The Oregon Trail

"Computer gaming classic."

This is the game that everyone and their grandmother has played. It has a lot of good educational elements, but it is too short. The game can be beaten in half an hour, and although I find a lot of replay value in it, it can become bland once you've done everything. Still, I was raised with this game, as well as a few other Macintosh classics (Power Pete, Escape Velocity, Super Munchers, etc.). The Oregon Trail is a highly educational game that doesn't fail to be fun. Most everyone I've met had this game in their classroom at some point or another. So, on with the review.

Gameplay: 5/10

The gameplay is somewhat lacking. Most of it is just clicking windows and typing in numbers. The gameplay is saved, however, with the hunting, which you can do at almost any time you want. If nothing else, see how many cute little animals you can kill with 20 bullets. My record is something like 3,200 lbs of meat. The hunting is enjoyable, and I find myself coming back to Oregon Trail simply to hunt a few times. The hunting could probably have been successfully released as a game on its own (in the same era of Oregon Trail's release). Sadly, the only time you can control your wagon is optionally rafting down a specific river.

Graphics: 9/10
Keep in mind that this game was made in 1992-1993. The graphics more than suffice, and Some of the pictures of places/events are very well done. There are something like 20 or 30 different people to talk to, and 100+ detailed pictures, including ones of wagons breaking, various forts/landmarks, and a rather well done picture of a wagon party standing at the top of a waterfall ("The trail is impassable"). The graphics do not hold up to today's flashy standards, but they held their own back in the day.

Sound: 9/10
Each landmark has a specific song played in the background when you reach it. They're not even MIDIs, they're actual recorded songs. 15+ of them. In addition to the distinctive music, the various sound effects for different events are very well done. In short, all of the sounds in this game sound real, and not as if they're coming out of a 10 year old computer.

Replay Value: 6/10
This game is saved by the hunting. There are only 4 possible routes to take on the trail, and none of them differ from any other in any great way. The difficulty can be raised if you choose to be a Teacher (no advantages and $400 starting money), but once you've beaten the game on Teacher in a late starting month, there's really not any way to make it any harder. Hunting is still fun, though.

Education: 10/10

The Guide button includes short paragraphs of information on 73 different Oregon trail related words. It includes information on a lot of places that you don't travel to in the game. Reading everything in the guide really gives you a better understanding of not only the game, but of the history of the Oregon Trail. There is a lot to be learned from this game, so don't dismiss it as lame because you can't move your wagon. Give it a shot, it's very interesting.

Closing Statements:

The Oregon Trail is a great game that suffers from a lack of interaction between game and player. While there is a lot of history packed in to benefit from, many people will be deterred by the gameplay style. Hunting remedies this a bit, but even with the hunt feature, most gamers will not find this game to be sustaining. Play it if you want a good grasp of history or you want to relive a classic. Do not expect the games of todays's pretty graphics and tens of hours to complete.

5+9+9+6+10=39

39/5=7.8

Final Rating:
7.8 rounded to 8 for GameFAQs

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/28/04