User:RichardIsJustInYourMind/sandbox

Rat is a shoot 'em up video game franchise developed and published by Stimbus & Co.. Rat was released for Sega Genesis on June 14, 1992. After receiving very positive reviews, the game was subsequently followed by a sequel, Rat: Two to Tango released on February 28, 2001 for Microsoft Windows. This entry shifted the graphics to 3D, keeping it at a birds-eye view. After receiving mixed critical reception, the series didn't see another entry until the release of Rat 3: New Beginnings on September 8, 2007 for Microsoft Windows. Rat 3 was played from an over the shoulder perspective. Unfortunately, the shift to a new perspective and what was described as a lackluster story lead it to be the worst selling entry in the series. On June 12, 2021, a new entry was announced under the name RAT 4 (stylized as R4T), to be released on May 12, 2022.

Rat (1992)
Rat was the first installment in the series and was release exclusively in Ukraine on June 14, 1992. The player controlled Bunk, the series' mascot character, and it was played from a 2D side-scrolling perspective. Not being advertised well and releasing in Ukraine, it didn't sell exceedingly well, yet gained praise from those who did play it. The gameplay was simple, using the d-pad for movement and buttons to fire in moving direction. There were 16 levels, all being fairly simple, going room by room. After the success of the Genesis release, a port was outsourced to an unknown developer made for MS-DOS and released in the United State s in 1995 under the title Rat: Kill 'em All. The game was also released in Germany in 1998 under the title Rat Blast.

Rat: Two to Tango
Rat: Two to Tango was the second installment in the series and was released on February 28, 2001. Because of the success of the first game, Two to Tango sold almost double, yet gained less positive reviews than the first.

Rat 3: New Beginnings
Rat 3: New Beginnings was a reboot of the franchise, changing the perspective from side-scrolling to over the shoulder, as well as changing the protagonist from Bunk, causing it to garner mostly negative reception.

RAT 4: Return to War
Not much is known about RAT 4 yet, but it has been said that it will be a direct sequel to the original Rat (1992), retcons the third game and will be played from an birds-eye view.

Rat 2 (1997)
Not much is known about the original Rat 2, as it was cancelled shortly after the decline of popularity of the Apple Pippin. All that is known is that some UI assets were reused for Two to Tango.