Starpath's Rabbit Transit -Atari 2600
Retro Gaming Review

Rating:

Rabbit Transit is one of the later games to be released for Starpath's Supercharger. This device was placed in the 2600's cart slot and let you load games from cassette tapes. I'm not impressed with either the game play or graphics and listening to "London Bridges" over & over was quite annoying.

The games were supposed to be impressive considering that the Supercharger increased the 2600's RAM 49-fold! Alas the game seems to have only 2 levels that alternate with increased difficulty. Added to that, is the similarity between Frogger and Q*bert. The game doesn't start with the Game Select Switch. Rather, you get a primer connecting a tape player (where they explain the headphone port may be labeled "ear")and trying the normal or fast-load side of the cassette.

Rabbit Transit's Story Arc

You are a rabbit who must navigate through the perils of the Mystery Meadow (sneaky snakes, bothersome butterflies, and chattering teeth) and Land of Ledges in order to start a family. In the first level, Meadow Meanies are trying to prevent you from passing through the fence and reaching the turtle at the bottom of the screen.

The Land of Ledges forces you to hop from ledge to ledge in order to change them all to the same color. If you succeed, you go to the Bunny Bushes and do what Rabbits are known to do... and you'll start a family. After this blissful romp in the bushes you are back in the meadow.

Rabbit Transit's Game Play

You are racing against a timer on each level and begin your quest with 4 lives. You'll gain an extra life at 10,000 points. Use the Game Select switch choose the single or 2-player game. In the meadow level, butterflies will return you to the top of the screen if they touch you, but the other creatures are of the deadly variety. When you get to the bottom of the screen, hop on the turtle who takes you to the next level.

In the Land of Ledges, a guy throws rocks at you from above as you hop from ledge to ledge. Each hop changes the color until they've all changed to the same color.

You are then whisked away to Bunny Bushes for a cut-scene in which your new family comes out of the bushes and hop around. Without warning - it's back to the meadow.

The control seems solid, but they suggest you hold the joystick at an angle (with the fire-button corner pointing at the TV). This enables the directions to align closer with the visuals on screen. I've seen this sort of "suggestion" with other games, but I think most players can make the mental adjustment without contorting the position of the joystick.

If this is what a 49-fold bost in RAM does for a game, I'll pass. The game play is derivative of other games and not nearly as interesting. If one takes the premise that this is a combo of Frogger and Q*bert in one game, I guess that's impressive, but it's not astounding looking and the game is simply boring.

An interesting facet of Starpath's games being on cassette is the ability to offer previews. After a game loads, one typically rewinds the tape for the next time. However, after the Rabbit Transit game loads, you can stop the tape and later play it from that point to view non-playable demos of other Starpath games.

Rabbit Transit's Difficulty Switch Settings

Each switch corresponds to that player. In the B position, the turtle stays visible. In the A position he submerges and reappears. Additionally, enemies move faster on both screens.

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