Thirty days of PC games takes a look at the thirty PC games that either paved the way for better PC games, were revolutionary or simply fun to play. Each day, for thirty days, a different PC game (or series) will be featured.
In 1971, Bill Heinemann, Don Rawisch and Paul Dillenberger developed a game with the goal to teach children about pioneer life on the Oregon Trail in the nineteenth century. In 1974 The Oregon Trail was published by MECC and distributed to schools nationwide. These three men were student-teachers at Carleton College in Minnesota. After Rawiitsch’s term was over, he deleted the game that he had shared with his classmates but thankfully saved the code for the game. It’s a good thing that he did, since in 1974, he got a job with MECC where he improved the game and by 1995, Oregon Trail was responsible for one third of MECC’s thirty million in annual revenue.
The game is simple and intended for children. Players use number keys to choose anything from how many oxen to purchase or how long to rest. The game starts out allowing the player to choose their profession: a banker from Boston, carpenter from Ohio or a farmer from Illinois. The player is even able to name the members of their wagon, which proves to be funny when a friend comes down with dysentery. You then travel back to 1848 where you get to pick the month that you wish to start your journey in. You have to remember about different weather conditions that your wagon will face, from hot summer days to cold winter nights. Then it’s off to Matt’s General Store where you need to purchase goods for your trip. Here you must put into consideration the amount of food, bullets, spare wagon parts and how many oxen. The wagon can only hold so much, so players had to manage what to bring. Once on the trail, you have the choice of moving on, checking your supplies, looking at the map, change the pace of the wagon, change food rations, trade with other people on the trail, talk to people and to buy supplies. Along the way to Oregon, you will hunt, travel over rivers and deal with party members becoming sick and even dying. This game truly shows life on the trail.
There have been several version of The Oregon Trail but in my opinion, the first two incarnations of the game are the best.
1981 to 1985 The Oregon Trail (Apple II)
1992 The Oregon Trail Deluxe (MS-DOS)
1993-96 The Oregon Trail Ver 1.2 (Windows)
1996 The Oregon Trail II (Windows)
1997 The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition (Windows)
2001 The Oregon Trail 4th Edition (Windows)
The Oregon Trail 5th Edition (Windows)
The Oregon Trail: Mobile Edition (iPhone/iPod Touch)
The Oregon Trail for Facebook
This game made learning fun and has spawned several t-shirts and fan made videos.
