If you owned a Nokia phone in the late '90s, then you almost certainly played the pre-installed version of Snake. Ported from an arcade classic from way back in the 1970s, snake was a graphically simple game that saw you controlling an ever-moving line around an invisible grid, 'eating' blocks to expand your growing snake.
It has inspired dozens of sequels and adaptations, and was the inspiration for the light-cycle game in the movie Tron. Now, nearly 40 years after its inception, Butterfly-Effected brings you Aztec Snake for the Mobile.
TastyAztec Snake stays essentially true to the format of Snake, although the graphics have undergone something of an overhaul.
Out goes the blocky line, replaced with a vivid green serpent, speckled with blue spots and sporting a fancy metallic hood. Along with a more attractive avatar comes a new Action Mode, which adds a welcome twist to the aging arcade concept.
Rather than collecting morsels of food to expand your elongated reptile, you're instead required to collect gems and emblems while avoiding contact with exploding gems and a variety of monsters and bosses.
This isn't a passive avoid-the-baddies affair, though. Your vigorous viper comes equipped with the ability to spit fireballs at his foes, evening the odds more than a little.
Occasionally a barrel will roll down the screen, randomly containing either a power-up for your fireballs or those dastardly aforementioned exploding gems that instantly kill you. This can be an unwelcome instant death when things get frantic, or if you're unlucky enough to shoot such a barrel just as it appears on screen.
SssweetButterfly-Effected has included a Classic game mode for the purists, which does exactly what it says on the tin. Power-ups, exploding gems, gems and monsters are all removed in favour of a bug-eating, self-avoiding classic game of Snake.
Both modes feature equally simple controls: you'll find yourself navigating the various obstacles - including your own tail - with ease.
Rather than settling for a straight port of an arcade classic, Aztec Snake revamps and reinvents a tired concept. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable, if occasionally frustrating, gem of a game.
Aztec Snake
Aztec Snake is an immediately satisfying fresh take on an old arcade classic
Wayne Turton
Wayne's childhood ambition was to become a superhero. However, having been told that running round in tights is improper adult behaviour he now spends his days playing video games and watching cartoons instead. Millions of citizens sleep more soundly in the knowledge that he isn't watching over them.