''Snack Attack'' is a

maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...

action video game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...

developed by Dan Illowsky for the

Apple II The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...

family of computers. It was published by

Datamost Datamost was a computer book publisher and computer game company founded by David Gordon and based in Chatsworth, California. Datamost operated in the early 1980s producing games and other software mainly for the Apple II, Commodore 64 and At ...

in 1981.

Gameplay

The player controls the Snacker, a small, white, fish-like character, and moves through a

to "eat" all the

gumdrop Gumdrops are a type of gummy candy. They are brightly colored pectin-based pieces, shaped like a narrow dome (sometimes with a flattened top), often coated in granulated sugar and having fruit and spice flavors; the latter are also known as spic ...

s scattered throughout. Meanwhile, the Gumdrop Guards, four enemies that patrol the maze, attempt to catch the Snacker. Green and purple barriers can only be crossed by the Snacker and the Guards, respectively. To control the character, J, K, W, and S keys are used to move the character in various directions, allowing the player to escape the aforementioned Gumdrop Guards. By eating one of several "magic stars" in the maze, the Snacker gains a set of sharp teeth and can briefly eat the guards for bonus points, sending them back to their home base to regenerate. At times, a giant

jack-o-lantern A jack-o'-lantern (or jack o'lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. Its name comes from the reported phenomen ...

appears and can be eaten for bonus points. Once all the gumdrops have been cleared, the player begins the next maze at a faster speed. The game cycles through three different mazes. The game cannot be paused; however, one of the three mazes contains a small area where the Guards cannot enter; the player can leave the Snacker there indefinitely.

Reception

The game debuted in October 1981, and sold 25,000 copies by June 1982, tied for fourth on ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...

''s list of top sellers. ''Snack Attack'' won an award in the category of "Best Solitaire Computer Game" at the 4th annual

Arkie Awards An electronic game is a game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as pro ...

, where judges praised its "multiple mazes, charming graphics and sound effects, and well-nigh-addictive play action". The game's colour-coded doors were also described as "another big plus, adding an extra dollop of strategy".

David H. Ahl David H. Ahl (born May 17, 1939) is an American author who is the founder of ''Creative Computing (magazine), Creative Computing'' magazine. He is also the author of many how-to books, including ''BASIC Computer Games'', the first computer book t ...

of ''

Creative Computing ''Creative Computing'' was one of the earliest magazines covering the microcomputer revolution. Published from October 1974 until December 1985, the magazine covered the spectrum of hobbyist/home/personal computing in a more accessible format th ...

Video & Arcade Games'' said of ''Snack Attack'' and '' Jawbreaker'', that "for PacMan fans, either is recommended."

Legacy

The sequel, '' Snack Attack II'', is an

IBM PC compatible IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

-only game co-authored with

Michael Abrash Michael Abrash is a programmer and technical writer specializing in code optimization and 80x86 assembly language. He wrote the 1990 book ''Zen of Assembly Language Volume 1: Knowledge'' and a monthly column in '' Dr. Dobb's Journal'' in the ea ...

and published by Funtastic.

References

{{reflist 1982 video games Apple II games Apple II-only games Datamost games Maze games North America-exclusive video games Pac-Man clones Video games about food and drink Video games developed in the United States Single-player video games Funtastic games