Lime Cultivist
Snake Games
Snake Pass
There are hundreds of 1976 Snake clones out there, but Snake Pass is one of the only games I know that tries to do something different with its serpentine character.
Snake Pass is a platformer of sorts, where instead of jumping, you have to slither and coil your way around the environments as Noodle the snake. The controls take a good amount of getting used to, but if you can get a handle on them, then there's nothing else quite like Snake Pass on the current market. You have to factor in things like how much of your body is coiled around an object at any given time, or how far your head is off solid ground in order to not fall to your death, and the later levels put up a good challenge if you want to get every achievement in the game.
Snake Pass's biggest downside is its length. There are only 15 levels in total, taking about 4-5 hours to complete. The story is also forgettable, and a part of me wishes this game had just dropped its story entirely. Regardless, Snake Pass is a one of a kind game for snake lovers, and I know I'm not the only one out there who wishes we had more titles like it.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo
The most recent game on this list, Kulebra is a story-based game with the visuals of Paper Mario and the time rewind mechanics of Majora's Mask.
At the start of the game, you awaken as a snake skeleton that's been possessed by an unknown person's soul. This snake, Kulebra, begins to explore the world, and it soon becomes his goal to help the other spirits move on to the afterlife, and also to unravel the mystery of the strange monsters that have been causing trouble all across limbo.
Story-wise, Kulebra is pretty great. I liked some chapters more than others, to be sure, and I find the current ending to be lacking. But at its best, this game has some very personal and touching moments between its characters. The gameplay of Kulebra consists mostly of simple puzzle solving, but these puzzles serve well enough to keep the game moving forward, and the time rewind mechanics aren't as punishing as Majora's Mask's, meaning you never have to replay large sections if you miss any specific events.
I love the art of Kulebra. Everything looks fantastic: lively, colorful, and nostalgic, while still establishing an identity of its own. Kulebra himself looks especially cool in this style - just look at that big grin!
A full playthrough of Kulebra takes around 9-11 hours, and the devs plan to release a free DLC in the future that adds more content.
Snake Rattle n' Roll
(and Sneaky Snakes)
Going from the newest title on the list to the oldest, Snake Rattle n' Roll is an NES isometric platformer that was also later ported to Genesis.
The controls are simple: move, jump, and stick out your tongue to attack enemies and eat small objects. Unlike traditional Snake games, your hitbox doesn't actually grow as your body does, and instead these extra segments act as your health bar. Taking a hit from a regular enemy will lose you a segment, and at the end of each level you need to have enough segments on your body in order to open up the door to the next stage.
Snake Rattle n' Roll contains some pretty strange enemies, with the strangest being the giant feet that stomp around trying to instakill you. While this game starts out easy enough, the last 2 levels crank up the difficulty to a truly hellish degree, and you'll need plenty of practice if you want to get through the final ice stages without savestates.
A sequel to Rattle n' Roll was later released on Gameboy called Sneaky Snakes. The mechanics in this game are almost exactly the same: eat things to grow, avoid enemies and hazards, and open the door at the end of each level to proceed. Unlike Rattle n' Roll, however, Sneaky Snakes is a 2D platformer. I think if I had to choose between the two, Rattle n' Roll is probably the better game, as it feels less repetitive, but Sneaky Snakes is worth an attempt or two if you want something on the easier side (but not too much easier).
A successful playthrough of either game takes about 35-45 minutes to complete, but it'll take practice to get that far!
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Honorable Mentions:
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Temple of Snek - Possibly the most original take on a Snake clone. I thought the puzzles got way too tedious as the game went on, but fans of puzzle games might enjoy the whole thing.