Wabbit (video game)

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Wabbit
Wabbit cover.jpg
Developer(s)Apollo, Inc.
Publisher(s)Apollo, Inc.
Platform(s)Atari 2600
ReleaseSeptember 1982
Genre(s)Farming simulation

Wabbit is a 1982 video game by Apollo, Inc. for the Atari 2600. The game is reported to be the "first console game with a named playable female character who isn't off-screen."[1]

Gameplay[]

The player stands at the bottom of the screen and must throw eggs up at the rabbits before they steal the carrots.

Wabbit is a farming simulation game in which the player controls a female character named "Billie Sue".[1] Rabbits have descended upon Sue's farm and are quickly devouring her crop of carrots. In order to ward off the rabbits, the player must throw rotten eggs at them before they are able to carry away Sue's carrots.[2][3] The player scores points by hitting rabbits, and the rabbits score points by carrying carrots off-screen. As the player's score increases, the rabbits move progressively faster.[4] The game ends when either the player scores 1300 points or the rabbits steal 100 carrots.[5][4]

Development[]

In the early 1980s, Apollo received a number of letters from fans suggesting potential games they could develop.[6] Coincidentally, two such letters simultaneously proposed the idea that would later become Wabbit. Ban Tran, a Vietnamese woman who allegedly had no prior video game programming experience (which was not uncommon given the nascent state of the video game industry), had recently been hired by Apollo and was tasked with developing the game.[1] While the fan letters had proposed having players assume the role of a male protagonist, Tran opted to have the player be a female character instead.[6]

Legacy[]

Video game historian describes Wabbit as "colorful" and "probably one of the best games [Apollo] put out."[1] One modern critic likewise praised the game's graphics as "refreshing" for its time, though criticizing the gameplay as frustrating, particularly as the speed of the rabbits increased.[4]

Notably, the game is reported to be the "first console game with a named playable female character who isn't off-screen. For decades. efforts have been made to contact programmer Ban Tran, but all have been unsuccessful. It's unknown what has happened to Ban Tran after the release of Wabbit."[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Hernandez, Patricia (February 11, 2021). "In the '80s, she was a video game pioneer. Today, no one can find her". Polygon. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "Wabbit for Atari 2600 - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.gamespot.com. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  3. ^ Santulli, Joe (November 1992). "Psychopedia - Part A" (PDF). Digital Press. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Atari 2600 Reviews U-Z by The Video Game Critic". videogamecritic.com. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Jacques, John (January 24, 2018). "Gaming Documentary Highlights the Biggest Cheater in Video Game History". GameRant. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Oliver, Dan (May 24, 2013). "Is Laser Gates really Inner Space?". AtariAge. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
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