Nibbler (video game)

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Nibbler
Developer(s)	Christoph van Rhein and Roman Majer
Publisher(s)	Mozaik Software
Designer(s)	Christoph van Rhein and Roman Majer
Platform(s)	Amstrad CPC
Release date	1984
Genre(s)	Arcade game
Mode(s)	Single player
Input methods	Keyboard

Nibbler is a simple video game, and is the basis for the popular MS-DOS game, Nibbles, which is likely the reason that the very similar video game Snake is a popular game on today's mobile phones. Its object is to navigate a virtual snake (or worm) through an enclosed space, while consuming dots along the way. Usually, the length of the snake increases with each object consumed, making the game more difficult. The player must also avoid colliding with walls or obstacles, and must also avoid colliding with the snake's own body sections. After a certain number of objects have been eaten, the player progresses to the next level, usually involving harder obstacles and/or higher game speeds.

Nibbler experienced a revival in the early 21st century thanks to the proliferation of mobile phone versions of the game, where it is usually known as Snake.

Nibbler is actually a copy/enhancement of a 1977 arcade game called Hustle.

In 2005, JMD made a themable clone of Nibbler for the Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast version won first place in the amateur game division of the second annual Dream On Contest, held by Cyberdog Castle and The GOAT Store.

[edit] Nibbler's Significance in Video Game History

Nibbler was the first video game that allowed the player to score a ten-digit score—one billion points. This threshold was reached by Tim McVey at the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard in Ottumwa, Iowa, (The Video Game Capital of the World) on January 17, 1984, scoring 1,000,042,270 points. News of his accomplishment was carried by the wire services and a feature story on his feat was published in the July, 1984 issue of Computer Games Magazine. McVey became the first video game player in gaming history to have a civic day set aside in his honor: "Tim McVey Day," January 28, 1984. Officials from Rock-Ola, the game's manufacturer, were in attendance to award McVey a free "Nibbler" arcade machine of his own, for his accomplishment. See these External News Resources: