Game Info
GAME NAME: Snake Den
DEVELOPER(S): Derek Holmes
PUBLISHER(S): Game Bytes
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Wii U
GENRE(S): Arcade
RELEASE DATE(S): November 20th, 2014
Snake Den is a throwback title of sort. The most similar game that you may have played was called Snake and it was on everything from your PC to your old school cell phones. While the main purpose of the game has changed in Derek Holmes spiritual successor, the fun and addicting gameplay remains intact.
There is no making any mistake about it, Snake Den is a arcade game through and through. You take control of a snake and eat fruit to make you grow and if you accidentally happen to eat a bomb you will shrink. There isn’t any story but there is a purpose, to eat at least three mice and then exit each level. The instructions are a little confusing at first but after a few games you will get the point. The controls work well being you only have to really move in one of the four directions. It is fun playing co-op or competitively with two other friends as well.
My main complaint about the title is the lack of challenge. You can’t really die or lose from crashing into other snakes or obstacles. Instead you shrink a slight bit and lose score. I really feel like when you can’t lose at something it makes playing the game almost pointless. Granted it is fun while playing to get a high score, but ultimately the ability to fail would add a challenge that would make winning feel like more of an accomplishment.
The graphics are simplistic but that is come to be expected as that is what the developer is aiming for. The snakes are all different colors so you will not get confused while moving around the levels, and the level designs are basic but well constructed. The soundtrack is nothing great or bad. It is just as average as the rest of the game feels.
The Recommendation
If you have played Snake before and enjoyed it, this is a mostly better version of that. Snake Den’s biggest flaw is it’s lack of challenge to clear a level, opting to make scoring the more important aspect of the gameplay. While this takes a hit on the overall enjoyability of the title, I still had fun while playing, especially with multiple players. There is a good foundation here and with work this could be a very good title.
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