Kamikaze Rats.

Here's a real mystery. This comes from a bootsale pick up of an old copy of New Scientist dated 5-2-81. That's the Fifth of February. An article in their forum section, details a new video game from Japan called Rat Patrol. No developer given nor publisher. I will quote the article below in full as I'm not sure if this place can do scans now. Kamikazi sic Rats Hot from Japan is perhaps the dottiest video game yet, Rat Patrol. Hordes of brown rats dive from the sky (yes, the sky) onto a peaceful city. Charles Fort and Arthur C Clarke would love it: it beats showers of fish or frogs any day. With quite unrat-liike stupidity, the beasts plunge into the hail of fire from your laser weapon, expiring with pitiful squeaks when hit. Rats which survive their skydive make nests in the bowels of the city and generally cause trouble. As the game proceeds, strange flying objects appear, bearing a read heart-shaped symbol. These are a kind of aerial love hotel for rats- centres of reproduction from wihich fresh supplies of vermin pour forth. If you can contain your laughter at the sheer absurdity (well, they are called amusement machines) you will find that it is quite a good game. But arcade operators had better watch out. As every scientist knows, there are now many people who find cruelty to rats no laughiing matter. An animal-lover who is not amused by this particular amusement might feel entirely justified in sticking his chewing gum in the coinslot so as to protect the minds of the young and the dignity of our fellow mammals. As far as we know, there is still no Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Space Invaders. Joking aside about as society for the prevention of gamer cruelty. What is this, exactly. Its not a bootleg Space invaders, nor Galaxian as the whole spawn bit doesn't work with this nor does the landing either as Galaxian doesn't do this and Space Invaders is a clear game over. In fact putting in various rodent permutations, the closest we get is Unviersal's Cheeky Mouse from 1980, a game where rats do fall from the sky and burrow down to steal cheese, but there are no lasers as you whack them with a mallet, or heart shaped love hotel. I would be a few years before they had a hit with Mr Do! so this is obscure. So this only half fits. If anyone reads this and knows. Pop a comment in as its quite a mystery.