146:
from
Vietnam who had done work with computer graphics for the Dallas Independent School District but was new to the video games industry. While the letters had the player assume the role of a male protagonist, she proposed creating a game aimed at girls featuring a female character instead, named Billie Sue. The proposal was accepted, and Tran designed and created the game as the sole developer on the project. Development took four to six months. It was showcased at the Texas State Fair in October 1982 around the time of release.
137:
them before they are able to carry away Sue's carrots. 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. The game ends when either the player scores 1300 points or the rabbits' score reaches 100; whenever the player's score reaches a multiple of 100, the rabbits' score is lowered.
129:
145:
In the early 1980s, Apollo received a number of letters from fans suggesting potential games they could develop. Coincidentally, two such letters simultaneously proposed the idea of having a farmer defend a farm from rabbits. Apollo had recently hired Van Mai (then Van Tran), a programmer originally
136:
Wabbit is a farming simulation game with elements of the shoot 'em up genre in which the player controls a female character named "Billie Sue". 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
34:
158:
as "colorful" and "probably one of the best games put out." 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.
170:
For decades, efforts have been made to contact the programmer, whose name was reported by former coworkers as "Ban Tran". Her actual name was discovered in 2022, and she was interviewed by the Video Game
History Foundation in the following May.
258:
498:
503:
394:
493:
228:"Pioneer Rediscovered: The Woman Who Brought Female Representation To Games: The year-long search for Van Mai comes to a happy conclusion"
175:
was the only game Tran developed for Apollo, as the company declared bankruptcy in
November 1982; she later worked on a port of
420:
120:. The game is reported to be the "first console game with a named playable female character who isn't off-screen".
132:
The player stands at the bottom of the screen and must throw eggs up at the rabbits before they steal the carrots.
167:
The game is reported to be the "first console game with a named playable female character who isn't off-screen".
488:
478:
368:
309:
483:
468:
473:
63:
53:
41:
8:
283:
73:
450:
425:
196:
181:
for the Atari 5200 for MicroGraphic Image, before leaving the video game industry.
93:
113:
99:
46:
342:
462:
369:"Gaming Documentary Highlights the Biggest Cheater in Video Game History"
259:"In the '80s, she was a video game pioneer. Today, no one can find her"
190:
117:
78:
177:
128:
227:
33:
421:"A female video game pioneer was lost to history — until now"
199: – American engineer and early video game designer
337:
335:
333:
221:
219:
217:
215:
213:
343:"Atari 2600 Reviews U-Z by The Video Game Critic"
460:
330:
210:
226:Bunch, Kevin; Willaert, Kate (May 13, 2022).
225:
154:Video game historian Kevin Bunch describes
499:Video games developed in the United States
32:
504:Video games featuring female protagonists
418:
257:Hernandez, Patricia (February 11, 2021).
256:
252:
250:
248:
307:
127:
366:
461:
392:
245:
386:
395:"Is Laser Gates really Inner Space?"
193: – American video game designer
494:Video games about rabbits and hares
13:
419:Carpenter, Nicole (May 13, 2022).
367:Jacques, John (January 24, 2018).
284:"Wabbit for Atari 2600 - GameFAQs"
14:
515:
444:
308:Santulli, Joe (November 1992).
412:
360:
301:
276:
140:
1:
203:
393:Oliver, Dan (May 24, 2013).
149:
7:
184:
123:
10:
520:
162:
92:
84:
72:
62:
52:
40:
31:
26:
112:is a 1982 video game by
310:"Psychopedia - Part A"
133:
489:Atari 2600-only games
288:gamefaqs.gamespot.com
131:
479:Farming video games
347:videogamecritic.com
134:
105:
104:
511:
484:Atari 2600 games
469:1982 video games
438:
437:
435:
433:
416:
410:
409:
407:
405:
390:
384:
383:
381:
379:
364:
358:
357:
355:
353:
339:
328:
327:
325:
323:
314:
305:
299:
298:
296:
294:
280:
274:
273:
271:
269:
254:
243:
242:
240:
238:
223:
197:Joyce Weisbecker
36:
24:
23:
519:
518:
514:
513:
512:
510:
509:
508:
459:
458:
447:
442:
441:
431:
429:
417:
413:
403:
401:
391:
387:
377:
375:
365:
361:
351:
349:
341:
340:
331:
321:
319:
312:
306:
302:
292:
290:
282:
281:
277:
267:
265:
255:
246:
236:
234:
224:
211:
206:
187:
165:
152:
143:
126:
22:
21:1982 video game
17:
16:1982 video game
12:
11:
5:
517:
507:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
481:
476:
471:
457:
456:
455:at Atari Mania
446:
445:External links
443:
440:
439:
411:
385:
359:
329:
300:
275:
244:
208:
207:
205:
202:
201:
200:
194:
186:
183:
164:
161:
151:
148:
142:
139:
125:
122:
103:
102:
96:
90:
89:
88:September 1982
86:
82:
81:
76:
70:
69:
66:
60:
59:
56:
50:
49:
44:
38:
37:
29:
28:
20:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
516:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
466:
464:
454:
453:
449:
448:
428:
427:
422:
415:
400:
396:
389:
374:
370:
363:
348:
344:
338:
336:
334:
318:
317:Digital Press
311:
304:
289:
285:
279:
264:
260:
253:
251:
249:
233:
229:
222:
220:
218:
216:
214:
209:
198:
195:
192:
189:
188:
182:
180:
179:
174:
168:
160:
157:
147:
138:
130:
121:
119:
115:
111:
110:
101:
97:
95:
91:
87:
83:
80:
77:
75:
71:
67:
65:
64:Programmer(s)
61:
57:
55:
51:
48:
45:
43:
39:
35:
30:
25:
19:
474:Action games
451:
430:. Retrieved
424:
414:
404:February 12,
402:. Retrieved
398:
388:
378:February 12,
376:. Retrieved
372:
362:
352:February 13,
350:. Retrieved
346:
322:February 12,
320:. Retrieved
316:
303:
293:February 13,
291:. Retrieved
287:
278:
268:February 12,
266:. Retrieved
262:
235:. Retrieved
231:
176:
172:
169:
166:
155:
153:
144:
135:
108:
107:
106:
100:shoot 'em up
54:Publisher(s)
42:Developer(s)
18:
232:GameHistory
141:Development
74:Platform(s)
463:Categories
204:References
191:Carol Shaw
118:Atari 2600
79:Atari 2600
178:Solar Fox
150:Reception
98:Farming,
399:AtariAge
373:GameRant
185:See also
124:Gameplay
116:for the
94:Genre(s)
68:Van Tran
432:May 13,
426:Polygon
263:Polygon
237:May 13,
85:Release
452:Wabbit
173:Wabbit
163:Legacy
156:Wabbit
114:Apollo
109:Wabbit
58:Apollo
47:Apollo
27:Wabbit
313:(PDF)
434:2022
406:2021
380:2021
354:2021
324:2021
295:2021
270:2021
239:2022
465::
423:.
397:.
371:.
345:.
332:^
315:.
286:.
261:.
247:^
230:.
212:^
436:.
408:.
382:.
356:.
326:.
297:.
272:.
241:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
