2D game graphics programming

I know some C++ and Java, but I've only ever done text stuff with them. Which language, and what libraries, would you recommend for making 2D game?

With sprites and collision detection, basic physics for side-scroller type action.

I'd use DirectX or what ever would be needed today, but at that time, I was mesmerized by FOSS (even had linux t-shirt) and thought it was the shit. I'm embarrased to say I'd been using Linux for well over 10 years at that time. I ate shit for ten years, i.e. reading shitty code, shitty documentation, shitty mailing lists, working with shitty APIs that would change to diarrhea at anytime repeatedly, yet I never realized it for such a long time.