Redneck Rampage
Encyclopedia
Redneck Rampage is a 1997
first-person shooter
game designed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay
. The game features songs by Mojo Nixon
, Reverend Horton Heat, Beat Farmers
and other Psychobilly
artists. As the name implies, Redneck Rampage has many hillbilly
elements in it. The game was followed by Redneck Rampage Rides Again, Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits on Route 66 and Redneck Deer Huntin.
to rescue their prized pig
Bessie and thwart an alien invasion
. The brothers battle through such locales as a meat packing plant
and a trailer park
, and battle evil clones
of their neighbors with weapons ranging from the traditional shotgun
, to a gun that fires circular sawblades, a crowbar, to a crossbow
that fires bolts
with dynamite
strapped to them. Another favorite is the .454 Casull
revolver. Dynamite can also be used against chickens by shoving it in their cloaca.
revolver
s); the skinny old coot; Billy Ray; Turd Minion; and the alien saucers. Boss enemies include Assface, the alien vixen, and the alien hulk. Also present are hostile animals and insects, such as pigs
, dogs, mosquito
s, cows & chicken
s, although the latter two can't directly harm the player.
Redneck Rampage Rides Again introduced additional enemies, including: Jackalopes; Mama Jackalope; Biker Frank Doyle (clearly based on Dennis Hopper's
Frank Booth character from the David Lynch movie Blue Velvet); and cheerleader Daisy Mae.
s, pork rind
s, beer
and liquor. A small supply of each could be carried for future use (with the exception of pork rinds, which were used automatically upon being picked up). Each of these power-ups had distinct disadvantages: The more food the character ate, the more flatulent he became (represented by a "gut" meter in the user display), making it difficult to sneak up on enemies as the character would move forward and make a distinct fart
sound frequently after eating. However, eating food did decrease the "drunk meter" slightly (see below).
When drinking alcohol
, the health was restored and as an added benefit the character became somewhat less affected by enemy fire (the proverbial bulletproof
). This only worked to a minor degree, and the more the character drank, the less coordinated
they became. This was measured on a "drunk meter" in the user display. Toward the high end of the meter, after consuming a large amount of alcohol, the character movements would become erratic and the user would have difficulty controlling the character as he moved in directions that did not correspond to the input on the keyboard. The ingame video would also become grainy and less viewable. At the maximum drunk level, the character would simply fall down, followed by the sounds of vomiting
and the loss of all motor regardless of user input. All of these effects would pass after a few minutes as the character sobered up. During this time, the character can not use weapons and is essentially defenseless.
The side effects of both power-up types forces the user to use them sparingly and gives another reason to avoid damage during gameplay. However, one other power-up, moonshine
, gives the player increased speed for a brief amount of time, at the end of which both the "drunk meter" and the "gut meter" were reset to zero.
to the game was the "Cuss Pack" which added stronger language to the game's audio. The add-on was available for download at Interplay's online store, but users had to pay $
1 with a credit card
to ensure that the buyer of the add-on was of adult age. The add-on was included on the CD for the Mac OS version.
Redneck Rampage/Redneck Rides Again Dual Jewel is a compilation that includes original game, Redneck Rampage Rides Again.
Redneck Rampage: Family Reunion is a compilation that includes the original game, the Cuss Pack add-on, Redneck Rampage: Suckin Grits on Route 66, Redneck Rampage Rides Again. Another edition of the Family Reunion contains only the original game and Rides Again.
Gamefest: Redneck Classics includes original game, Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits on Route 66, Redneck Rampage Rides Again, Redneck Deer Huntin', Redneck Rampage Theme Windows 95 theme pack, Redneck Rampage Screen Saver.
Redneck Rampage Collection includes all but "Deer Huntin'"
writing for Cnet Gamecenter gave the game three stars, and said it deserved "big points for its psychobilly soundtrack", "big points for being genuinely funny at times", and offered "good fun using a crowbar to beat aliens, 'Old Coots' and 'Billy Rays' to death". .
1997 in video gaming
-Events:*October 4 — Gunpei Yokoi dies after a double car accident.*November – Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association launched.*3rd annual E3...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
game designed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
. The game features songs by Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon is an American musician, known for playing psychobilly music...
, Reverend Horton Heat, Beat Farmers
Beat Farmers
The Beat Farmers were a cowpunk band who formed in San Diego, California, in August 1983, and enjoyed a cult following throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before the premature death of lead singer and drummer Country Dick Montana...
and other Psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
artists. As the name implies, Redneck Rampage has many hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
elements in it. The game was followed by Redneck Rampage Rides Again, Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits on Route 66 and Redneck Deer Huntin.
Background
The plot revolves around two brothers, Leonard and Bubba, fighting through the fictional town of Hickston, ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
to rescue their prized pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
Bessie and thwart an alien invasion
Alien invasion
The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial life invades Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under a colonial system, harvest humans for food, steal the planet's resources, or destroy the planet altogether.The...
. The brothers battle through such locales as a meat packing plant
Meat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
and a trailer park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
, and battle evil clones
Clones
Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
of their neighbors with weapons ranging from the traditional shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
, to a gun that fires circular sawblades, a crowbar, to a crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
that fires bolts
Quarrel
A quarrel or bolt is the term for the ammunition used in a crossbow. The name "quarrel" is derived from the French carré, "square", referring to the fact that they typically have square heads. Although their length varies, they are typically shorter than traditional arrows.Bolts and arrows have...
with dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
strapped to them. Another favorite is the .454 Casull
.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
revolver. Dynamite can also be used against chickens by shoving it in their cloaca.
Characters
Other than Leonard & Bubba, there are several types of alien enemies wielding various types of weapons. The enemies are Sheriff Lester T Hobbes (armed with two .357.357 Magnum
The .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...
revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
s); the skinny old coot; Billy Ray; Turd Minion; and the alien saucers. Boss enemies include Assface, the alien vixen, and the alien hulk. Also present are hostile animals and insects, such as pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
, dogs, mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
s, cows & chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s, although the latter two can't directly harm the player.
Redneck Rampage Rides Again introduced additional enemies, including: Jackalopes; Mama Jackalope; Biker Frank Doyle (clearly based on Dennis Hopper's
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
Frank Booth character from the David Lynch movie Blue Velvet); and cheerleader Daisy Mae.
In game power-ups
Like most first-person-shooters, it offered a variety of ways for the character to regenerate health or hit points. These power-ups consisted of the allegedly redneck related moon pieMoon pie
A moon pie or MoonPie is a pastry which consists of two round graham cracker cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center, dipped in chocolate or other flavors. The traditional pie is about three inches in diameter...
s, pork rind
Pork rind
Pork rind , is the fried or roasted skin of a pig. Frying melts most of the fat from the pork rind...
s, beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
and liquor. A small supply of each could be carried for future use (with the exception of pork rinds, which were used automatically upon being picked up). Each of these power-ups had distinct disadvantages: The more food the character ate, the more flatulent he became (represented by a "gut" meter in the user display), making it difficult to sneak up on enemies as the character would move forward and make a distinct fart
Fart
Fart is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. The word "fart" is generally considered unsuitable in a formal environment by modern English speakers, and it may be considered vulgar or offensive in some situations. Fart can be used as a noun or a verb...
sound frequently after eating. However, eating food did decrease the "drunk meter" slightly (see below).
When drinking alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, the health was restored and as an added benefit the character became somewhat less affected by enemy fire (the proverbial bulletproof
Bulletproof
Bulletproofing is the process of making something capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles e.g. shrapnel. The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protection against all types of bullets, or multiple hits in the...
). This only worked to a minor degree, and the more the character drank, the less coordinated
Motor coordination
thumb|right|Motor coordination is shown in this animated sequence by [[Eadweard Muybridge]] of himself throwing a diskMotor coordination is the combination of body movements created with the kinematic and kinetic parameters that result in intended actions. Such movements usually smoothly and...
they became. This was measured on a "drunk meter" in the user display. Toward the high end of the meter, after consuming a large amount of alcohol, the character movements would become erratic and the user would have difficulty controlling the character as he moved in directions that did not correspond to the input on the keyboard. The ingame video would also become grainy and less viewable. At the maximum drunk level, the character would simply fall down, followed by the sounds of vomiting
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
and the loss of all motor regardless of user input. All of these effects would pass after a few minutes as the character sobered up. During this time, the character can not use weapons and is essentially defenseless.
The side effects of both power-up types forces the user to use them sparingly and gives another reason to avoid damage during gameplay. However, one other power-up, moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
, gives the player increased speed for a brief amount of time, at the end of which both the "drunk meter" and the "gut meter" were reset to zero.
Cuss Pack
An add-onAdd-on
Add-on might mean:* Plug-in , a piece of software which enhances another software application and usually cannot be run independently** Browser extension, which modifies the interface and/or behavior of web browsers...
to the game was the "Cuss Pack" which added stronger language to the game's audio. The add-on was available for download at Interplay's online store, but users had to pay $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 with a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
to ensure that the buyer of the add-on was of adult age. The add-on was included on the CD for the Mac OS version.
Redneck Rampage: The Early Years
The Early Years is a limited version of Redneck Rampage, which allows players to play the first five levels. It also features eight multiplayer deathmatch levels.Redneck Rampage Rides Again
Redneck Rampage Rides Again is a 14-level sequel for Redneck Rampage, and includes new enemies and weapons, and vehicles, including motorcycles and swamp boats. After Leonard and Bubba crash-landed a UFO, they found themselves in the middle of the desert (Area 69). Along the way, they are hunted by aliens, and blast their ways through jackalope farms, Disgraceland, a riverboat and brothels.Redneck Deer Huntin'
Deer Huntin is a hunting game using the same engine as the previous games in the series.Compilations
Redneck Icechest of Value is a compilation that includes original game, Redneck Rampage: Suckin Grits on Route 66.Redneck Rampage/Redneck Rides Again Dual Jewel is a compilation that includes original game, Redneck Rampage Rides Again.
Redneck Rampage: Family Reunion is a compilation that includes the original game, the Cuss Pack add-on, Redneck Rampage: Suckin Grits on Route 66, Redneck Rampage Rides Again. Another edition of the Family Reunion contains only the original game and Rides Again.
Gamefest: Redneck Classics includes original game, Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits on Route 66, Redneck Rampage Rides Again, Redneck Deer Huntin', Redneck Rampage Theme Windows 95 theme pack, Redneck Rampage Screen Saver.
Redneck Rampage Collection includes all but "Deer Huntin'"
Reception
Reviews for the title were mixed, but even the harshest reviewers were able to appreciate the game's energy and sense of humor. Arinn DemboArinn Dembo
Arinn Dembo, born , is an American author currently living and writing in British Columbia, Canada. Dembo is best known for her work with Vancouver-based Kerberos Productions, where she is Lead Writer and has worked on the background fiction for the Sword of the Stars series and Fort Zombie...
writing for Cnet Gamecenter gave the game three stars, and said it deserved "big points for its psychobilly soundtrack", "big points for being genuinely funny at times", and offered "good fun using a crowbar to beat aliens, 'Old Coots' and 'Billy Rays' to death". .
External links
- Interplay RR page
- Logicware RR page
- Sunstorm Interactive Redneck Rampage: Suckin' Grits On Route 66 page
- Interplay Redneck Rampage Rides Again page
- Redneck Rampage/Redneck Rides Again Dual Jewel page
- Interplay Redneck Deer Huntin' page
- Redneck Rampage series on MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Mobygames: Redneck Rampage: The Early Years
- Redneck Rampage: Family Reunion on IGN
- Gamefest: Redneck Classics on IGN
- Redneck Rampage web ring contains strategy guides
- Totally Redneck Active up to date site with user made maps and level walkthroughs.