An old favourite arcade game has been zapped up for the Atari. Written in machine code, Snake, by F. M. O' Dwyer, will need all your skills to keep ahead.

Control is via a joystick in port 1 of the Atari and using this you can guide the snake around the screen aiming for the numbers which appear from time to time at random positions. If you are unsuccessful the number changes into a deadly obstacle.

It is therefore wise to try and get all the numbers, even if they are a low value, or some reason it seems far easier to bump into the obstacles than the numbers.

If you do manage to get to a number before it changes, your length will increase by an equivalent number of segments. Points are scored each time you get a number. You must also be careful not to bump into your own tail and this gets increasingly difficult as you grow.

If you go off the edge of the screen you wrap around, which is quite confusing with the game so fast. Just when you think you know where you are, you are suddenly whisked over to the other side of the screen. Obviously a great deal of practice is required.

You gain a life every 1,000 points. Pressing START starts a new game and pressing OPTION allows you to change the speed of the game. A checksum is included in the program to ensure you type the data statements in correctly.