GT
Tape Worm

Tape Worm

Sep 15, 1982ArcadeAtari 2600

Tape Worm — frequently asked questions

Is Tape Worm on Steam?
No. Tape Worm is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Tape Worm on?
Tape Worm is available on Atari 2600.
When did Tape Worm release?
Tape Worm was first released on September 15, 1982.

About Tape Worm

With Tapeworm, Spectravision gives a whole new meaning to the slithering slimes that people love to hate. According to the manual of the game, tapeworms live in bean patches, love to eat fruit and are preyed upon by other critters named Beeky the Bird, Spanky the Spider and Mystery Beetle. Uhhhh, right. Our hero here is Slinky, a tapeworm who's patrolling the local bean patch. In order for him to get to the fruit he loves, he has to slither around the screen eating up all the beans. He consumes them by touching a bean with his head (merely a yellow square), and by doing so, another bean appears somewhere else on the screen, and then you're off again. The more beans Slinky eats, the longer he grows. Which is a problem. As you steer the worm through the bean patch, you need to take great care not to coil him back over himself because, omnivore that he is, Slinky will eat himself. Don't tread too gingerly because while Slinky is hot after those beans, a beetle is moving across the bottom of the screen, outside the patch, bearing down on something you're supposed to believe is an apple (on later levels, different fruits take the apple's place.) Trust me when I say that it takes a great imagination to believe the block graphics resemble anything you'd find at a farmer's market. Anyway, if the beetle gets to the fruit before Slinky eats his bean, two more beans appear on the screen and Slinky has to eat them, too. Other predators include the Mystery Beetle, Beeky and Spanky. They bleep across the bean patch at random intervals. If they happen to touch Slinky's head, it's curtains for the worm. Taken as a whole, Tapeworm isn't too bad. It borrows elements from Atari's Surround and Rock-Ola's obscure Nibbler. But what where Tapeworm fails is in its presentation (i.e. - crap graphics) and unresponsive controls.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms
Atari 2600
Developer
Spectravision
Publisher
Spectravision
Game modes
Single player, Multiplayer
Themes
Action

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose
$13
Complete
$35
Sealed
—

Release record

TerritoryLabelCatalog #Rarity
North America
Spectravision
StandardSA-204Scarce

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region
NA+EU
Released
1982
Controller
Atari Joystick
Players
1 - 2
Authenticity
Low
Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk
Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

An obscure Spectravision cartridge, cheap and seldom discussed.

Spectravision released Tapeworm in September 1982 in North America, with a PAL release in early 1983. Little is documented about the game beyond its publisher and release dates.

What the press said at the time

Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 6April 19832 joysticks

“While the "fruits" are at least fruit-colored, it takes a strong imagination to believe the block graphics resemble anything you'd find at a greengrocer's.”

— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, April 1983

Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Before you buy

Low risk; no reproductions are documented. Loose copies are inexpensive. Check that the label is intact and matches the end label.

Tape Worm screenshots

Tape Worm screenshot 1Tape Worm screenshot 2

Watch on YouTube

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