Arcade Snake Game Review: Dominos

Dominos is a 1977 arcade game that is Atari's take on the snake genre that Gremlin started with Blockade the year prior. It brought a unique take on the snake game, but it ended up being no more popular than Gremlin's take.

In Dominos, either two or four players continually stack dominos in the same manner that blockades were set up in Gremlin's take on the genre. This differentiated it from its predecessor in giving it a premise that is more familiar to people in the United States. Not all kids could be expected to know what a blockade was, but all kids in the USA, especially children in the 1970s, knew how to set up dominos This helps make it simple to pick up and play.

Dominos are set up around a playing field, creating a wall that grows with each move. The opposing player, or players, are trying to do the same. The winner is the last remaining after the opponents crash into a wall of dominos a set number of times. The two-tone sound remains from the Gremlin original, which is still rather annoying.

The graphics are much the same as the simple lines and arrows that represent the direction of the front piece as Gremlin's game. Here, the graphics are even more simple. However, The premise of the game allows for a more satisfying finish.  The domino graphics may just be changing from straight to diagonal as they fall, but it works. The thing that makes the ending satisfying is the click clack, with the straight to diagonal graphics to match, of the opponent's dominos toppling.

Dominos is an example of a game that took the ball from the genre starter and ran with it to create something more instantly recognizable. Today, snake games are well known enough that nearly every gamer would know what to expect. In the 1970s, when the genre was still new, dominos would certainly give players a heads-up on what to expect. The graphics are still simple monochrome lines and the main sound is still an annoying two toned beep-boop. However, the concept and satisfying finish with the falling dominos and clacking sound to match, put it just a bit above the Gremlin arcade game that started it all.

Final Verdict:
3½ out of 5

Arcade Snake Game: Blockade

Blockade is an arcade game by Gremlin. It was released in 1976, during a decade which saw the progenitors of many different genres. 

Some games, like Pong and Breakout, gave the subsequent genre its name. Others are given names based on a more popular game that was released later. This case is one of the latter, as the genre is known as snake games, which were popularized by the game of the same name that was included in Nokia 6110 cellular telephones.

The game is simple, and is one that most people have seen in some form before. A block moves around a playing field, growing with each move, against the opposing player who is trying to do the same.

As an early arcade game, there isn't much in terms of graphics. It is presented in a green monochrome with simple lines punctuated with two black dotted lines throughout as well as an arrow signifying the lead block. The blocks are meant to represent a row of two bricks that make up the titular blockade, as can be seen on the game's marquee. 

Like the yet-to-be released at the time Space Invaders, the game is only made up of different toned boops and beeps. Unlike that game however, there are only two notes. While Space Invaders somehow worked with four beeps, Blockade doesn't really work with half that. If the game goes on too long, the sound will become tiresome. It also includes an explosion sound effect, which does break up the monotony a bit.

Blockade is an example of a game that started a genre but is less recognized than a game released much later. Today, a snake game is a simple concept. However, in 1976, it was truly revolutionary. The graphics are as you would expect in a 1970s game of this genre, unfortunately, the annoying two-tone sound loops make this a game that only those interested in video game history would seek out to play.

Final Verdict:

3 out of 5