Nibbler is a Sega Dreamcast remake by JMD of a simple video game for the Amstrad CPC. The game is completely themable, and includes an almost perfect clone of the original Amstrad CPC game as the default theme. The game won first place in the amateur game division of the second annual Dream On Contest, held by Cyberdog Castle and The GOAT Store from 2004 to 2005, and has the option of being included on the GOAT Games compilation disc.
The 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'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 with a free copy of the game for his accomplishment.
Trivia[]
- The Amstrad CPC version of Nibbler is the basis for the popular MS-DOS game, Nibbles
- 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
External links[]
- History's First Billion-Point Video Game Performance (Jan. 16, 1984) - Computer Games magazine, July 1, 1984
- History's First Official Day to Honor a Video Game Player (Jan. 28, 1984) - Tim McVey Day Poster, January 28, 1984
- Twin Galaxies Scoreboard for Nibbler World Records
- Nibbler Article on CPCZone
- RHS Nibbles from Redwood High School (Larkspur)