July 16 has been known as World Snake Day for decades in acknowledgment of these misunderstood creatures, to raise awareness of the known 3,500 species of snakes around the world, to educate individuals about snakes, and to aid in their preservation.
Snakes most often get a bad rap for being perceived as poisonous, dangerous, and “out to get you”. But they’re like any other creature – generally more scared of you than you are of them, and only fierce when they feel like they’re in danger.
And on this World Snake Day 2023, HMD Global, the Home of Nokia phones, is honoring this occasion in a slightly different way – through its engaging, generations-old mobile phone game, Snake.
Origins of the Snake game
Not many people know that Snake originally started as a concept game in 1976 as a monochromatic two-player arcade game developed by a video game company. It picked up such popularity that variations of the game were quickly developed like Bigfoot Bonkers (also 1976), a computer-based version called Worm in 1978, and a single-player arcade game called Nibbler in 1982.
But it was in 1997 when the iconic flagship Snake game was developed by Nokia and was available on one of the brand’s first mobile devices, the monochrome Nokia 6110.
The game evolved as features expanded across mobile devices, and there are now many Snake-like games available on most smartphones. The concept of the game is still simple, yet it has players hooked on the nose-to-tail progression to see who can last the longest (pun intended) before biting their own tail.
Where can I find this epic game?
The Nokia 105 comes with 10 pre-loaded games, including Snake. And what’s great about this nippy little device is that it has an all-day battery life, so you can (literally) play for hours and hours. The Nokia 105 also has a built-in FM radio, so you can listen to your favourite tunes while building your best snake ever, and it has a storage capacity for 2,000 contacts and 500 SMSs.
.You’ll find that today’s Nokia 3310 features a version of the Snake game pre-loaded on the phone. This version, called “Snake Xenzia,” is a colourised updated version of the classic game, making it even more fun to play!
On an Android device and don’t already have Snake? Head to snake.googlemaps.com for a quirky take on the game – you’ll play as a train or bus picking up passengers in a major city. But the Snake game mechanics are the same – don’t crash into the sides, or yourself! On a desktop? Google “Play Snake” and play it right from your web browser. There’s a whole load of settings to play with for a variety of different game modes.
Take a moment for the snakes
So while you’re mounting up those points on Sunday 16 July, World Snake Day 2023, take a moment to remember the creatures that inspired this game. Incredible reptiles that may seem a little scary, but they have their place in the world like any other, playing an important part in the eco-system.
