Genre: First Person Shooter
Release Year: 1997
Developer: Xatrix Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay
Age Rating: 18+
Playability Status: Perfect
Tested On: Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 x64
Availability: Copyright retained - Still sold
Don’t want the hassle?
Get this game pre-fixed, DRM free and ready to play from GoG.com. Fully working or your money back.
Videogames are often accused of playing up to social and gender stereotypes and in the case of Redneck Rampage there’s little doubt that the designers wanted to include lots of typical hillbilly humour. Playing as Leonard, you must fight off an alien invasion and rescue your prize piggy. Big on subtle humour it is not, but Redneck Rampage has plenty of old school shooter action and slapstick humour to keep you playing. The game was popular enough to spawn an expansion pack (Suckin’ Grits on Route 66) and a sequel (Redneck Rampage Rides Again). The games engine was designed to run in MS-DOS, though an updated version for Windows 95 was also released. If your fixin’ to get you a slice of oldschool shooter action, here’s how you can get your redneck fix on your modern fancy-pants PC.
Installation
To run Redneck Rampage on a more modern PC, we’re going to use eRampage. eRampage is a port of the original game engine for more modern versions of Windows. Finding the latest version of this software is somewhat confusing. You should download eRampage here. Make sure you download the file from the Jonhunt.com website and NOT the Google code page. The file is downloaded as a zip archive. Extract/copy the contents of the eRampage zip folder to any directory on your computer, c:\games\Redneck would work just fine, for instance.
Once you have unpacked eRampage, there are several data files we will need from an original copy of the game before we can play.
If you want to play the orignal Redneck Rampage:-
REDNECK.GRP (should be 134mb in size)
If you want to play Redneck Rampage Rides Again:-
REDNECK.GRP (same file name as above, but a different file, 182 mb in size). In the “Family Reunion” box set, this file is on the second CD-ROM.
If you want to play the Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 expansion pack:-
RT66.GRP (You may need to make this file yourself if you cannot find it, we will see how later in the article).
Currently the Deer Hunting expansion is not supported.
The first thing to do is actually find these files. If you have an original copy of the Windows version of the game then you can get them from there. The simplest way would be to install the game to a separate folder and then simply find the files you need. If you have a 32 bit PC this is exactly what you can do. Unfortunately, the original Redneck Rampage uses a 16 bit installer program and therefore wont install on a 64 bit PC. in this instance we need to jump through a few more hoops:-
1) Create an empty, temporary folder anywhere on your PC, separate from the Redneck Rampage folder you previously created.
2) Insert the Redneck Rampage CD-ROM into your computer. We used the Family Reunion edition but the procedure should be the same for all copies of the game.
3) Find the file “REDNECK.INS”. Copy this file from the CD-ROM to the temporary folder you made in the first step.
4) Download and install the 7-Zip tool, if you don’t have it already (If you’re not sure how to use 7-zip, there’s a tutorial here).
5) Using the 7-zip tool you downloaded, right click on the REDNECK.INS file and choose 7-Zip->Extract Here (see the picture above and on the right for an example, click it to enlarge it).
6) You should now have a folder full of various files, including some of the files listed above.
7) Create another temporary folder and repeat the process with the other Redneck Rampage CDs, if you have them (e.g Redneck Rampage Rides Again).
If you have the GoG (Good old Games) version of the game, you can find the files in your original GoG installation directory.
We now need to copy the files to the right locations. This step can be somewhat confusing, so we’ve tried to simplify it as much as possible.
Start by copying the REDNECK.GRP file (134mb file from the original game) from your temporary directory to the eRampage directory you set up earlier, we used c:\games\Redneck in our example. Copy the REDNECK.GRP from that game into the top level of your eRampage folder, where the erampage.exe file is. If you only want to play Redneck Rampage and not the expansion packs, you’re done.
If you want to play the expansion packs too, first copy the original REDNECK.GRP (the one that is 134mb in size) into the REDNECK and ROUTE66 sub folders within your eRampage directory.
To install Redneck Rampage Rides Again, copy the REDNECK.GRP from Redneck Rampage Rides Again (182 mb file) into the eRampage directory, where the erampage.exe file is, overwriting the existing REDNECK.GRP from the original game.
To install the Suckin’ Grits on Route 66 expansion pack, copy the RT66.GRP file into the ROUTE66 sub-folder. If you can’t find this file, see “I can’t find the RT66.GRP file!” below.
Once all the GRP files are installed, you can delete the remaining files you extracted with 7-Zip.
Running the Game
Start the game by clicking on the erampage icon in the eRampage directory. The window shown below will then open.
Near the top of the window, you can choose a screen resolution and colour depth (bpp). Choose a screen mode with 32bpp colour depth and the resolution that matches your monitor. Select “Fullscreen” to run the game in full screen mode. If you choose a widescreen resolution, be sure to see the “Tweaking visual quality” section before getting stuck into the game.
Near the bottom of the window there’s the option to choose the “Custom game content directory”. Set this to “None” to play Redneck Rampage Rides Again (or the original game if that’s all you installed). Set it to “REDNECK” to play the original game or to “ROUTE66” to play the expansion.
Click on “Start” when you are done changing the options, the game should then run.
Tweaking visual quality
Before y’all git started with the game, there’s one or two options you might want to tweak. From the games main menu, select “Options” and then select “Video Setup”. From the menu here, you can set the games resolution. You can also toggle fullscreen mode and change the renderer. For best results, make sure Renderer is set to “32-Bit OpenGL”.
The last two options on this menu are “Texture Filter” and “Renderer Setup”. You can change Texture Filter to Trilinear, or whatever you think looks best. Choosing “Renderer Setup” will take you to an advanced options menu where you can tweak all kinds of visual settings. Like with most old games, it is fine to just turn everything up to the highest quality (Ambient Light Level does not affect quality, so leave that at 1.00 unless you find the game too dark). If you are using a Widescreen monitor and screen resolution, don’t forget to enable Widescreen mode in this menu too.
You’re now ready to start your liquor swillin’, bad mouthin’ and alien huntin’ adventure. If you’re still having issues with the game, see the troubleshooting section below.
I can’t find the RT66.GRP file!
This file is not present on either the GoG version of the game or the Family Reunion box set. If you cannot find it on your copy of the game, you will need to manually create it yourself. Follow the tutorial available here to assemble the files you need and create the RT66.GRP file from them. There are a few things you should note when following that tutorial however:-
The link to the Group File Studio program is incorrect, it can be downloaded here.
If you are using the Redneck Rampage Family Reunion compilation, you can find all the files but one you need in the SUCKIN sub-folder of the first CD-ROM. The missing file, “PALETTE.DAT”, can be found in the Redneck Rampage files you extracted when you first installed the game.
Troubleshooting and known issues
Game crashes at startup or shortly after starting up:- If this happens, try adding the erampage.exe file to the list of programs excluded from Data Execution Prevention (DEP). For a tutorial on how to do this, click here.
Sound issues:- Sound effects should now be fixed in the latest version of eRampage. Make sure you are running the latest version (downloaded from here).
The ERampage port is now finished. A group of community members got together and finished up the port. Redneck Rampage, Route 66, and Rides Again are now fully playable. Go to: http://www.jonhunt.com/redneck for more information and to download the latest version.
Thanks for letting me know. Right now I’m lots busy with behind the scenes stuff here and over at top-windows-tutorials, but I promise to take a look as soon as I can and update this article.
Well I checked today but I couldn’t see any indication that the erampage files had been updated since last time I looked!
You didn’t look very hard then. Erampage V0.96 is available at this link:
http://www.jonhunt.com/redneck/erampage.html
That’s an older version than the one we tested (0.96 vs 2.0).
I assure you sir, that you are mistaken. I am one of the three people that created ERampage and I have been involved in the ERampage project since its start. V0.96 is the latest version released in June 2013. If there is indeed a never version than June 2013, I would appreciate a link to it.
hi jon I still lat rdnk rmpage from gog.com purchase works great on wndows 8 I tip my hat to you I still love it I thought there were other rd nk games w/zombies and a car or truck race any chance of renewing a revival of it
Jon, We downloaded it from the Google code page directly https://code.google.com/p/erampage/. When run it says version 2.0 and hasn’t been updated since 2010.
V2.0 was an experimental Polymer version we were playing with, but discarded for the more stable version that was released.
I guess I don’t understand why you are spending so much time arguing with me, one of the creators of ERampage, about which version is the most up to date. I know which version is up to date, I have it. Why don’t you download it and see for yourself.
You’re a programmer of ERampage? Why didn’t you introduce yourself as such?
If I’d made a new version of ERampage that worked perfectly, I’d want everyone to find it, not hide it behind an obscure link and forget to update my Google code page. Just seems a bit fishy. Even the download page on Jonhunt.com makes no mention of a super new version.
The Google page was not my page, it was run and maintained by Dmitry the founder of ERampage, who dropped out of the project in 2011. Totally redneck is mine.
And if you bothered to even look at my website you would have run across this:
“June 16 2013
ERampage is finished! It is now fully playable for Redneck Rampage, Route66, and Rides Again. So head on over to our ERampage section for more information and to download this awesome mod!
WE would also like to say thank you to our friend Slawomir LAW Lawrynowicz for his tireless work on the hundreds of coding bugs in this port. Without our friend LAW, ERampage would still only be a dream. ”
So I think you need to actually download the latest version and do a little research before you open your mouth again and embarrass yourself even more.
I really don’t see that there’s any need to be insulting like that. You have to admit it’s pretty confusing when there are so many versions floating around, and your website is pretty primitive and hideously difficult to navigate (probably intentionally designed to fit into the retro theme of RR but still).
The download page you linked me to has nothing about how this is a new version of ERampage at all. I Google searched ERampage and found no indication of this new version either.
There are lots of malicious downloads on the internet now and I have to take care before recommending a download to my readers on here, I am sure you understand.
If you are the author of this fantastic mod, the retro community salutes you, but you could certainly work on your marketing skills (oh and update your download page with the news too, don’t just assume visitors will go to the “What’s new” section).
I do understand about not wanting to promote malicious software, but I do not understand your inability to verify this files authenticity.
ERampage was fully marketed to the EDuke community, and as far as the Redneck community, I’m it. So I guess, until you are ready to download and play the final version of ERamapage, and admit you were wrong, I don’t have much else to say.
http://www.jonhunt.com/redneck/other/erampage_096_win32.zip
Maybe if you had explained the whole confusing mess about V2 not being the latest version, Google code page being wrong etc in the first place I wouldn’t have gone down this dead end anyway.
Well Jon is right.
As the co-author of the version 0.96 I have to say this is the latest known version. It is not finished totally, but it has two great features:
1) Many coding and visual bugs fixed.
2) All levels from the original Redneck Rampage, Route 66 and Rides Again are fully playable without cheats.
Best regards
LAW
Excellent. Well I am certain you can understand my confusion. I’ll get to updating this article either this week or next.
Post updated :)
I’m trying to install and play on a Windows 7 Pro machine. I have moved the Redneck.INS file to a separate folder. I have downloaded and installed 7Zip. When I right click the Redneck.INS file I do not get the dialog box you show, but instead I get one listing the following:
Scan For Threats
Add To Archive
Add To Redneck.rar
Compress And Email
Compress to Redneck.rar and EMail
Restore Previous Versions
Send To
Cut
Copy
Create Short Cut
Delete
Rename
Properties
Nothing like your image sample with Extract Here etc
In that case, can you use the 7-zip file manager to extract the files instead?
I got the 7ZIP to work manually. I had issues starting the game and was getting errors. The problem was it was trying to start in Ridesagain instead of Redneck where my files were, and from which the GRP file was from. Now it runs, but I have one question. I approach a door and I used to press Space to interact, it does not work. What do I use to interact??
I own the disc version of Redneck Rampage but for some reason i can only find the Redneck.INS file and not the GRP file. Please Help
oh gawd sry nevermind im such an idiot i never read the entire thing sry D’;
Always helps to follow the guide carefully if you’re stuck :)
Ok I just had to show file extensions :) all Good
hi, my son is obsessed. wants to play this game, but the instructions for running it on windows 7 are not written for the technically challenged – (me). Can you provide clearer instructions for this? Please, the kid is 13, has autism, and I have HOURS wrapped up in this and all we get is a great big YAHOOOO and a pig snorting on the autorun page.
Yeah it’s a complicated one to get working, I’m not sure how I can make the instructions any clearer. Anyway, not trying to tell you how to be a parent or anything but do you really think this is a suitable game for a 13 year old autistic kid??
Step 1. Step 2. etc. that would make it easier, without backtracking. Ask your mom if she can do it. If not, restate it. Thanks for your concerns.
This is a modification of a retail game and requires a copy of the games Redneck Rampage and Redneck Rampage Rides Again, and Suckin’ Grits On Route 66, to play. If you do not own the retail versions of these games, you can not get this to work. The retail versions have a Group file, called redneck.grp. This group file is the main game fine and contains all the graphics and programming for the game. If you do have the retail copies, follow the instructions above or the ones I have included below. The term “Directory” means “Folder”
Cheers!
1) HOW TO PLAY CERTAIN REDNECK GAMES?
Firstly, unzip all the package contents to the empty directory. Then you need .GRP files ONLY. Please use ‘Enable autoload folder’ option in Erampage Setup, to make the new cons work. The description below will show you which .GRP you should use and where to put it.
1a) To play Redneck Rampage only
Get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the original Redneck Rampage, put it into the main dir (where the Erampage.exe is) and during Erampage Setup select ‘Custom game content directory’ named REDNECK.
1b) To play Route 66 only or Redneck Rampage and Route 66
Get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the original Redneck Rampage, put it into the main dir (where the Erampage.exe is). Then get the RT66.GRP supplied with the Route 66, put it into the ROUTE66 directory. Then during Erampage Setup select ‘Custom game content directory’ named REDNECK to play Redneck Rampage or ROUTE66 to play Route 66.
1c) To play Rides Again only
Get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the Rides Again, put it into the main dir (where the Erampage.exe is) and during Erampage Setup select ‘Custom game content directory’ named RIDESAGAIN.
1d) To play Rides Again and Redneck Rampage
Get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the Rides Again, put it into the main dir (where the Erampage.exe is). Then get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the original Redneck Rampage, put it into the REDNECK directory. Then during Erampage Setup select ‘Custom game content directory’ named RIDESAGAIN to play Rides Again or REDNECK to play Redneck Rampage.
1e) To play Rides Again and Redneck Rampage and Route 66
Get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the Rides Again, put it into the main dir (where the Erampage.exe is). Then get the REDNECK.GRP supplied with the original Redneck Rampage, put it into the two [!] directories: REDNECK and ROUTE66. After that get the RT66.GRP supplied with the Route 66, put it into the ROUTE66 directory. Then during Erampage Setup select ‘Custom game content directory’ named RIDESAGAIN to play Rides Again or REDNECK to play Redneck Rampage or ROUTE66 to play Route 66.
Great comment Jon, Thanks a ton for the information about the Microsoft Program Group files (.GRP) being all that you need in eRampage’s directory. I was able to run eRampage easily after I located the .GRP file from my Redneck Rampage game’s folder by searching for “.grp” even though the extension was not shown in the file name at first… It should be easy enough for anyone to find though, being that it’s name is “REDNECK”
I had both Redneck Rampage games when they came out. Best game ever!!!!! Seems like it is causing some folks problems. Endeavor to persevere! It’s well worth it. If you like everything hillbilly that is. Boo Wah Ha Ha.
Is there any way to buy an updated version of redneck Rampage without going through all the steps highlighted
Not sure if anyone is still monitoring this page, but in hopes that they are…I just got the 3 redneck rampage games working (RR, RT66, RRRA) through erampage v.96. The instructions above worked perfectly and a quick test of the gameplay worked great in erampage.
The issue I’m having is being able to execute the three of them from the command line. Default, which ends up being RRRA, works fine. I’ve gotten the initial splash screen to run correctly for RR, but the episodes are RRRA when I go to New Game. Same with RT66.
I’ve tried a few dozen combinations of passing files, full paths, relative paths, etc, but no luck. I just can’t seem to figure out how to recreate the selection from the custom game content directory in erampage from command line. Trying to add the games to Launchbox which is why I’d like it to run straight from command line.