Reef Snake Seeks to Reboot Classic 'Snake' for iOS

'Snake' is one of the oldest videogame concepts out there. Starting as a tiny character, you gobble up food and your body grows until you collide with either your own tail or the game's boundaries. It's a fun concept that starts out very simply, but eventually becomes a tricky balancing act of maneuvering your own body while still trying to grow.

Danjerous Labs loves Snake, but even they believe that a Snake game for iOS devices needs to fit its a platform. On the other hand, they didn't want to sacrifice the game's integrity in the process, and weren't satisfied with many of the Snake-inspired games in the App Store. So, to fill this perceived need, they wrote their own version of Snake. Developer Jeremiah Konkle says, "My approach was to strictly maintain the core concept of the "self-evolving puzzle" while updating the graphics, sound, and only slightly the gameplay to make this concept truly *fit* the iDevice gaming platform."

Danjerous Labs' game, Reef Snake, is their answer to "Snake on the iPhone." Reef Snake includes a visual reboot, with a fluid snake rather than one bound to moving rigidly, and an underwater setting. Additionally, rather than buttons the game uses tilt controls, again as a nod to the differences between an iPod and, say, a computer. Game Center lets users compare their high scores. The core components of the classic, however, remain: keep eating until your "become lost in your own maze," as the app's description puts it.

Reef Snake walks a fine line between embracing the abilities of iOS devices and staying true to Snake's roots, but it seems to have pulled that feat off with at least some success. Watch the above video to get a feel for Snake's gameplay, and if you feel so inclined, download it too—Snake is available now in the App Store for free.