Snake On Nokia Phones Was What Made My Childhood

Nokia phones were not always known for the number of contacts they could hold or the number of text messages they could receive. In the late 90's they were known, by many teenagers, as phones where you could enjoy the hugely addictive game Snake.

To many it was a simplistic game pre-installed on non-color Nokia handsets; but to others it was a way of life. The game required its participant to guide a snake around the screen eating dots of food in order to grow and achieve a high score. From this basic concept, the game would rapidly expand to cater different mazes, different difficulty levels and different types of food available.

Much like many arcade games, Snake was unbeatable. Sure you could get a high score, but to complete the game meant you would have to fill the entire screen with a long, bendy black line. In fact so difficult was it, at the height of Snake-mania, my local Carphone Warehouse ran a competition where if you could prove to have completed the game they would give you a new phone. Many, including myself, tried this unachievable feat by using the slowest level as there was less chance of dying. However as I soon found out, the only way to play Snake is on maximum difficulty or not at all.

The chosen devices to store this game on included the Nokia 5110. Not known for its technological capabilities (the phone stored 12 text messages), Snake along with Pairs and Bantumi made a formidable force in its Games section. In fact as the new wave of Nokia handsets came around, no sooner had Snake begun to prosper that Snake 2 was released. New mazes, multiplayer capability and the ability to go through walls made this the must have phone ... of 1998. The addition of Space Impact as well meant it became the Christmas present on any 13 year olds wish list.

The Snake franchise grew to become synonymous with Nokia models up to the point where it was introduced on the ill-fated Nokia N-gage with 3D visuals. The N-Gage tried to embody a system that could put phones and gaming in equilibrium. From a simple black line, the snake had evolved to the extent it was about to hit itself. Snake had lost its edge ever since the introduction of color phones. New games could be downloaded, customers wanted a camera and an mp3 player leaving Snake to find food by itself.

The N-Gage illustrated that mobile phones aren't meant to compete with portable platforms like the DS. The same can be said that mobile phone games aren't meant to compete with portable games. They have a more arcadial function that is addictive, time-wasting and a competition to obtain a high score you could boast to your friends. Pre-installed games function to showoff the phone's ability, whether it is a monochrome screen, the 16 bit display or, regrettably, the three dimensional visuals.

Addictiveness conquers visuals!