-style games
After/during (which can make you feel unusual..or at least did so to me) you make an entire program you learn through your own practice how much more easily, structurally and efficiently you could have done it. (Especially in learning to program in an object-orientated or (in blitzplus) 'object based' way), so its better to start with a simple program, and then make another, fresh, with what youve learned applied to practice on the design and implementation of the new program.
You could start off with something as simple as to have eg: No collision objects: player confined to be within a rectangular area, top down view (say like 2d Zelda games view).
Or just work up to a few dozen simplified retro-style games