Zaxar
Zaxar is a simple top-down 2D space shooter. It was the first true game I had ever made, and was written in Java using Java2D. I made it in collaboration with Broderick Young, a classmate of mine. In november of 2007, we took it to the Interservices and Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, FL as part of the Future Leader's Pavillion program.
This project was my introduction to programming video games, and it really got me interested in Computer Science. I love the instant gratification that video games provide -- how what I code has an immediate and discernable impact on what I see on the screen.
Admittedly, this game (or at least the code for this game) was complete garbage.If anyone were to see the source code, I would probably die of embarassment. Nevertheless, it was an unparalleled learning experience, and to this day I preach the mantra "If you want to learn how to program, write a video game."
Unfortunately, the source code and any existing playable instances of this game have been lost in the nether regions of digital purgatory, and I am unable to provide any links to them.