ZXNake2

A game presented to Bytemaniacos 2025 BASIC Contest.

Story

The alien spiders are back—and they’re mad! They haven’t forgotten the beating you gave them last time, and now they want payback. They’ve kidnapped your partner, Pythonnia, and it’s up to you to save her.

Chomp your way through screen after screen, take down the spider boss, and bring Pythonnia back safe! Oh, and by the way—Pythonnia’s no damsel in distress. If you take too long, she might just escape on her own!

How to Play

In story mode, you play as Cobretti, and your mission is to rescue Pythonnia. Eat the number of spiders shown on the screen to move to the next level. But heads up—only the red spiders count! The more you eat, the bigger you get… and the more bodies you leave behind. Watch out! If you crash into those corpses, hit obstacles, or run into yourself, it’s game over.

Our snake’s got a serious appetite. Besides alien spiders, you’ll find all sorts of tasty treats along the way: apples, mushrooms, bugs, leaves, and more. Everything’s delicious! Some of these snacks come with surprises; some good, some not-so-good. It all depends on how you use them. Don’t be shy and make the most of their effects!

As you go deeper into the adventure, you’ll see the world’s full of surprises. Doors that open, walls that don’t kill you, portals, keys… even spaceships! Explore all the secrets hidden in your path. And remember… brute force isn’t always the best strategy.

Oh! Almost forgot, our snake is a die-hard Athletic Club fan. She gets a rush of adrenaline whenever someone reminds her of her team!

Puzzle Rush Mode.

In Puzzle Rush mode, you play as Pythonnia. Why sit around waiting to be rescued? Take control of your fate and help Pythonnia break free from her captors!

Use your brain instead of brute force to solve your way through 11 tricky puzzles. Your goal? Wipe out all the aliens in each level within the time limit and escape through the exit portal.

Pythonnia’s a loooong snake, so be careful not to block your own way out. Unlike Cobretti, she’s more cautious and logical—so bumping into a wall won’t kill you, it’ll just stop you. But watch out! If you trap yourself, it’s game over.

Classic & Classic ZX Modes.

Just want to chill and play a casual round? The classic modes are perfect for you.

In Classic mode, your snake grows every time you munch on an apple. Avoid crashing into yourself and rack up as many points as you can.

Classic ZX is similar, but now you’re chomping on aliens and forest fruits too. Use power-ups to your advantage and gobble up as many aliens as possible—just don’t crash into your own body or the graves of your victims.

Can you beat your own high score?

Controlling your Snake.

Keyboard Controls

• UP – Move your snake up with Q.
• DOWN – Go down with A.
• LEFT – Go left with O.
• RIGHT – Go right with P.
• QUIT – Only in puzzle mode: restart the level (you’ll lose a life) with K.

Joystick Controls

You can also play using a Sinclair Interface 2 joystick or arrow keys. These replace the UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT controls for moving around.

Notes

1. Your snake keeps moving in the same direction automatically—no need to hold the key down.

2. In puzzle mode and in some story levels, crashing into a wall won’t kill you. Instead, you can press the turn key ahead of time, and your snake will turn at the next possible intersection—without stopping.

Compatibility

ZXNAKE 2 has been specifically developed for the ZX Spectrum 48k. The game is compatible with 128k models and later, as long as it is loaded in 48 BASIC mode. Please refer to the loading instructions if you’re unsure.

Note: This game is not compatible with the Spectrum 16k.

Loading Instructions (from cassette).

1. Insert the cassette into your tape recorder/datacorder with the labeled side facing up, and rewind it completely.
2. For 128k/+2/+2B models only: Select 48 BASIC from the menu and press ENTER.
3. Type LOAD "" and press ENTER.
4. Press PLAY on the tape recorder/datacorder.
5. ZXNAKE 2 will begin loading automatically and will appear on the screen. The loading process may take a few minutes.
6. If loading fails, rewind the tape and try again. Check your recorder/datacorder settings (such as volume and azimuth) if necessary.

NOTE: You can find complete instructions for loading programs in your ZX Spectrum manual.

Loading Instructions (from emulator)

It is recommended to run ZXNAKE 2 using the Fuse emulator, although it should work with any emulator that supports ZX Spectrum 48k or 128k. In most cases, the game should launch by simply double-clicking the file zxnake2.tap. Below are more detailed instructions:

1. Open the Fuse emulator.
2. Go to the menu Machine → Select… (or press F9). A machine selection dialog will appear. Choose Spectrum 48k and click OK.
3. Go to the menu File → Open (or press F3). A file selection dialog will appear. Locate and select the file zxnake2.tap, then click OPEN. Depending on your emulator settings, ZXNAKE 2 may load automatically. If not, continue to the next step.
4. In the emulation window, type LOAD "" and press ENTER. The game will load automatically and appear on screen.

Credits

ZXNAKE 2 was developed by Moises G. (ZXMoe) for the Bytemaniacos BASIC 2025 Contest.

© 2025 Moises G. (ZXMoe)