---
title: "Snake"
id: 72959
type: "computer_media"
slug: "snake-2"
url: "http://localhost/computer_media/snake-2/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/computer_media/snake-2.md"
published_at: "2026-10-27T21:30:11+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-27T21:30:11+00:00"
author: "David Anderson"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/snake-1.png"
excerpt: "Guide a growing snake around a walled arena, eating apples and numbered targets at one of three speeds, with a machine-code core loaded by a short BASIC front end."
post_tag:
  - name: "Downloadable"
    slug: "downloadable"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/downloadable/"
  - name: "QL"
    slug: "ql"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ql/"
model:
  - name: "Sinclair QL"
    slug: "sinclair-ql"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/sinclair-ql/"
indiv:
  - name: "I. Jordan"
    slug: "i-jordan"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/i-jordan/"
genre:
  - name: "Arcade"
    slug: "arcade"
    taxonomy: "genre"
    url: "http://localhost/type/arcade/"
media_type: "Diskette"
programmers:
  - name: "I. Jordan"
    slug: "i-jordan"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/i-jordan/"
download_url: "https://archive.org/download/timex-sinclair-software-archive/Snake%20%281985%29%28Jordan%2C%20I.%29%28Sinclair%20QL%29%28UK%29%28Program%29.zip"
mediadate: "1985"
images:
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/snake-1.png"
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/snake-2.png"
media_type_tags: "Arcade"
license: false
---

# Snake

Snake is the classic arcade game: steer a snake around a red-walled arena, eat the apples and numbered blocks for points, and avoid the walls and your own tail. A title screen offers three levels, Easy, Reasonable and Impossible, chosen with F1 to F3; the game keeps a high score and shows the score and screen number along the top.

The title screen reads “Snake By I Jordan”, and the REMs date it August 1985. The game itself is machine code; the end line of the playfield signs it “Snake by I.K.J”.

## Program Analysis

`snake_bas` opens a full-screen window, prints the title, reserves 2,900 bytes with `RESPR`, loads `snake_code` into them with `LBYTES`, then reads the level from a function key (the codes 232, 236 and 240 for F1 to F3) and pokes the speed into the code at `a+329` before calling it.

### Potential Issues

- The loader expects the code on `mdv2_`; the floppy-image copy reads `flp1_`.

It came from a QL owner’s floppy copies of QUANTA and IQLUG library material, imaged double-stepped so that only half of each disk survived; this file read back complete. The download holds the files exactly as recovered and a QL5A floppy image, *Snake.img*, with the same files and their QDOS headers. Mount the image as FLP1_ (drop it on the QLRun page, or use it as a floppy image in sQLux, QPC2 or Q-emuLator) and type `lrun flp1_snake_bas`. In the image copies only, `mdv2_snake_code` reads `flp1_snake_code` so the program finds its files on the floppy.

Tested in QLRun with the JS ROM: the title screen, the level choice and a game in progress.

## Source Code

```
100 REMark Snake by I Jordan
110 REMark August 1985
120 MODE 4
130 OPEN #3,scr_512x256a0x0
140 PAPER #3,0:INK #3,4:CSIZE #3,2,1
150 CLS #3
160 AT #3,1,19:PRINT #3,"Snake"
170 AT #3,3,20:PRINT #3,"By"
180 AT #3,5,17:PRINT #3,"I Jordan"
190 a=RESPR(2900)
200 LBYTES mdv2_snake_code,a
210 CSIZE #3,0,0:INK #3,7
220 AT #3,14,30:PRINT #3,"Which level do you want?"
230 AT #3,16,32:PRINT #3,"(1) Easy"
240 AT #3,18,32:PRINT #3,"(2) Reasonable"
250 AT #3,20,32:PRINT #3,"(3) Impossible"
260 INK #3,4
270 AT #3,22,16:PRINT #3,"Press the function key corresponding to your choice"
280 REPeat get_level
290 level=CODE (INKEY$(-1))-232
300 IF level<12 AND level>-1 THEN EXIT get_level
310 END REPeat get_level
320 level=level DIV 3
330 POKE a+329,(48-level*4)
340 PAPER #3,2:CLS #3
350 CALL a
360 CLOSE #3
370 NEW
```