Rattler Race

Rattler Race

Windows 3 - Screenshot - Demonstration.

Developer Microsoft Publisher Microsoft Published 1991-??-?? Platforms Windows 3 Genres Action, Single-screen, Snake game Distribution Commercial

Rattler Race is an action video game developed and published by Microsoft in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2 for Windows 3 in 1991. The game is based on the traditional snake game, but adds a few features to make it slightly more interesting like AI-controlled opponent snakes, bouncing balls to avoid, and several mazes to play in.

The original prototype was written by Robert Donner in C, but the final version was converted to Visual Basic by Christopher Lee Fraley.

Personal

Own?	No.
Won?	No.

I didn't have this game growing up, but some of my friends did. However, since it's just a snake game with minor improvements, I never found it that interesting. I have never attempted to beat it, and, considering the look of the 30th level, I will never even try.

Review

3	4	2	1	4

Best Version: Windows 3

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• The developer adds some mildly enjoyable features to the game which give it a little bit more playability than a more basic snake game.

Bad

• In the end, it's still just a snake game. By the time it came out, there were at least 50 existing snake games across pretty much every platform.
• The game window is pretty small, but, because it doesn't support scaling, when played on a monitor with a high DPI, it is very small. There is an undocumented setting where you can double the screen size in the INI file by setting Size=1, but, even then, it's still pretty small.
• When you die, the game abruptly restarts the level with barely even a moment to catch your breath.

Ugly

• There isn't any advantage to playing on harder difficulties. Even if you set the game to beginner speed, no balls, and no snakes, and you will still be awarded the same points and be put on the same high score list.
• The game is very media challenged lacking music or custom sound effects.

Media

Icon

• 

  The game's final icon.

• 

  The icon used in Donner's Snake prototype.

• 

  Another beta icon found in the IconBownz! screensaver of IdleWild.

Screenshots

• 

  The game's demo.

• 

  The level 1 maze.

• 

  The level 2 maze.

• 

  The Starting Room dialog.

• 

  The About dialog.

• 

  Using the undocumented double-size mode.

• 

  The Snake prototype.

Play Online

Windows 3

Representation

Strong female character?	Fail	There are no women.
Bechdel test?	Fail	There are no women.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	There are no human characters.
Queer character?	Fail	There are no queer characters.

Credits

Roles	Staff
Prototype	Robert Donner
Visual Basic Port	Christopher Lee Fraley

Links