Snake (1998 video game)

Lore & Background

Snake was programmed by Taneli Armanto, who was part of a group responsible for interface design at Nokia near his hometown in Finland. The marketing team at Nokia wanted to include more custom options on their new phone, and Armanto received the job to develop a game because his colleagues believed he had experience in game development, which he did not. He initially thought of developing a Tetris-like game but could not due to rights issues, so he turned to the snake video game genre, which he knew from older computer games. Armanto stated he 'respectfully borrowed some ideas from existing titles.' The final choice to make Snake involved the infrared connection to allow for wireless data between devices, as Armanto felt this could be applied for a multiplayer version. The two-player mode was not tested because the Nokia 6110 itself lacked a second infrared-equipped device for testing. Armanto had no restrictions outside the size of the game and visuals, as the whole operating system could only have one megabyte of memory and the screen was a low-resolution monochrome display. The graphics were directly programmed in machine code.

Reader's Guide

Snake's significance lies in its role as a pioneering mobile game that helped define the early mobile gaming landscape. Released in 1998 for the Nokia 6110 and 5110, it was the first video game released with sound for cellular phones. The game grew to large popularity, with tournaments held in Finland and Australia. According to Nokia, 350 million copies of the game exist globally in some form, though Armanto believes the number is likely much higher. In November 2012, The Museum of Modern Art in New York announced it would add Snake to its collection of 40 notable electronic games. Some sources state Snake to be the first mobile phone game, though a Tetris-like game existed for the Hagenuk MT-2000 in 1994. Quinn Myers of MEL Magazine described Snake as the first major mobile game. The game's simple, compelling design—played in short sessions—was noted by Tristan Donovan in his book Replay: The History of Video Games, who declared that mobile games took over the niche once held by arcades by providing short moments of gaming with communication features and mobility. Several sequels and reiterations followed, including Snake II, Snake EX, Snake III, Snakes, and Snakes Subsonic, as well as later versions by Gameloft and HMD Global.

Did You Know?

• Snake was an early mobile game with sound, though earlier mobile games with sound (e.g., Tetris on the Hagenuk MT-2000, 1994) predate it.
• The game was added to The Museum of Modern Art's collection of notable electronic games in December 2012.
• Armanto initially tried to develop a Tetris-like game but could not due to rights issues.
• The two-player mode was not tested because the Nokia 6110 itself lacked a second infrared-equipped device for testing.