Surround (video game)
A 1977 snake game for the Atari VCS.
Surround is a 1977 snake-style video game for the Atari Video Computer System. It was programmed by Alan Miller and published by Atari, Inc. The game was one of the launch titles for the Atari 2600. In it, two players control a block that moves continuously around a closed area, leaving a wall behind it. A player scores a point when the opponent’s block hits a wall. The first to ten points wins.
The game plays much like the 1976 arcade game Blockade from Gremlin Industries. Blockade debuted at the 1976 Music Operators of America Expo, where it drew strong interest and led to many similar snake-style games from other developers, including Atari’s own arcade game Dominos (1977) and Surround. Surround includes several modes that change the speed and the number of movement directions. It also has two “Video Graffiti” modes, which let players create simple digital drawings.
Initial reviews described Surround as complex and generally praised it as a quality game. Later reviews found its graphics and sound weak but still effective for two-player competition.
In gameplay, two players—or one player against a computer opponent—steer a block through an enclosed space. The block leaves a wall behind it as it moves. The computer-controlled blocks move automatically and can go up, down, left, right, and diagonally in some modes. A point is earned when the opponent’s block crashes into any wall. The first to ten points wins.
The game offers several variations: “Speed Up” makes the block move faster at intervals; “Diagonal Movement” allows diagonal travel; “Erase” lets a player stop the trail by pressing a button; and “Wraparound” lets the block reappear on the opposite side of the screen when it reaches an edge. These modes can be combined for two-player games, but only “Speed Up” is available for single-player. The two “Video Graffiti” modes let players use the joystick to draw. One works like an Etch A Sketch; the other includes an erase option.
Like many early Atari VCS titles, Surround was based on an existing arcade game. Before Surround, designer Lane Hauck created Blockade for Gremlin Industries. When shown at the 1976 MOA Expo in Chicago, it was popular, and Gremlin got 3,000 orders. But counterfeiting was common, and demand faded quickly. As Gremlin worked on new versions, other companies released similar games, including Ramtek’s Barricade, Meadows Games’ Bi
- Release year
- 1977
- Platform
- Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS)
- Developer
- Alan Miller
- Publisher
- Atari, Inc.
- Genre
- Snake video game
- Based on
- Blockade (1976)
Lore & Background
Surround was programmed by Alan Miller, who studied computer simulations at Berkeley and graduated in 1972. In 1977, he responded to an Atari ad seeking someone with microprocessor knowledge and was hired, with Surround as his first task. The game was labeled as the 'Blockade game' in Larry Wagner's notes from Atari at the time. Miller later described the graphics as 'extremely crude' and the title as inappropriate, stating that surrounding the opponent was not the only or best way to win.
The game plays similarly to the arcade game Blockade (1976) by Gremlin Industries, which was presented at the 1976 Music Operators of America (MOA) Expo and led to several other snake-style games, including Atari's own arcade game Dominos (1977). Surround includes multiple modes that vary speed and movement directions, as well as two 'Video Graffiti' modes allowing players to create simple digital illustrations. The game was among the nine launch titles for the Atari VCS in September 1977, initially available only by mail order except for Combat.
Reader's Guide
Surround holds significance as one of the launch titles for the Atari 2600, helping to establish the home console market. It was part of a wave of snake-style games following Blockade, and its inclusion of multiple gameplay modes—such as Speed Up, Diagonal Movement, Erase, and Wraparound—offered variety for players. The 'Video Graffiti' modes reflected a trend among early consoles like the Fairchild Channel F and RCA Studio II. Contemporary reviews found the game complex and challenging, with sound effects that kept players alert, and it received high ratings for its competitive two-player mode. Retrospective reviews noted weak graphics and sound but praised the gameplay as effective and entertaining, with Kevin Bunch's Atari Archive declaring it one of the few early Atari VCS titles that still holds up. Surround remained in circulation for over a decade, with 97 copies sold as late as 1988, and was re-released in multiple compilations including Atari 80 in One, Atari Anthology, and Atari 50.
Did You Know?
- Surround was programmed by Alan Miller as his first task after being hired by Atari in 1977.
- The game was labeled as the 'Blockade game' in Larry Wagner's notes from Atari.
- Surround includes two 'Video Graffiti' modes that allow players to create digital illustrations, one operating like an Etch A Sketch.
- For the Sears release of the Atari VCS under their Tele-Games label, the game was titled Chase.
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