Man vs Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler is a 2015 documentary film directed by Andrew Seklir and Tim Kinzy.
[1] The film follows players as they try to accumulate a billion points on the 1982 arcade game Nibbler, a feat first achieved by Tim McVey in 1984.
In the summer of 1983, Ottumwa native Tim McVey encounters Ms. Pac-Man champion Tom Asaki at Twin Galaxies as the latter attempts the first recorded billion-point Nibbler score.
Encouraged by Walter Day and friend Billy Mitchell, McVey makes seven attempts over the next several months in the hope of achieving the billion-point record.
McVey practices on the machine in anticipation of beating the score at MAGFest, a live video game event, where he is scheduled to compete head-to-head with another Nibbler champion, Dwayne Richard.
In the wake of McVey's victory, Walter Day has a change of heart and declares that Twin Galaxies will begin grandfathering in old scores, as long as there is sufficient news documentation to prove their validity.
The production undertook a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in September 2013, raising $61,440, this contributed to animation costs and generated publicity for the film.
But it’s a fine documentary in its own right; an emotional rollercoaster that will make you happy and sad and pleased that a guy like Tim McVey is out there, nibbling dots and avoiding his tail, all the while striving for his dream.