Versions of this mobile phone phenomenon have been around since the mid-1970s, but the 1001 list has singled out the Nokia port/remake/version of Snake as the absolute pinnacle of the hundreds upon hundreds of versions, and it's hard to argue with that decision - after all, I just referred to it as 'this mobile phone phenomenon'...
You'll need to use your imagination for this one.
Fond Memories
Way back in the very late 1990s, early 2000s, I had myself a Nokia 3210. I think. My memory is hazy, but it looks the right shape for my first mobile phone. On that first mobile phone, other than my home phone number and some god-awful ringtones was the game we all know and love, Snake.
You are a line, the head of which (and good luck working out which end is the head in these screenshots by the way) can move about in four directions, mapped to the 2468 keys. Wherever the head moves, the rest of the snake will follow, and whenever it eats an 'egg' - which is the whole point of the game - the rest of the snake will get one block longer.
Crashing into the walls will end your run, as will snaking into yourself, so don't do anything else and eat those eggs!
Fun Times
Why is such a simple game beloved by so many? Probably because it is so simple. It's addictive, high score driven. You want to beat your last useless attempt and within seconds you're off and running once again.
You soon learn that navigating like a maniac leads to problems, so you snake your way around the screen, slowly and steadily making progress towards the next egg in such a way as to not screw yourself over for next time.
At least, you try to. Sometimes your timing is off, or an egg spawns really close and you diverge from your plans in order to meet it. You can't help it, it's rewarding. You've probably scored a point or something. I can't even remember what the scoring was.
I don't have a Nokia 3210 anymore. I think there's an 1100 somewhere, but it's got Snake II on it, and being able to travel off the screen edge to appear at the other side, and eat bugs to score more points is fine and all, but Snake II didn't make the 1001 list.
Anyway, I don't have a Nokia phone to play Snake on anymore, but I do have a phone with a store with more Snake apps you can shake a stick at, including one which mimics old handsets in order to control it, as you can see in the screenshots.
It's weird having a faux-3210 that's as wide as a modern phone - kinda makes me look like I'm a Hobbit when I hold it or something - but I know one gaming app that'll stick around for a little while.
Frustrations
Though my fingers need a little repositioning and my brain needs to step into gear, else stupid moves like that happen. Or lack of moves, in that case. Look at the space I could have gone into. Unbelievable.
Final Word
Is there such a thing as too much Snake? Anything played often enough can get old. Sure, you can perfect your run, but then what? Where do you go from there? I never 'finished' Snake, but I was often 'finished with' Snake. Does it have the legs these days?
Snake II adds maps and bonus points and slithering off the screen, and I certainly played it as much as Snake, but there's something about the pure, no-nonsense version that puts it above those many, many others.
Maybe it's the sweet graphics.
Fun Facts
If the 1001 list isn't prestigious enough for you, the Museum of Modern Art in New York have listed Snake in the top 40 games they'd like to acquire for their collection. But where will it rank in my list, eh?
Snake, developed by Nokia, first released in 1997
Version played: Snake, Nokia 3210, via childhood memories and emulation/homage/remake.
Version watched: Snake, Nokia (frankafloppy)