C+
		Title	Snake Rattle N' Roll
		Publisher	Nintendo	Graphics	A
		Developer	RARE	Sound	A-
		Released	1990	Gameplay	C-
		Platform	Nintendo Entertainment System	Longevity	C
	ESRB Information
	No ratings information was available for this game on the ESRB web site.
	Highlights
	Lots of color and fun to play, but becomes insanely difficult very quickly.
	Full Review

Developed by Rare Ltd and released for the NES in 1990, Snake Rattle N Roll pushed the NES to it's limits with the game's colorful graphics and sound. With both a single player mode and two player co-operative mode, at first glance it would appear that Snake Rattle N Roll is an amazing piece of NES software. Unfortunately, the game suffers from some major issues that affect gameplay, which is likely the reason the game did not sell very well and why you have probably never heard of it.

Regardless of the number of players, the gameplay is the same. You control your snake through the level, while eating colored pellets which increase the size of your snake. You can also eat power-ups that make your character invulnerable for a short time, increase the length of your tongue, or make your movement more agile. Ultimately, you need to eat as many pellets as you can and step on the scale located at the end of each level. If you are heavy enough, a bell will ring which opens the door to the next level.

Snake Rattle N Roll really shines in the graphics and sound department. With an isometric 3D-ish playfield and fantastic music, the presentation represents what developers were able to pull off near the end of the NES lifespan. Considering the number of colors, tons of sprites and music, it is amazing that the game only chugs a tiny bit in very rare cases.

Unfortunately though, I cannot give a glowing recommendation for this game, which is a shame since it is a very beautiful game to look at. The main reason I can't bring myself to tell you to rush out and buy this game is the controls. The NES controller was not made to move diagonally, which is a problem in an isometric game. Rare tries to adjust for that by mapping the four cardinal directions on the gamepad, to diagonal ones. For example; pushing up on the gamepad moves your character to the NorthEast rather than up. On the early stages this is not such a big deal. But as the game progresses you are required to perform increasingly complex jumping puzzles.

Couple the poor controls with an insane difficulty curve and it becomes clear why Snake Rattle N Roll did not sell very well. It is worth picking it up for the eye candy and the co-operative play. But don't expect to get anywhere near the last level on your first few plays.

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