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Rating: 6.8 (87 votes)
Plays: 53,611
M:99% F:1% |
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Oregon Trail Review by: j0han - 7.5/10
Journeying West
The year is 1848. From the largely unsettled regions of the American West come tales of mountains spilling over with gold. Dreams of a better life fuel the countless covered wagons that stream towards the Oregon Territory. Families stock up on supplies and steel themselves as they prepare to endure the perilous road ahead. Disease, bandits, wild animals, drought, hunger, high mountain passes, barren desert, disastrous weather: these lie in wait in some of the roughest country known to man. Though it will take every ounce of wit and luck for the brave American Pioneer to reach the Far West, the golden horizon that awaits him there is a dream worth suffering for.
The Oregon Trail was first released in 1971 as an educational tool and has since been updated and re-released to various systems. Apple II was the first to market the game in the early 1980s, with McIntosh following in 1991. Recent releases include the Wii in 2011 and a smartphone app. Speaking from personal experience, it was an invaluable resource as a history lesson in itself, while remaining, challenging, engaging and most importantly, fun. The Oregon Trail is a simulator that transplants you into the world of the pioneer, where you must purchase and ration supplies, choose your route and departure date to Oregon, and make some tough decisions along the way. During the difficult journey you must cross rushing rivers, climb the treacherous passes of the Rockies and sustain your party through barren land void of water and grass. You will invariably encounter danger and suffer disaster. You might run out of food and be forced to hunt to keep your family fed. You may even end up leaving someone alongside the road, under a hastily fashioned cross.
Graphics: 7
Cut-scenes within the game are given alot of detail, as well as the river crossings. The hunting mini-game could have been better, and the main screen (a covered wagon going left) is a bit static.
Sound: 7
Game-play itself contains little sound effects. I gave it a higher score because various American folk songs are played (in midi format) throughout cut-scenes, enriching the atmosphere.
Addictiveness: 7
I rated this from a school-child's perspective. Back in first grade I loved going to the computer lab and playing. I would try to reach Oregon before any of my classmates by setting my travel rate up to 'grueling' (the fastest), which always led to disaster. It was something I looked forward to then, and after all these years I'm here, playing it again. Furthermore, each play is unique. That said, it is hard to play from start to finish in one sitting.
Story: 8
The story of the pioneers is certainly dramatic, and this game makes good use of that. Though the main plot points must remain the same, each journey is unique and unpredictable, with variables occurring at random. So with each new game a different drama unfolds within the world of the pioneer.
Depth: 8
Apart from the many decisions and disasters the player encounters, a hunting mini-game adds depth. Several facets of game-play are player-determined, such as travel rate, supply rationing, certain routes and types of river crossings. In addition, upon start-up, the player chooses from three vocations: Banker, Carpenter, Farmer. These determine level of difficulty and end-game scores. Bankers receive the most money, $1600, allowing more supplies which makes the journey easiest, and do not receive a score bonus. Carpenters start with $800 and receive a doubled score. Farmers get the short end, receiving $400; but at the end their hardships are rewarded with a tripled score.
Difficulty: 8
Reaching Oregon is a difficult task. Many times my wagon leader finally succumbed after having buried the rest of the party. But with the right decisions, and a bit of luck, it is possible. Of course playing as the banker makes things easier, but it remains challenging nonetheless. Playing as the farmer is a difficult task indeed.
Overall: 7.5
You don't need to be American to learn a valuable lesson from this game about hardship and sacrifice. Through this enjoyable and nostalgic classic, you will better understand the lengths some would travel to find a better life for themselves and their descendants.
Graphics 7 Sound 7 Addictive 7 Depth 8 Story 8 Difficulty 8
Oregon Trail Description: As a covered wagon party of pioneers, you head out west from Independence, Missouri to the Willamette River and valley in Oregon. You first must stock up on provisions, and then, while traveling, make decisions such as when to rest, how much food to eat, etc. The Oregon Trail incorporates simulation elements and planning ahead, along with discovery and adventure, as well as mini-game-like activities (hunting and floating down the Dalles River).
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Oregon Trail User Submitted videos
Oregon Trail User Submitted Screenshots
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j0han09-18-12 04:23 AM 4.5/5
May have overspent on clothing | j0han09-18-12 04:52 AM 3/5
At the Kansas | j0han09-18-12 04:37 AM 3/5
Hunting for wild buffalo. | | j0han09-18-12 04:59 AM 3/5
Fording the Big Blue | j0han09-18-12 04:59 AM 3/5
Fort Kearney | j0han09-18-12 04:49 AM 3/5
Setting out | j0han09-18-12 04:58 AM 2/5
what? |
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Oregon Trail Highscores Table
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| There are no submitted highscores for this game. |
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Oregon Trail User Reviews
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6.8 Graphics 4.5 Sound 4 Addictive 8 Story 8.5 Depth 7.5 Difficulty 8
7.5 - Journeying West - j0han
The year is 1848. From the largely unsettled regions of the American West come tales of mountains spilling over with gold. Dream...
Graphics 7 Sound 7 Addictive 7 Story 8 Depth 8 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.7/5
Submitted: 09-18-12
Updated: 09-18-12
Review Replies: 2
Reply to this Review
7 - The Oregon Trail - elbuzzard
The Oregon Trail is a great game when it works. Very addicitive and really makes you realise that you dont need great sound and ...
Graphics 2 Sound 1 Addictive 9 Story 9 Depth 7 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 08-09-11
Review Replies: 1
Reply to this Review
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Oregon Trail Forum Threads
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Threads and posts on this game:
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Oregon Trail Strategy Guides, Walkthroughs and FAQs
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Strategy Guides, Walkthroughs and FAQs on this game:
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Oregon Trail User Comments
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segagothvioln1 04-04-13 - 08:11 PM ahh memories of the great edugame I never played, (O)_(O) I'm staring into your soul as you read this.(slumps down)
Jordanv78 03-21-13 - 11:59 PM
It works, it just takes an extremely long time for the AppleII to load the game once the title screen pops up. I tested it and it took what seemed to be close to a min to actually get to gameplay
jabradley 03-21-13 - 06:50 PM
where is the "reset" button to play???
rekrapnoraa 03-04-13 - 11:28 PM
just a link to force a music download program. I'll be leaving this site alone now.
TwistedBlondie 03-01-13 - 11:01 AM
says to flip diskette?? WTF D:
ninam 12-30-12 - 12:00 AM
Why is it telling me to flip the diskette to side 2? Can someone tell me how to get around this? Because I would like
succubus4201 12-22-12 - 03:04 AM
WHAT?!?! you have to flip the non-existent diskette?!?! i call shenanigans!
JFaber3 12-12-12 - 04:16 PM
i get to crossing the river and then it stops ? ?
thudricdholee 11-25-12 - 05:43 PM
The game works fine for for me, but how do you "flip the diskette"? I've tried pushing every button
DanteCorzan 11-20-12 - 10:23 PM
Game doesn't work at all for me either.
Megagamer42 10-29-12 - 07:36 PM
Game isn't loading for me. Anyone else have the same problem?
j0han 09-18-12 - 05:03 AM
Yes that is annoying. I'm not sure if posting outside urls is against the rules, but at http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html you can find the full game. Im going to pm the link to Davideo and maybe he'll be able to fix it.
sideswiper69 09-17-12 - 09:10 AM
I mean seriously! To continue the trail insert Disc 2? WTF?
Bumblebee2006 09-08-12 - 09:22 PM
It says to flip the diskette to side two... great. I was having fun too
nightman922 09-08-12 - 09:08 PM
froze across river..... -_- it beeped and a black window popped up and i could still type but it never came back on
workthistimegos. 08-05-12 - 04:22 PM
Damn you Minnesota educational computing corporation
workthistimegos. 08-05-12 - 04:20 PM
awesome, game self-destructs after the first river
grim creaper 07-27-12 - 01:30 AM
Anyone know how to make this game actually work? I just get a blank black box. It's telling me to press a non-existent "reset" button.
cardarr 07-25-12 - 06:10 PM
Does the game just not work on Safari?
tokinthegb 07-24-12 - 08:48 PM
seriously wheres the reset button?
colton grundy 07-07-12 - 12:14 AM
how about somebody fix it?
Ninjakoopa97 07-05-12 - 12:55 PM
after crossing first river game went crazy
sonicawesomeness 05-21-12 - 02:32 AM
Where's the reset button? I can't find it anywhere
Khymera 05-11-12 - 06:36 PM
Sigh, was fun until crossing the first river, then the game looks like it exploded.
Gears 04-21-12 - 11:12 PM
wheres the reset button?
racarras 04-21-12 - 05:41 PM
I'm just posting to make the ads go away.
HoneyYoshi17 04-12-12 - 06:42 AM
Where's the reset button? Please help.
HoneyYoshi17 04-12-12 - 06:40 AM
Where's the reset button? Please help.
NoxHardigan 03-15-12 - 12:48 PM
Dammit! The game freezes up on the first river. Come on Vizzed do us proud and get this problem resolved.
cobracommander 10-11-11 - 07:01 AM
as everyone else has said it freezes after the first river. this was one of my favorite games growing up and I would love to be able to play it again.
REDHAWKNATION 09-19-11 - 05:27 PM
Freezes up after first river.
amikay 04-22-11 - 10:33 PM
tried the game in firefox, explorer AND chrome. does not work in Chrome at all. In FF and Exp it freezes up at the first river. :(
Kryptic 03-07-11 - 01:22 PM
yea.. froze when i was crossing the first river so it doesn't work on Internet Explorer either
Elara 03-05-11 - 11:09 PM
I have the same problem with crossing the river.
fishygrl888 03-02-11 - 01:43 PM
it doesnt work on google chrome. but it works on internet explorer and firefox
doktorteeth 02-25-11 - 05:13 AM
Game messes up when you try to cross the first river!
KantoRed 01-01-11 - 09:18 PM
I talked to the staff about it but they say they work fine. I think they're lazy.
gameface138 12-18-10 - 09:51 PM
Where is the reset Button All I see is a Black screen with that message at the top.
DarkHyren 10-11-10 - 05:17 AM
it works. when you load the game there are buttons under the game itself, they say "clear" and "reset" and "continue"
you click the "reset" button and the game starts.
then press F on the keyboard to continue
KantoRed 09-06-10 - 07:39 PM
dont work
KantoRed 09-06-10 - 07:39 PM
dont work
usmcroberts 09-03-10 - 07:11 PM
how do you play this game. it wont work for me. i dont see a reset button
Robert7 07-31-10 - 10:03 PM
Well, it is a great game for the 7 minutes of gameplay that you get. XD
swimmer32 07-21-10 - 03:00 PM
DON'T PLAY THIS GAME BECAUSE IT WILL MESSES UP AFTER YOU ACROSS RIVER!!!
tcc 04-23-10 - 02:39 PM
It messes up crossing the first river. dont play
therabidsmurf 04-03-10 - 02:20 PM
I had the same issue when crossing the first river. It went to a never ending list of hex numbers. Ah well...no one dies of dysentery today...
crashhat69 03-11-10 - 03:40 PM
THE GAME DONT WORK! WHENEVER I TRY TOP CROSS THE FIRST RIVER IT MESSES UP
ClareC 03-05-10 - 02:21 PM
When i click 'Play Game' a black screen pops up saying: "You should see an Apple ][+ here.
You must press 'Reset' to start the game
Controls vary depending on game, since this is a computer based system, it may use any key but Shift, Ctrl, Enter/Ret
nathan123427 01-21-10 - 08:19 PM
it keeps poppinng up at the river for me
jkwithu 12-23-09 - 12:00 AM
i got this game on my phone its awesome
Rasenganfan2 08-20-09 - 04:53 PM
David: Wow, you're right, this is fun! Aside from it sometimes freezing, it's so fun :D
Davideo7 08-19-09 - 12:47 PM
I fixed any problems people might have been having with the emulator. Rasen: This was actually an educational game, and a fun one.
crashhat69 08-18-09 - 08:48 PM
i guess theres a reset button under the game?
Rasenganfan2 08-16-09 - 06:37 PM
Haha! They actually let you guys play video games in school? Oh, and how do you get this to work? I can't figure out the resetting thing...
Davideo7 08-15-09 - 01:08 PM
This use to be my favorite game to play on the Apple, kids in my class would die to play this in our elementary computer lab
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