When most people think back to the great NES classics, there aren't many snakes that come to mind (besides Solid Snake, but that’s different). But perhaps there should be! Rare, developer of numerous NES classics like Wizards & Warriors and Battletoads, created a game for the platform called Snake Rattle & Roll, and while it may often be overlooked, doing so would be a misnake, I mean mistake. 

Snake Rattle n Roll puts players in control of one of two snakes, Rattle and Roll. The goal is to eat as many Nibbley Pibbleys as you can in order to make your tail longer. This increases your snake’s mass, and once you’ve gained enough weight you can set off a scale that opens the stage’s exit door. Each stage has a different kind of Nibbley Pibbley too, and they’re all pretty fun to see do their things. 

Pibballs just roll around. Pibblecopters sprout helicopter blades and fly around. Pibblesplats bounce around and splat on the ground. It’s quite ridiculous, but it’s incredibly charming, especially when you eat one. Your snake will chomp the Pibble, then spit out whatever extra parts it doesn’t want. So if you eat a Pibblejogger, for example, you'll spit out the two stick figure legs when you’re done. Then, if you stand still, you can see the pibble work its way through your snake’s tail. 

But beware! Some pibbles are actually bombs in disguise! So if you see a pibble turn into a bomb, run! Err… slither quickly? 

Of course, this is a Rare game, which means it’s tough as nails. As such, there are far more things you’ll need to avoid in addition to exploding Pibbles. You’ll encounter fast-moving toilet seats that run around like crazy, Pin Cushions that shoot needles all over the place, a creature called Big Foot that’s literally a big foot that tries to stomp you, and even a Reverse powerup that may look like a good thing, but will actually temporarily reverse your controls. 

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Speaking of controls though, that’s one area of the game that will take a lot of getting used to. Snake Rattle n Roll utilizes Rare’s trademark ¾ perspective, similar to their other NES classics Cobra Triangle and the RC Pro Am games. This makes moving around somewhat odd, as the D-pad doesn’t 100% line up with the movements your snake makes. That said, there’s an inherent logic to it that makes the game manageable once you spend a little time with it. It’s honestly quite an ambitious game in this regard, almost playing out like a 3D platformer before that was even really a thing, but it works quite well. 

Then there’s the music. Rare games almost always had great soundtracks, and composer David Wise absolutely knocked it out of th park with this one. Lots of rock and roll inspired tunes take full advantage of what the NES was capable of with songs you’ll be humming for days. 

So, yes. This game is very hard, especially the final few stages. Honestly, they can be downright unfair. But everything leading up to those levels is a blast! If you’re looking for an NES game that’s a little off the beaten path, this one’s absolutely worth a go. It’s one of the better-looking NES games out there, and it even has 2-player co-op! 

So where can you play it? It’s currently available on Nintendo Switch Online on Switch, and as part of Rare Replay on Xbox One. Original carts aren’t all that expensive either, and of course, there’s always the EverDrive N8, if you’re looking for that authentic NES experience. It was also ported to Sega Mega Drive in Europe, and got a strange pseudo sequel on Game Boy called Sneaky Snakes. But no matter how you go about getting your hands on it, it’s a great game that’s well worth your time.