Screenshots

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WildSnake slithers onto the scene with silky-smooth puzzler play, though it doesn't have as much sparkle and strategy as a classic like Tetris 2.

Hiss-terical

WildSnake effectively clones the traditional Tetris style of play and adds a good variation. Players guide slippery, slinky snakes and try to stack them so their colors match. You control the speed of the falling snakes by dragging them down faster, and you can also steer them into corners or holes with easy, precise moves.

ProTip: When Wild Snakes drop, quickly maneuver them so they touch the snake that appears most often on-screen. They'll make all similar snakes disappear.

There are many ways to play. In the one-player mode, players choose from six wells that the snakes drop into. In two-player mode, gamers go head-to-head on side-by-side screens. You can get blocks onto your opponent's screen, but your main goal is eliminating your own snakes. In King Cobra mode, one player takes on challenges like eliminating SO snakes in 150 seconds.

WildSnake's graphics aren't as razor sharp or as 3D as the graphics in similar games, but they suffice. The tiny snakes with tiny patterns will make old-timers squint, though. The graphical highlight comes when the snakes slither and loop into an open hole. Meanwhile, the tunes are merely a pleasing backdrop -- nothing more, nothing less.

Snake Charmer

WildSnake's an intriguing puzzler. It would've benefited from more two-player strategies -- such as ways to sabotage your opponent. If you love this style of game, though, for heaven's snakes, try it.

• You can constantly change your falling snake's direction. If you see two matching snakes close together, touch one, then change direction and touch the other to earn more points.
• Stack snakes vertically in rows at the bottom of the screen or in side arms of different wells to make matches easily.