Snack Attack


Snack Attack is a video game created by Dan Illowsky for the Apple II family of computers and published by Datamost in 1982. The gameplay is very similar to those of Pac-Man, which was released two years earlier.

Gameplay

The player controls the Snacker, a small, white, fish-like character, moving through a maze in order to eat all the gumdrops scattered throughout. Meanwhile, the Gumdrop Guards, four enemies that resemble the ghosts in Pac-Man, patrol the maze in an attempt to catch the Snacker. Green and purple barriers can only be crossed by the Snacker and the Guards, respectively.
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. At times, 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. The game cannot be paused, however, one of the three mazes contains a small safe area where the Guards cannot enter; the player can leave the Snacker there indefinitely.

Reception

Debuting in October 1981, the game sold 25,000 copies by June 1982, tied for fourth on Computer Gaming Worlds list of top sellers. Snack Attack was well received, and was granted an award in the category of "Best Solitaire Computer Game" at the 4th annual Arkie Awards 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 of Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games said of Snack Attack and Jawbreaker, "for PacMan fans, either is recommended."

Legacy

The sequel, Snack Attack II, is an IBM PC compatible-only game co-authored with Michael Abrash and published by Funtastic.