#46: Snake Rattle n Roll (Rare/Nintendo, NES, 1989/1991)

Snake Rattle N Roll, then, takes from [the predecessors of Snake] the concept of a snake growing as it eats goodies and… that’s it. Making your snake larger only makes your snake larger. There is no penalty to offset the bonus, no cautionary tale about facing up to your own hubris. At its best, the game infuses this boundless gluttony with a kind of madcap energy, with your apparently Teflon-coated snakes careening around, bouncing off the walls as Nibbley-Pibbleys flutter, dance and splat around, and homicidal toilet seats stalk the land with malice in their hearts.