Rattler Race
A snake-racing game from Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2.
Rattler Race is a game included in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2, a collection of 16-bit casual computer games for Windows released between 1990 and 1992. It is one of several games in the pack that were designed to run only under Windows, not MS-DOS, and was part of Microsoft's effort to make Windows appealing for casual gaming on office computers.
- field
- Video game
- known_for
- Included in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2
- platform
- Windows (16-bit)
Quick Facts
- Title
- Microsoft Entertainment Pack
- Developer
- Microsoft
- Designer
- Robert Andrews
- Released
- 1990 (Pack 1) / 1991 (Pack 2) / 1991 (Pack 3) / 1992 (Pack 4) / 1994 (The Best of) / May 30, 2001 (GBC)
- Genre
- Various
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows / Game Boy Color
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Rattler Race appears in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2, one of four Entertainment Packs released between 1990 and 1992. The packs were created by Microsoft's 'Entry Business' team with almost no budget, compiling games that Windows employees had developed in their spare time. The games were not copy protected, allowing customers to distribute copies to friends to encourage Windows use for gaming.
In the copies of Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 source code that leaked in 2004, a 32-bit version of Rattler Race (listed as Snake) was found. This suggests that the game was ported internally to 32-bit Windows, though it was not officially bundled with those operating systems. The original 16-bit version runs on modern 32-bit Windows but not on 64-bit Windows.
A subset of the Entertainment Pack called the Gamesampler, which included Jezzball, Rodent's Revenge, Tetris, and SkiFree, was shipped as a free disk with Verbatim blank diskettes. Rattler Race was not included in that sampler, nor in The Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack compilation released in 1994.
Reader's Guide
Rattler Race is a minor but representative entry in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack series, which sold over 500,000 copies by 1992 and was described by Computer Gaming World as 'the Gorillas of the Gaming Lite Jungle.' The pack's marketing targeted office workers with slogans like 'No more boring coffee breaks,' and the games served as early examples of casual PC gaming. Rattler Race, like many pack games, was a simple time-waster designed for short play sessions. Its inclusion in the leaked Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 source code indicates that Microsoft internally maintained 32-bit versions of several pack games, though Rattler Race never received an official 32-bit release. The game's legacy is tied to the broader impact of the Entertainment Packs, which introduced many users to Windows-based gaming and included titles like Minesweeper and FreeCell that later became bundled with Windows. Digital Trends noted that for many, the Entertainment Pack provided a first taste of early PC gaming.
Did You Know?
- Rattler Race is listed as 'Snake' in the 32-bit versions found in leaked Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 source code.
- The game was part of Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2, one of four packs released between 1990 and 1992.
- All games in the Entertainment Pack were 16-bit and would not run under MS-DOS.
- The Entertainment Pack games were not copy protected, allowing customers to share copies with friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rattler Race?
Rattler Race is a snake-racing game that shipped as part of Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2. It is a straightforward casual title where players steer a snake in a race, fitting the lighthearted tone of the pack.
What platform does Rattler Race run on?
The game was built exclusively for 16-bit Windows and does not run under MS-DOS. It was one of several titles in Entertainment Pack 2 designed specifically to showcase Windows as a gaming environment.
Which collection includes Rattler Race?
It is bundled in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2, a set of casual 16-bit computer games released for Windows between 1990 and 1992. The pack was aimed at office users looking for quick, low-commitment play sessions.
Why was Rattler Race created?
Microsoft included it as part of a broader push to make Windows feel like a viable casual-gaming platform on workplace PCs. By shipping a small, fun title like Rattler Race, the company hoped to broaden Windows' appeal beyond productivity software.
What makes Rattler Race notable among snake games?
Its main distinction is its origin: rather than coming from a dedicated game studio, it was produced by Microsoft itself as a filler title inside a software bundle. That makes it a rare example of a big-tech company developing a snake-racing game in-house during the early Windows era.
More in Snake video games 1-24
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