The Oregon Trail (Apple II): Fact or Fiction? - Gaming Historian

Gaming Historian compares the game 'The Oregon Trail' with the history of westward expansion in the United States. Is it historically accurate?

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[joshn]

I consider Oregon Trail to be the first Survival Horror Game.

[Morgil]

Every video I've seen online about Oregon Trail never looked like the version I remember playing in school as a kid. This is the first time I've seen footage that matches what I remember. So it was Apple II, huh? When I was a kid, no one in my class knew the name of the machine; we just called it "the computer".

[GamingHistorian]

Hi all! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the video. I know it is different than my usual stuff, but sometimes you gotta switch things up, ya know? I love playing games based on history, so it is fun to talk about them. 

[AttractionSpot]

This and Number Munchers was my childhood in elemenrty school. Ahh the simpler times.

[mwolkove]

There's an Oregon Trail card game now. I played it with some friends a few months ago. The first card i drew was "you've died of dysentery"😒

[leokrupp]

Here lies buttmunch "What would you like on the tombstone?" pepperoni and cheese.

[tribaltroll]

I grew up in Oregon and we used to beg our teacher to let us stay in during recess and play Oregon Trail on the Apple II. Everyone loved it.

[gaoutlaw]

I died of dysentery while watching this.

[ccricers]

Now THIS is the Oregon Trail I remember from my childhood. I have seen many other videos out there with versions on PC with upgraded graphics and sound, but it doesn't hit the spot like this one does.

[JilmM]

"The three of us are working on this game called 'Oregon Trail'."
"Can I help out?"
"Do you own a jean jacket?"
"No."
"Sorry, you can't help then."

[ConnerTheWaffle]

I'm getting flashbacks to the 3rd grade!

[Ozbrithian]

I remember our class being banned from playing this game because someone kept leaving graves with epitaphs like "____ is gay" and swear words. 

No it wasn't me but I find it more hilarious now than I would have then XD.

[Kahn]

I played this one in my 4th grade class back in the mid 90's, lots of fun but i always loved the second one i played at home. It was more advanced, with more options and the live character animations provided a sense of reality.

[elviswjr]

I wish you had another channel with videos on world history! With the quality you put into your gaming history videos, I would watch the sh*t out of them!

[NeptuneatDawn]

Loved this game. The real challenge was seeing if you could kill off your entire party before the first river.

[Zalia]

I remember this game so well as a kid. Although in the version I played in elementary, we didn't have the option of choosing a profession and if someone in the family died, it would show a grave with the family member's name in a small cutscene. However it was like 1996-1998 when I did play it and that was years ago for me.

[jameshetfieldserbia]

I hate it when my grass is inadequate 

[bjmajor]

I wish I had known about this video when I covered this software in my Apple History Corner presentation for work! As usual, you did a very thorough job & it was super enjoyable. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[RetroRbbie]

Yup played dos version in elementary school late 80s/early 90s. So good.

[TearyEyesAndersonReacts]

Wow I forgot about this video. It began Noman's 9 year journey to making the "The Story of The Oregon Trail" he released just two days ago. There is also a similar documentary from 2020, "Trailheads: The Oregon Trail's Origins Documentary" by MinnMax. I like to think that the creators of the game somehow got to see the old 1867 stereoview card series "Across the Continent on the Union Pacific Railway" from about 157 years ago, and implemented the landmarks along the way, in a similar style.