The Oregon Trail (Apple II) Playthrough

A playthrough of MECC's 1985 educational game for the Apple II computer, The Oregon Trail.

The Oregon Trail, a game that asked kids to pack a virtual wagon and head west in search of a better life circa 1848, could be found in any American elementary school's computer lab from the mid 80s through the mid 90s.

The version I'm playing here, the iconic 1985 Apple II original, was arguably the most impactful and best remembered of the bunch, but it was followed up by a long procession of successful ports (like the 1990 DOS version    • The Oregon Trail (1990) PC Playthroug...   ) and multimedia-laden remakes.

After choosing your character's profession and buying some supplies, your party of five sets out from Independence, Missouri in an oxen-drawn Conestoga wagon. It's a 2,000 mile trek to the Willamette Valley, and getting there alive will take some careful resource management.

The trail is dotted with small settlements where you can stop and buy supplies, solicit tips from fellow pioneers, and barter with the natives. But, for most of the trip, you'll be on your own, hunting for food, fording dangerous river crossings, and keeping a watchful eye on the health of your party as you juggle threats posed by thieves, the elements, and disease. It was a pretty effective way to show kids that dysentery sucks and that learning could be fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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