Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco
The story of the Snake video game is about to be told. We promise to take you back to the beginning and walk you through the various stages the game has undergone.
The history of the Snake game would not be complete without the mention of crucial games like Blockade of 1976; the Snake game design was first illustrated here. There is also Worms, the first personal PC version of Snake, created in 1978, and Snake by Nokia, the first mobile version of the Snake game, created by Taneli Armanto in 1997.
At the end of this piece, you will realize why the Snake video game was ranked 41 on the “Top 100 Games of All Time” by Next Generation. We’ll be dishing out facts throughout this Snake video game history article.
1. Snake Game Started with Blockade (1976)
November 1976 birthed the Snake design, and Gremlin Inc was at the front. Blockade was the name of this monochrome arcade game, and the designers were Lane Hauck, Ago Kiss, and Bob Pecarero.
2. Meadows Games Cloned the Blockade Arcade Game (1976)
Bigfoot Bonkers was the game’s name, and it served as a clone of the Blockade game. This clone was released the same year as Blockade. However, unlike Blockade, which is a single-player game, Bigfoot Bonkers was two players.
3. 1977, Atari Inc Introduced two Blockade Style Games
Like we have the Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox today, Atari is a video game console. In 1977, they included the video game Surround, programmed by Alan Miller, in their console. It was one of the 9 Atari VCS launch titles.
4. 1978; the First Home Computer version of Snakes
Believe it or not, the first Snake version to see the computer was called Worms. It was designed for the TRS-80 microcomputer station by Peter Trefonas. Although now a retired Dupont fellow, senior scientist Peter Trefonas made money by writing codes for computer games in his undergraduate days.
5. Snake Byte takes the Scene (1982)
The year 1982 was when Snake Byte by Sirius Software hit the market. The Atari 8-bit computers, Apple II, and VIC-20 are the three devices that could play this game. This Snake game involved a Snake eating 10 apples to clear each of the 28 levels. With each apple the Snake eats, the Snake does not only get longer but also becomes faster.
6. Snake for BBC Micro (1982)
Getting people acquainted with the workings of a computer system was not the only thing the BBC microcomputer was good for. This system was also decent for playing the Snake video game. David Bresnen designed the version of the Snake game for this computer, and it involved directing the Snake with the directional button.
7. Nibbler the first video game to feature a Nine digit scoring System (1982)
Designed by Rock Ola, a Chicago-based developer, we have the Nibbler. This version of the Snake game is an arcade Snake maze and munch game. It was the first to allow players to score one billion points, and trust us, people did reach that score.
8. Serpent by Game Boy (1990)
Serpent by Game Boy is a two-player puzzle game. Here each player tries to box the other in. The game had two modes and four difficulty levels. The higher the level, the more difficult the game would become. Also, in mode one, you play against an opponent, while in mode 2, a series of small Snakes will be inserted into the game when players do not finish a level on time.
9. Nibbles Video Game (1991)
The Nibbles Snake video game came to life in 1991, and it was included on MS-DOS version 5.0. This game was written to demonstrate the QBasic programming language, and the Snake here aimed to consume numbers 1-9 while navigating a walled space.
10. Rattler Race (1992)
Although quite similar to the Snake Byte, the Rattler Race Snake game comes with a twist. What’s the twist, you ask? Well, the addition of enemy Snakes. This game was developed by Christopher Lee Fraley.
11. Snake Earns its Spot on the List of Top 100 Games of All Time (1996)
The year 1996 was a good year for the Snake video game. It ranked number 41 on the Next Generations award for the Top 100 Games.
12. Snake Made its First Appearance in Nokia (1997)
This was a critical moment for Nokia and the Snake game in general. With the aid of Taneli Armanto, Nokia was able to insert the Snake game into the monochrome Nokia 6110. The name of the game was “Snake”.
Included in the table below is a collection of the various Snake games created by Nokia and the mobile device they supported
13. First Local Two-Player Nokia Snake Game (1998)
It was the first two-player Nokia Snake game. This was possible due to the included infrared connection on the Nokia 7110.
14. The Nokia 3310 was Born, and With it Came Snake II (2000)
With the year 2000 came the Snake II on the Nokia 3310, a successor to the 3210. The 3310 was a major success, selling 126 million phones mostly because of durability. The Snake II also featured on other monochrome Nokia Phones. This Snake variant had now evolved from just a line. Also, the screen was cyclical, and there were bonuses.
15. Snake EX for the Nokia 9290 Communicator Came to Life in 2002
The Snake EX 2002 was first featured on the Nokia 9290 communicator, the first device to run on the Symbian OS platform, version 6. This Snake variant featured a Snake reptile with the ability to open and close its mouth to eat the food.
16. Snake Xenzia for Nokia was Released in 2003
This variant of the Nokia Snake game featured on several Nokia-colored phones and other monochrome ones after the 3310. Some colored series include the Series 30 and Series 30+ Nokia Mobile devices. The Snake game here used a red and white color scheme. Still, in 2003, the Nokia Snake EX 2 came with the Nokia 3100.
17. Snakes N-Gage (2005)
The Snakes N-Gage game is a downloadable 3D version of the Snake game. This version has 42 levels and could easily be copied from one N-Gage device user to another through Bluetooth connectivity.
That’s not all; it also featured a multiplayer mode where up to 4 N-Gage device users can enjoy a friendly game using the Bluetooth connection. This version of the Snake game was not limited to the N-Gage users alone. Devices like the Nokia N95 and E65 are also supported.
18. Snakes III (2005)
Snakes III is another 3D version of the Snake game that supports multiplayer mode through Bluetooth connectivity. This Snake adopts a more living Snake feeling and is seen on models like the Nokia 3250.
19. Taneli Armanto was Recognized (2005)
The Snake Nokia game is one of the few reasons the Snake game is quite popular. In 2005, Taneli Armanto finally got the recognition he deserved. The Mobile Entertainment Forum recognized him for helping to grow the Mobile Gaming Industry
20. Snakes Subsonic (2008)
Developed by Barking Lizards Technologies, 2008 came with the Snakes Subsonic. This variant of the Nokia Snake game was released on the 28th of May 2008 for the second-generation N-gage mobile devices.
21. Snake on Youtube (2010)
YouTube also found a way to tap into the Snake game. In 2010, they included a version of the Snake game that can be played when your connection is slow.
22. Snake to be Added to Museum of Arts and Culture (2012)
The Museum of Modern Arts and Culture in New York City, on the 29th of November 2012, announced that the Snake variant of Nokia was under consideration to be added to the Museum’s future collection.
23. One of the Most Popular Snake Game Was Created by Slither.io (2016)
Released on the 25th of March 2016, Slither.io is one of the most popular Snake games. In fact, in 2016, it was one of the most searched video games in the year 2016. It also ranked first on the App Store, and by July 2016, the browser version was ranked by Alexa as the 250th most visited website in the world.
24. Snake on Facebook Messenger (2017)
In 2017, Nokia announced at their MWC in Barcelona that the Snake game has been included with the Facebook messenger app.
25. Snake Xenzia (2017)
Also, announced at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona in 2017, Nokia announced the return of the Snake Xenzia with the 2017 version of the Nokia 3310.
26. Snake on Google Maps (2019)
Google included the Snake game in Google Maps. Although this feature is no longer available on the mobile app, you can still enjoy it on the browser.
Final Thoughts
There goes the history of the Snake timeline. Although it does not end here, as we are sure, several other versions of the Snake video game are still being created today. One thing you’d notice is how the Snake game has managed to stay relevant since its inception. This game is no doubt a fun way to keep yourself engaged.
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who enjoy sharing their knowledge about their favorite games with others!
JC Franco
JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.