''Snack Attack'' is a

maze video game This is a list of maze video games by type. Top-down maze games While the character in a maze would have a limited view, the player is able to see much or all of the maze. ''Maze chase games'' are a specific subset of the overhead perspective. T ...

developed by Dan Illowsky for the

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

and published by Datamost in 1981. ''Snack Attack'' is a Pac-Man clone, ''Pac-Man'' clone.

Gameplay

The player controls the Snacker, a small, white, fish-like character, and moves through a maze 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. Gumdrop Guards, four enemies that patrol the maze, attempt to catch the Snacker. There are green and purple barriers that can only be crossed by the Snacker and the Guards, respectively. The character can move in four directions, allowing the player to escape the 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. Occasionally, a giant jack-o-lantern 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.

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 Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was 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 199 ...

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

Arkie Awards ''Electronic Games'' was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz. History The h ...

, where judges praised its "multiple mazes, charming graphics and sound effects, and well-nigh-addictive play action". The game's color-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. He is also the author of many how-to books, including ''BASIC Computer Games'', the first computer book to sell more than a million cop ...

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 t ...

Video & Arcade Games'' said of ''Snack Attack'' and '' Jawbreaker'', that "for

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

fans, either is recommended.

Legacy

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

IBM PC compatible An IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and its subsequent models. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central p ...

-only game co-authored with

Michael Abrash Michael Abrash is an American programmer and technical writer. He has written dozens of magazine articles and multiple books on code optimization and software-rendered graphics for IBM PC compatibles. He worked at id Software in the mid-1990s on ...

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