SwordQuest (Atari 2600) - Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN)

The Nerd looks back to the history behind the Swordquest series of games for the Atari 2600, and one of the most elaborate contests created around a video game - a contest which offered $150,000 of real treasures as prizes.
This is Angry Videogame Nerd episode 88
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[@brizzoke]

This episode made me realize that AVGN is actually an excellent documentarian.

[@wildamerican2771]

Honestly that’s why his videos are so successful. They are crazy informative.

[@Kimarnic]

not anymore, nowadays he is just swearing and making fun of the game. I miss old AVGN

[@andylee9251]

Kimarnic I’ve noticed this, I don’t really watch his new stuff because it’s not the same. What made the swearing so funny was that he could also be pretty measured

[@SnipinG1337]

To this day this is still my most favorite AVGN episode

[@JanoyCresvaZero]

Shit. Go watch some of his actual documentaries. He’s a master of his craft.

[@PlatinumBalrog]

Holy shit! You get the shirt and a comic just by buying a game? Nowadays you have to buy the game to be allowed to buy the rest of the game

[@PlatinumBalrog]

That and EA

[@oXDestroXo]

***** I think he's poking at any game with multiplayer , these days. It's sad...

[@iainclark8695]

***** ArmA 3. Xcom. I'm sure there's plenty of others

[@SaintGat99]

***** Have you played Assassin's Creed Unity? That has the worst I've ever seen.

[@LiskowicStudios]

***** yup. Only fw game companies are not fucking gamers. CDprojectRed for example

[@MrGojira95]

This entire SwordQuest event could make for a great movie.........or AVGN movie sequel.

[@EpicArceus]

True that.

[@TheBestComicKing]

I remember somewhere, James said he had thought the sequel to AVGN movie would be about tracking down the missing treasures. But I don’t remember where I read or heard that, or if it’s even true.

[@taz0k2]

Too epic for mortal souls!!

[@hankhill1964]

I'd watch that.

[@justaduck3615]

And that Jack Tremel guy can either be the main villain or some sort of test to get the last treasures.

[@StewartT0420]

The reason something like this couldnt happen today is because within seconds of the games release, everyone with access to the internet would know all of the clues and secrets. Thanks information superhighway.

[@LordHorst]

It could still happen. I mean, magazines give away valuable prices all the all the time, without the hints being spread around the internet. Also, who would give away clues and help others beat the game when the competition is still on? That would lower your own chances to win it, and thus wouldn't make much sense.

[@SneakySkitz0]

@@LordHorst Magazines are different from technology. You have to remember that nowadays there are way more people who are tech savvy and a lot of people data mine game files which is how secrets get out so fast. If there was a contest like that in the present the winners probably wouldn't have even played the game.

[@Brock_NC]

@@LordHorst You would make more money posting the hints on a blog and getting hits than winning a $25,000 prize lol.

[@danielmitchell893]

yeah it would be a real buzzkill it would be best not to host one unless the contestants sign a waiver not to release any info regarding the competition if they do they would be automatically excluded

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

+The-Mike_D: Yup, though some of those finalists back then may have dumping the ROM too. Also worth noting is that BBSes and Usenet existed back then, so people still could've been swapping Swordquest secrets online if they were so inclined.

[@geckoniner5625]

This was probably one of his most positive episodes

[@claudioalbuquerque6654]

Lacked some "ass"

[@Shawno625]

One of ? More like only correct me if I'm wrong

[@geckoniner5625]

Woodweight78 you right😂

[@swanthechosenone3975]

Earthbound: Am I a joke to you?

[@a.k.8195]

What about when he reviewed Earthbound

[@austinboucher5286]

In the unlikely event James ever made an avgn movie 2, it should be where the nerd goes searching for these treasures.

[@ZipplyZane]

Was the new movie really announced less than four weeks ago?

[@austinboucher5286]

+ZipplyZane if so, I haven't heard of it.

[@ZipplyZane]

Austin Boucher Nevermind. It was a sequel to the video game. My bad.

[@masonpelzer8052]

Great idea

[@ZipplyZane]

Tom Wilson And the plot could be that "That's what they want you to think!" I mean, a lot of people thought the ET thing was a myth, too. It just so happened they actually found it that same year.

[@CpnGame]

Wikipedia says that the chalice is still in the possession of its winner, Michael Rideout, who, last anyone heard from him, was treating it as the part of gaming history it truly is: He's keeping it in a bank vault and considering making it a family heirloom. The medallion was sold by its winner, Steven Bell, for college money and ultimately melted down, though reportedly the jewels and miniature sword on it were kept by Bell, though the tiny sword was eventually stolen, its ultimate fate unknown. The crown, the philosopher's stone, and the sword were never legally owned by Atari, and went back to the Franklin Mint after Atari's sale, which eventually melted them down for use in their other items.

[@tokyohanamura]

It’s been going around that Water World’s contest happened in secret & the crown was given to the winner of that one (with their name never released to the public)

[@donskiver]

That's really fucking sad man. :(

[@LadyRavencide13]

That's really depressing!! Thanks for the info. I'm glad the chalice exists still! He should give it to a gaming museum. I wouldn't trust family with it.

[@JoinMeInDeathBaby]

@@LadyRavencide13 no, it belongs to the winner, he earned it so he can do with it whatever he wants. I trust people more then institutions.

[@Anarchic1989]

@@donskiver They melted down gaming history wtf?

[@sebastianriz4703]

still one of the best AVGN rants and one of the saddest moments of videogame history. One of the best episodes James has ever did.

[@supersaiyanzero386]

You got a soul. Props

[@adamuzumaki98]

Actually, the another of Hydlide is Super Hydlide and Virtual Hydlide for Sega Genesis and Sega Saturn, they already did last year.

[@adamuzumaki98]

@@neashton1904 I know. Pretty sad, really.

[@adamuzumaki98]

@@neashton1904 You already said it once.

[@kyletingey9996]

Done

[@gamestation2690]

This could be a great premise for a second AVGN movie.

[@AnnkkoR]

that is really good idea !

[@MrLuciusrm]

I thought the same

[@SMLEFGFJB]

Great idea! Pay attention, Nerd. Do this.

[@hahhuli]

GameStation3 awesome idea "AVGN: The raiders of the lost treasures" with some Indiana Jones theme, of course :D

[@Slayer-Wulf]

Same here

[@Jaceblue04]

It's kind of surreal to see an AVGN episode that doesn't end with him either breaking something or screaming in rage. But, at the same time, it's nice to see something like this end on a positive note.

[@shanefleming9104]

Jaceblue04 um, spoiler alert?

[@shanefleming9104]

Matthew Weber Touché

[@beenardbruh9605]

Billionfold world your just mad cause their right

[@alecosound8902]

finding the prizes could be the plot to the next AVGN movie

[@MagicMaster667]

I'm *full* in support of this.

[@GilbertoTrain]

Man, *that* would be awesome! :D

[@MikoMango23]

Send this To James Quick!

[@masonpelzer8052]

We need to send avgn lots and lots of emails

[@Marten77]

I read somewhere that the prizes were not part of the sale of the company. The items were given to another company, who melted them down. Whether this is real or not, it is a very sad theory. :(

[@hectorgarcia8637]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the epic, orchestral version of AVGN's theme song in this episode?

[@ArvelDreth]

The music in this in general is really excellent and I wish I could get KZbin links to them.

[@TeamLegacyFTW]

The singer is horrible, I hate the intro song. But that light instrumental in the background was nice👌

[@unknownwill4th549]

@@TeamLegacyFTW ratio

[@TeamLegacyFTW]

@@unknownwill4th549 wdym

[@Meleedroit]

@@TeamLegacyFTW it means your opinion was dumb, and therefore somebody had a better like ratio than you

[@MariotheAnimator]

This contest would've been amazing... but everything changed when Fireworld was released Swordquest, the last AirWorld cartridge

[@CodySweeso]

Good one, you deserve a beer.

[@dr.acoustic1463]

You just made my day

[@danielbadbutt88]

huge boobs

[@godzillavkk]

But no OP mary sue Air wielder came. But I'd love to see these games be remade for modern consoles.

[@jojostarripple9915]

Mario Imagine if they did this with Skyrim. It would've been a wonderful adventure or quest.

[@twhdrummer1311]

I think this is the only AVGN video where he doesn't say fuck.

[@Omar_E11]

+TwhDrummer13 Truly a very rare occasion.

[@pastelcastiel1481]

This day is now a holiday

[@jonplaud]

+TEAM ALPACASTAN sly fox ^_^

[@superpan218]

+TwhDrummer13 What about Michael Jackson's Moonwalker?

[@Omar_E11]

Aaron Velez Nah pretty sure he threw some F bombs in that episode.

[@Illusionaire1]

This is one of my favorite episodes of the nerd, actually, its one of my favorite video productions ever... I remember watching it when it was released and felt really happy about it, there is something magical about this episode, the collection of items, the contest...

[@dann6065]

But in the end as gamers.... we get FUCKED again

[@craigdavidson5613]

Airworld is being completed for Atari's 50th Anniversary Anthology. Spread the word!

[@toxicpersonalityincorporat3137]

Airworld is coming and it feels like the most important thing in gaming history that not enough people will be talking about.

[@cleongivergies1056]

says who

[@noir66146]

thot u were joking... but naw. says online the ps5 and xbox and PC are getting the attari anniversary game, which is going to include airworld.... come winter 2022

[@nicksterwixter]

Came here to say this. AVGN needs to play it!

[@robstoppablecosplay]

@@nicksterwixter The Nerd must be told.

[@JustinEvitable80]

$150,000 in 1982 is $375,276.68 these days.

[@protoman1365]

JustinEvitable80 plus that was the value for the materials alone, I'm sure the fact that they are exclusive collectors items make them even more expensive than that

[@bigjoe980sgamecorner]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wanted them though.. A pawn shop or a jewelry store for the gold. at best

[@thesphericalguy9018]

Are you kidding? The world is filled with collectors with too much money on their hands

[@thomaspleacher2735]

Yeah, I think a collector would pay through the nose for these.

[@DlcEnergy]

"The point is those games are a part of Nintendo and video game history. They're a part of our culture! Those games represent the point where Nintendo dominated our society!" ~NES Punk (just nintendo switch that to atari) ;)

[@Dill_Pickle1997]

They don't make clever contests like this anymore

[@RideMyLighting]

The Internet would Fuck it all up

[@TheRyoBakura]

+RideMyLighting True. With how easy it is to communicate with others nowadays, the amount of effort and difficulty it would take to make a contest of this magnitude without it just being some random lottery would be astronomical.

[@sarysa]

+RideMyLighting To make things worse, reverse engineering is a lot easier these days. Case in point: Binding of Isaac's "The Lost" secret, spoiled within days due to reverse engineering.

[@skootz524]

there is only the slimmest of slim chances of it happening.

[@1StIwY1]

It would be possible, but contest have to be very hard. Just look at Cicada 3301 riddles.

[@Teebs1996]

Its always nice to see Rolfe not always be, like, verbally shitting on something while still being informative and in character.

[@PaleHorseShabuShabu]

I agree!

[@godzillavkk]

I actually prefer positive reviews instead of negative ones.

[@emily12902]

same here

[@Nikku4211]

How about literally shitting on something.

[@michaelhall736]

@@SpaceGhost999 You ain't gotta be that way. They were just saying this type of video is cool, too. So don't use the no true Scotsman fallacy.

[@gerardootero1149]

I don’t think there will ever be a game more ambitious than SwordQuest.

[@JugSoda]

Idk if people still care, but the last two prizes were sent back to franklin mint, the company that loaned atari the prizes. When atari was sold, the prizes were not part of the deal, and were sent back to Franklin mint and recycled into other items. So rip swordquest forever

[@Morgil27]

TheDistraughtJuggernaut Does that include the sword?

[@theaveragehuman378]

Looks like it,sad ending.

[@MrStickman1997]

TheDistraughtJuggernaut Seems like the chalice is the only surviving prize in history, the winner stored it in a bank vault. The talisman was wasted by being melted for college money...

[@reflexindex267]

He kept the sword part of the talisman.

[@MasterFloody]

Franklin Mint must have a very high repair skill

[@Aenygma_]

My favorite AVGN episode. The amount of research and dropped knowledge in it is staggering. At the time I had no idea Atari were so gigantic, it blew my mind.

[@gasmaskhero9300]

+LordAztahoth They were one of the founding fathers of console gaming and have never made a console since.

[@Alaska1925]

+Fuzzy Whale Games Never made another *great* console. They did make other consoles, but the Atari 2600 was the best one of them all.

[@gasmaskhero9300]

Alaska1925 Yea for sure.

[@andykishore]

Agreed.

[@billsandiego3385]

Atari was the largest gaming Empire of the 70s. They were bigger than Playstation or Xbox are nowadays.

[@AveMcree]

actually a great concept for a video game

[@bestintheworld0624]

Ave Mcree Unfortunately it wouldn't work today, people could just open up the game files and find all the clues without even having to play the game.

[@augustofretes]

Of course not, you could process all the answers server-side.

[@IsmailofeRegime]

The problem is that gaming today is so ubiquitous, that instead of over 50 players finding the clues in WaterWorld, it'd be more like 50,000 (especially when you're offering gold, diamond, jade and ruby items as prizes.) As soon as some guy posts the clues on the Internet, it'll be all over.

[@RealRuler2112]

I'm pretty sure that the clues could be done in such a way as to be obscure enough that most people wouldn't be able to figure them out. 'The Secret' is a book published in the early 80s with clues to buried treasure and most of those are still up for grabs to whoever is smart enough to figure out the puzzles.

[@deathmetalmachine]

They should remake this whole series in this generation it would be bad ass

[@AgentTexes]

"It belongs in the hands of gamers!" - Nerd-iana Jones 2011

[@AwesomeGamer-om4hm]

This episode was 2010.

[@darth_arconan777]

This is the AVGN's cleanest video and most informintave

[@femboiuwu]

@Johan Hansén xDDDDDD

[@batcat2338]

،

[@BrunoSousa-17]

Informitave?

[@ghost.8836]

@@BrunoSousa-17 No, informintave.

[@Gyrbae]

@@BrunoSousa-17 Informintave, a culmination of minty fresh information.

[@ClassySaia]

I love how AVGN teaches video game history.

[@ryangeoghagan3076]

Most of my gaming history knowledge comes from him.

[@ryangeoghagan3076]

Cool. Thanks.

[@purrbox7514]

Me too, I've learnt so much about my gaming past by watching nerd videos. Obviously all we had back then were magazines and playground rumours most of which turned out to be false!

[@rylanbrooks8516]

I did the calculations. Today, the Talisman, chalice, crown, and philosopher's stone would be worth $61,427.72 each. The sword would be worth $122,855.44. Altogether, that's $368,566.32 in prizes!

[@MarioWendorf]

Dang

[@gasmaskhero9300]

+Rylan Brooks Just imagine if they remade the series now days just for the sake of making a fantasy game.

[@gasmaskhero9300]

LadyGaGa is hot I'm surprised atari is still around.

[@blintonhack4029]

+Fuzzy Whale Games it isny

[@gasmaskhero9300]

Sam Lenny I'm fully aware of that fact.

[@jeremyanderson1139]

I really would love to see an AVGN episode where the Nerd plays SwordQuest AirWorld on the Atari 50th Anniversary Collection

[@FletcherReedsRandomness]

Long ago, the four Atari games lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fireworld attacked. Also, this was the original Waterworld.

[@Hi_Just_Fred]

Only the last of the four games, Airworld, could stop it. But when the world needed it most, it vanished.

[@justintime2461]

My own twist: Because it though it wasn't needed anymore. Sorry. I don't watch that show. 😅

[@AwesomeGamer-om4hm]

*About the attacker, what about ET instead?

[@godzillavkk]

@@justintime2461 And good for you. It's overrated.

[@heinzdoofenshmirtz8643]

@@godzillavkk *You're* overrated.

[@willramen5009]

If the damn crash didn't happen, the contest would've been finished. The greatest gamers of the World games would've earned these prizes. The sword, the philosphosers stone, the fucking crown, damn. What a dream.

[@bjwill9047]

I know this is an old comment but imagine it the glory of having that sword who gonna beat that in show-an-tell wow you brought your dog well I brought this golden sword of awesomeness and that crown would be awesome to

[@videogameguy101]

If the crash didn’t happen, the NES and Super Mario would have never made the same impact they did. Atari would still be the face of gaming (or someone else could have taken the throne) and they’d be the most profitable and largest corporation in gaming. The face of gaming itself could have been Pac-Man or Pitfall Harry

[@xbon1]

Swordquest air dropped on atari 2600 not too long ago bro, what crash?

[@exxinferis24]

that last speach... right in the feels

[@vii2773]

The kingdom of Nerd... Where can I find it?

[@blind_surgeon]

Speech*

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Update: After ALL these years, AirWorld will FINALLY be released as part of Atari 50 for the Nintendo Switch, PS5, XBOX One, and PC.

[@nicholaslienandjaja1815]

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the real treasures, as I think they are lost forever.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

@@nicholaslienandjaja1815 The 3 treasures that were part of the cancelled contests remained with Atari. Jack Tramiel left Commdore and bought Atari in 1984. It's been confirmed that they were seen in his living room. He died in 2012, so their whereabouts today are unknown but it's highly unlikely they were destroyed.

[@andreaslima2213]

​@@StormsparkPegasusHate to break it to you, but the treasures were confirmed to have been melted down for money...I'm not kidding.

[@jcee1882]

The treasures were returned to Franklin Mint, and unfortunately were melted down for money. The chalice is the sole surviving treasure from the contest.

[@crazyjamie7106]

what i saw: sword quest episode. what i expect: the nerd making fun of it. what i got: tears from the game's sad history

[@steveharvey2102]

It's definitely one of his best episodes. You can hear the passion in his voice!

[@lrc3847]

@@steveharvey2102 I am not sure if is his best episode.

[@PapaRoboto]

If there's a video game museum somewhere, the artifacts must make thier way there...

[@someweeb3650]

+balthazar werner make a replica out of the wallet of the asshole who melted it

[@steveasat2]

+LyndisLegion If I recall correctly, the last time Germany tried to round up artifacts, a guy's face melted off.

[@Ariakus88]

+steveasat2 xD

[@UBTVNN]

+Rougamaru LOL! I hate to disappoint all of you but nobody is ever gonna find them let alone win them or place them on display in a museum. Why? Remember at the end of the episode where AVGN said 'Somebody's gotta find out" then he gives his nerd speech? Well, I'm that somebody. I assume I'm the only known person alive that has the answer.

[@TrollBreaker]

+DeathBlasterX I've heard about a museum holding one of those old ET Atari games.

[@PuppetMasterIX]

Aside from (technically) Swordquest: Airworld in Atari 50, the closest modern equivalent to this game I can think of is TUNIC. Despite it appearing like a straightforward Zelda-like initially, it has pages of a virtual manual as a key collectible; despite being written mostly in a different written language, you use whatever illustrations or sparse pieces of pure English that exist in the pages to learn the game's mechanics and solve puzzles. I won't risk going into any further detail, but it's easily one of my top favorite games of this year.

[@Julian-hw7eg]

Fun fact, James has said he’s thought of doing a sequel to the AVGN movie that would be about his hunt for the remaining treasures

[@Gen-X-Memories]

That would be cool.

[@n64gamefan]

@@Gen-X-Memories Especially now that we have airworld in the atari collection

[@AzureRoxe]

Some people actually did check some of these things: The talisman was melted for money by the winner, Stephen Bell, although he apparently stayed with the tiny sword it came with, which was made of white gold. The cup is still in the winner's, Michael Rideout, possessions. The crown WAS given to the winner of a very secret and quiet event, since apparently they NEEDED to do the competition by law [since the game was sold with the promise of getting a prize of you got the answers right]. Both the Philosopher Stone and the Sword were apparently destroyed by Franklin Mint since they were the ones that had them and, obviously, they had no need of them.

[@daspoboy2781]

RIP: every prize except for the chalice (and possibly the crown)

[@litigioussociety4249]

If they had held on to them, then they probably could have auctioned them off for ten times their value ten to twenty years later. If they had waited until Nintendo was released, then they would have realized how big the gaming industry would become again.

[@DrBigt]

Destroyed? *Why?* How nilhistic do you have to be to destroy a 50K$ silver sword with real diamonds on it?

[@djzigg3284]

It's the Franklin Mint. They probably just melted them back down and used the material to make more coins.

[@MAFDOMiNUS]

AzureRoxe Thug penguin your are my hero

[@alesin1992]

This should be the second film in the AVGN trilogy. Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Angry Video Game Nerd 2: SwordQuest Angry Video Game Nerd 3: ???

[@Elvis-Pelvis03]

AVGN 3: CastleVania.when Simon Belmont needs the Nerds Help to stop Dracula for good,The Nerd would go though adventures from CastleVania to CastleVania 4. He would have Armour, but It wouldn't be strong unless he has upgrades to it. From there, he goes from real life game to real life game. There would be stuff from the 4 games, and yes even the box from CV 2 is in it, but not all the time. At end he would Fight Dracula and go back to Earth, and He would Have the Armour he had from the CV games. That's all I have for now

[@MrFoolD]

This should of been the story for the avgn movie anything would of been better he had a huge opportunity to make an epic movie but unfortunately that did not happen

[@NBKVamp]

***** False. I liked it and many other people did too

[@BeautifulGarageband]

Angry Video Game Nerd: Resurection

[@polokus_]

Angry Video Game Nerd 4 : Profit

[@walkingonneedles]

He should make a second movie after the first one is finished that revolves around the SwordQuest competition and to continue it where he wins AirWorld and eventually wins against them all and gets all the treasures.

[@darthlobster]

That would be a really good movie idea! I hope he does that one day!

[@1Sandwitch1]

I agree I think that'd be epic. But that is assuming his first film does well enough. I'd love for him to make his films into a trilogy....

[@HolyRealm]

Yea! It could be like where he is on the search for John Tremel and the Sword quest AirWorld cart. That would be so boss and epic!!! ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

[@timlaffin6758]

L1NK64x *Jack* Tramiel is dead so id think the prizes(if he really had them) would be given to his 3 children or his many grand children, but if they were labelled as company assets then they would have been sold off back when Atari got bought.

[@TheAndkonmegalodon]

Considering the E.T. carts were actually found, his movie might not sell as well. Although I think it will, well because... It's the fucking Nerd!

[@skylined5534]

*"THESE SWORDQUEST PIECES BELONG IN A MUSEUM!"*

[@anonymousanon1535]

"SO DO YOU!"

[@TheWriterNW]

"Fortune and glory, kid..."

[@gustideandra5924]

"Damn, that was a good game. Gee whiz I sure love that game. "

[@jacobc8036]

Gusti Deandra -IGN

[@Teag_Brohman15]

the graphics are so lifelike

[@yarpen26]

Really anticlimactic way to wrap up a contest like this. The guy who won the chalice probably never thought he deserved it as much as the other guy.

[@TheLambdaTeam]

"Your WINNAR!" :D

[@OnBP]

AVGN the Movie 2: The Quest for AirQuest

[@LuxAeterna22878]

I'd so watch that!

[@УлицаДыбенко]

AirWorld!

[@Blueraffy]

OnBP airworld

[@Euroviking86]

AVGN2: Airworld has a nice ring to it. 'Cause then the Nerd can say it's better than Waterworld.

[@Smokingwrecker]

That would be an awesome sequel

[@snugasapugonarug]

The internet is the reason why this contest wouldn't work today.

[@coolkumla]

You know someone would just buy the game just to post clues/answers on the internet to fuck everybody else over if that was the case

[@dusk9534]

Well, I think it would, because why would you wanna help other people win a prize ? If you found the solution you'll want to keep it to yourself, and enter the contest.

[@WH250398]

true

[@NewtNewt117]

Unless you make the challenge bat shit insane and extremely difficult that and with the fact, of why you would give hints to real treasure away to others?

[@rodrigosebastianpagano8198]

Just because. There are all kind of people on the internet.

[@WinVisten]

Fun fact: this is the only AVGN episode that doesn't have a single swear word in it, excluding the intro.

[@dragonloli7938]

Ummm 6:50 ?

[@TheMightyThor83]

He says damn

[@g2ltt733]

Lmao everyone never noticed the "when the shit hit the fan"??

[@JonnyRoboto]

Lying sack o

[@iplaygames5997]

He says damn and shit

[@GreenNinjaTea]

3:10 Today each of those prizes would be $61,427.72 the sword would be worth $122,855.44

[@lordoftheminifigures8525]

So $368,566.32 .... Dang.

[@ToastyBrain]

+Lord of the Minifigures And those prizes were possibly melted down for scrap and sold by ATARI. Apparently the contest was cancelled.

[@KARTIKEYA007]

only one of the two prizes won was melted though

[@WiiMan25]

8:43 "You can't have earth, fire, and water without air!" Avatar: The Last Airbender got pretty damn close, though.

[@pve4.081]

The Last Airbender

[@Powdered__Donut]

Well What about the Legend of Korra? :)

[@StevesSammiches]

donuttheDoNAL01 We don't talk about that one.. jk jk... I like it, but understandably, a lot of TLA fans don't.

[@newkidatWCU]

MrWillarti actually I've only ever heard good things about the Legend of Korra. all the fans that I know say it's a superb series

[@StevesSammiches]

newkidatWCU If you check out the forums and fan sites, there is a sizeable divide in the community. A chunk of TLA fans don't enjoy the difference in story telling or even Korra as a character for that matter.

[@sideshowbob3402]

Meanwhile in 2016 : "Congratulations, you just won 200 microsoft points"..

[@DiamondProAlpine]

+Sideshow Bob That's all you get

[@EnforcerX71]

+Sideshow Bob Except that MS Points haven't existed for years now.

[@TheCosmicAce]

And then they force you to spend those points in shitty DLC.

[@thenwokofan4396]

Sideshow Bob You can't win Microsoft points, dumbass. Plus, those gift cards aren't expensive. You can get $5 and $10 gift cards online.

[@Brandonator365]

TheNWOKOFan Hello? You ever seen the Microsoft Points you get for browsing on Bing?

[@borediideath6526]

If there was a contest like this now-a-days, the internet would crack it in a matter of hours...AT MOST.

[@wchan39]

Annnnnnd...that's probably why they'll never revive this contest nowadays.

[@ourchh]

wchan39 they can’t

[@ARCtheCartoonMaster]

Eh, not necessarily. I mean, if you're competing in the contest, why would you willingly give the information to other contestants?

[@Super_Suchi]

@@ARCtheCartoonMaster you underestimate the power of trolls who want to ruin everything for everyone

[@scottmccurdy6493]

@@Super_Suchi Sadly, you're right. Even when they could win a valuable prize themselves, there are plenty of people out there in this day and age who would rather ruin the fun and joy of others. It would be impossible to do anything like this these days. Tragic.

[@NBKVamp]

NEXT AVGN MOVIE: AVGN 2: The quest for the Sword, Stone, and Crown

[@cactusben731]

Avgn 2967328607329867329867329863276982769827698432769876982762986729867298673: I think we should stop looking for it

[@christopherschuch5328]

shaun4225 & the main villian is Fred Fucks.

[@crazycomicguy5063]

shaun4225 that's not a bad idea, that actually sounds like a good idea far a avgn movie

[@NBKVamp]

CrazyComicGuy 64 Hell yeah man.....now if only James would actually go with making another movie....

[@odindank5934]

That end brought me to tears..

[@MSP106]

I'm sure someone has already talked about this, but OH MY GOD THE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC OF HIS THEME SONG AT 5:00 IS AMAZING

[@SuperBustyEva]

It would've been awesome if this was completed. I agree with James, the contest must go on and be filmed live.

[@Strict_Metaphysics]

The game has been made! Idk about the contest (the Internet would make it impossible because of ready access to the clues, alas), but they finally released SwordQuest AirWorld!

[@MagnusPrimeZ]

from wikipedia: Years after the contest, the remaining three prizes (the crown, philosopher's stone, and sword) were assumed to have been in the possession of Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore International, who purchased the remnants of Atari after the video game crash and his ouster from Commodore.[3] However, Atari historian Curt Vendel has stated that the remaining prizes, which were owned by The Franklin Mint and on loan to Atari, Inc. for the Swordquest contests, were not part of the sale of Atari's consumer division to Tramiel, and ownership of the remaining prizes reverted to The Franklin Mint, *who melted them down to be used for other items*.[4]

[@axelfoley1406]

Interesting... So I guess there's the answer.

[@kaidelalobamadrid]

While the philosophers stone and the sword were sent back to the Franklin Mint to be melted down and used in other objects, one item wasn't; the Crown. There was a some loophole in the loaning contract and the crown was exempt from it. The crown wasn't sent back to the Franklin Mint. It's still possible that it has survived all these years. There is some form of evidence that the crown may have been taken home by an Atari board member and might still be in a box in someone's garage somewhere in Silicon Valley. Or at least somewhere in Cupertino, Ca. The quest can still be finished. Someone just has to look for it.

[@RikkiSan1]

@@kaidelalobamadrid Can you cite where you found this out?

[@fredfuchs1662]

Dang that’s some interesting information. I’m from Silicon Valley gonna have to find that thing😩

[@zanewoollett6877]

That's really disappointing

[@ImmortalfireTheMod]

Some additional research by me shows that once Atari ended the contest, and was bought by Tramiel, the sword and philosophers stone were returned to the Franklin Mint, who supposedly destroyed them at some point. The crown was awarded in secret to someone who has never been revealed.

[@58jharris]

The crown was awarded in secret? That sounds highly suspect to me. Why would they do that?

[@apcreed]

Because of 'additional research' by him! That's 100% fact right there.

[@SoldierOfFate]

That crown has to be located in the name of Nerd-dom.

[@101Volts]

Do you have a link to this information?

[@whoopingmuffin9700]

because they legally had to do it as advertising for the game says you could win the crown

[@spearmintpony7105]

AVGN The MOVIE 2: Quest for the Sword

[@wildefice1]

+Spearmint Pony make this a thing !!!!

[@svcghost]

Most underrated unexposed comment to ever exist

[@divineswine9805]

+svcghost true

[@ricoseefeldt7195]

+Spearmint Pony i aint takin shit from no bronys sorry bud

[@KirbyMario12345_939]

+speedygamer uzuchiha ...idiot

[@zachhaywood1564]

This episode is the best example of just how much research James really does for these videos.

[@lunarnocturne]

I shed a tear at the ending speech.

[@Z95HeadHunter]

James Flanagan guess what? he mentioned the crash of 83, it caused Atari financial issues that completely destroyed the contest, I can't believe he didn't mention the prime cause of all that: E.T's stupidly epic fail. he's pissed as shit at that game as is, I can't believe he didn't mention that here, then again he's probably aware, and it must be eating him up inside. honestly this all sounds like an amazing story though. I thought Nintendo had an epic legacy (for saving the industry and stuff)

[@lunarnocturne]

Zelly64 It totally slipped my mind that he didn't mention E.T's hand in the video game crash in this video.

[@Z95HeadHunter]

he purposely avoids it lol, remember the Spielberg episode?

[@lunarnocturne]

chris parrish​ The reason why I shed a tear at the ending speech is because it's so well-written and relatable. Half of the people we know will say that we're nerds wasting our time on video games. Although I never lived through the 70s, I could tell that these "nerds" were on a quest to gain real treasure, and wouldn't stop no matter what. 

[@ievimonkey]

+Zelly64 E.T barely contributed to the video game crash of 83. it's just a myth. The main reason why the crash started was because companies were trying to take advantage of the video game market so they were making so many different consoles that it alienated gamers

[@idnyftw]

this could be the plot of an AVGN Movie sequel

[@SuperKamiGuru-i3c]

If he could actually locate and acquire them.

[@mystorule1299]

arkayen666123 he could just make props

[@SuperKamiGuru-i3c]

Linkvsmysto That's true, but I think he has the money, means, and possibly notoriety to maybe locate the real ones. If they still belong to the same family at least.

[@SuperKamiGuru-i3c]

Linkvsmysto Or even shoot a road documentary about trying to locate them. His own Swordquest.

[@idnyftw]

***** you know, I don't mind watching a videogame-centric travel show right now, and I think AVGN can pull that off

[@ObviousTrollFrom2007]

I hope you've heard the news. After over 40 years, Swordquest Airworld is finally being released as a new game in Atari's upcoming 50th anniversary collection.

[@IonicHyperspace]

Swordquest AirWorld is now going to come out as part of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

[@jhutto1984]

Crazy that the 4th game Airworld finally gets released in a 50th anniversary game collection, makes you wonder where those treasures eventually ended up.

[@omegaspanish0404]

This is still one of my fav AVGN episode, hearing you talking about that contest that was held long time ago is just awesome, wish that the gaming community would do something like that again.

[@BeeBN]

It's strange to see AVGN not so angry and is genuinely engaged

[@bruvafusion2943]

He is angry though, just _about_ a game and not at the game itself.

[@TheCrazierz]

I think this is my favorite episode. Just the knowledge that this existed excites me. I wish we had stuff like this in modern gaming.

[@StarlightPrism]

If I ran a big game company, I'd TOTALLY do this kind of thing as a promotion. The publicity would probably help save money on advertising, since no other company has done this sort of thing since Atari, and there would be the SwordQuest nostalgia and comparisons. People might see it as an attempt to finish what was started, and what gamer wouldn't try to beat the game for such cool prizes?

[@AluVixapede]

... That's true! I'm sure companies spend millions on just conventional advertising alone. Even if it was just three items, a sword, crown and whatever, people would like that.

[@argottobob]

It is too bad that there is no need for big publishers to do this considering people keep buying the same re-released crap every year with minor improvements.

[@themojogamer75]

I always get the stupidest smile at the Nerd's ending speech.

[@zombieranma2263]

Let's sit in an empty room with two chairs facing each other and do the silly smile at each other.

[@SchizoFrog3]

Mojo Kor me too

[@hedgehatchet3578]

Waiting for The Angry Video Game Nerd Movie 2: the Hunt For the Sword

[@spartanMN300]

+Sans Gaster or AVGN 2: Swordquest

[@pulsingthunder2145]

That needs to happen!

[@jediking12]

James Rolfe and the Philosopher's Stone

[@WaywardSister92]

I agree! NERD make the movie, man!

[@supahsta2]

fuck yes! AVGN: The movie 2

[@the_sane_and_logical_hooligan]

Just to chime in 13 years later. The team at Digital Eclipse finished “Airworld” and it’s included on the Atari 50 collection coming out shortly.

[@HubPie3]

Fun Fact: The Nerd doesn't say "fuck" in this episode.

[@rattis]

Even the nerd cannot bring himself to curse when discussing things this noble.

[@PapunaOfficial]

+Sh0tgunJust1ce mario 3

[@wwemario12345]

Hub Pie he swore once in the whole thing. He said shit

[@sayr8843]

Explains the like-dislike ratio ^^

[@isobutyl]

Hub Pie impossible

[@deadlynicky]

The second AVGN Movie.The Search for the Sword! Or something else.

[@GDWUBZ]

that would be awesome

[@DynamoStudios2023]

Jaden Vincent I know right

[@YK-tr5ti]

This is the best idea ever

[@Jake_Lake]

That's actually a really good idea. I hope he at least reads your comment.

[@Weaponstar]

National Nerd Treasure

[@IrishKeshiHead]

We should get a kickstarter to reboot the franchise and make a big contest.

[@Bauglir100]

Liam Davis A contest would only work if it was a traditional video game tournament. The Internet would tear THIS kind of contest to pieces in a matter of days.

[@Bauglir100]

***** Unfortunately, there ARE a lot of people that are dipshits, even to themselves. And the Internet isn't called the Information Superhighway for nothing. Sooner or later, everything's going to be categorized or leaked somewhere online.

[@IrishKeshiHead]

UndeadCookieMonster That can be likely. However I would actually have the idea of using cyphers as the way to crack the codes.

[@glaciere-sama3529]

That would be awesome!

[@markbotelho1257]

Liam Davis You're right. I personally liked the whole idea of the Sword Quest series. Someone should at least make an Airworld homebrew with a storyline in the booklet and make it more of an adventure game then a puzzle platformer. It could actually be a fun adventure game minus the comic book. The series deserves to be completed.

[@themissingbracket]

1982: we pay for the players 2020: we suck the pockets of the players

[@ProDEEDS]

This is easily one of my favourite AVGN videos.

[@DunpeilDueliest69]

Same here, this is definitely one of my favourite episodes of the AVGN. 😊

[@jediking12]

The Sword, Crown and Philosopher Stone sounds like a plot to a Harry Potter book.... Coming think about it all three of them are in Harry Potter.

[@trueloveis4u]

true ravenclaws diadem, griffindors sword, and well obviously the stone and a chasit and kind of like a goblet

[@irregular1430]

jediking12 *EXTREMELY* slow clap

[@MrPandarilla]

I was thinking full metal alchemist "we gotta get this news to the Elrick brothers"

[@tackthewise6421]

Also in Fullmetal Alchemist

[@filmosophy5857]

What about Huffelpuff’s Chalice? Wasn’t that a thing? Like one of the possible horcruxes

[@joekoe97]

Very different AVGN episode, but still a very good one. He chose to change it up and make an informative video of an epic period in video gaming history that is pretty interesting.

[@evenios2831]

this would make a great movie. tracking down the remaining treasures.

[@Brainhorn]

Would be more interesting than the real story. Which is they were likely melted down into their base components.

[@MisterBoners]

This actually should have been the plot for the AVGN movie. XD

[@vixeneltsnpr4350]

Sequel?

[@wren9713]

MisterBoners There's a movie?

[@Dave_thenerd]

Quintin Folmar Fuck yes, haven't you seen the trailer? It's about the quest to find the E.T. Games buried in the New Mexico Desert !

[@JoshuaChamberlayne]

MisterBoners Let it be known to James Rolfe. I bet he would like it!

[@MrRatchet12661]

Yeah xD

[@silverflight01]

Air World finally came out recently, though it's been rumored that the remaining two regular treasures have been smelted.

[@enkerzan3755]

Why can't we have gaming tournaments with prizes like that in this day and age? -.-

[@enkerzan3755]

Companies should be more focused on their customer/gamer/fan satisfaction, not their own lining of their pockets. In my opinion of course.

[@Gamingpandacat]

Enker Zan Because social media would implode on itself and millions of people would gather, not to mention there has to be noscoping involved or mlg won't sponsor,

[@tyhite100]

Oh us gaming companies would have to put in one millionth of our profits into it and thats way too much!

[@Ch4pp13]

Well, even if we did have that kind of tournament, most of the teams would be asian (sorry if it's racist). Idk if you have noticed, but from what i can see, most of the finals in the esport tournaments is either korean or japanese or something like that, rarely american.

[@enkerzan3755]

punch3870 Do it specific to all countries to avoid that.

[@Deadpool_64]

2 weeks ago it was announced that in the Atari 50th Anniversary collection, THEY COMPLETED AIRWORLD AND IT’LL BE INCLUDED!! That’s exciting news after watching this video.

[@mescatraz34]

A current gen update of these games would be pretty neat. If they had the graphics to match the mythological themes we could get some pretty astounding visuals.

[@Green815]

The talisman was melted down and the sword, crown and philosopher's stone were returned to the people that made it. It is likely that they were melted down shortly afterwards.

[@witherblaze]

Yes. The chalice is the only one that is alive.

[@Pimpeaux]

+TheBreezyTrousers Any sources to back that up?

[@TheSSSdriver]

Oh what the crap, I didn't get all these links when I commented. Thanks anyway!

[@witherblaze]

Thanks. You can help if you can

[@kerenton5897]

+TheBreezyTrousers what

[@brass_fox]

"Then you're actually steering knives into a... *Turkey club sandwich*..." That means using your imagination xD

[@ruizhu5794]

Thanks to you guys for making these great videos. I found this site from a Chinese game player and blogger named "Ao". He was inspired by you and cited your work in his newest video about SwordQuest. He also tried to duplicate the "non-exist" Airworld by programming it on Batari Basic language. Although the official aireworld may never be released, but Ao is now calling players and programmers for help to create their own Airworld, maybe players can work together to make an happy end to this adventure.

[@SEVENTEENCINEMA]

The prizes were on loan from The Franklin Mint (a company that makes coins, jewelry, etc.) and made for the contest. They were on loan, so since Atari couldn't pay for them anymore, the remaining prizes were returned to the mint after the company was sold. They were melted down or use in future products. Poor Jack Tramiel. He was a great man, and many people assumed he was maliciously keeping the prizes for himself all the way until his death.

[@Trollioli]

Shame that a contest like this would never work these days. The internet would kill this contest in less than an hour.

[@joseagustincuesta]

Trollioli Then maybe design it so that working with other people would be counterproductive, or worthless. I don't know, it was just an idea anyway, it's not like I gave it a lot of though.

[@Trollioli]

José Cuesta Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to shit on your ideas. I also wish a contest like this would come back. I think it would be awesome.

[@joseagustincuesta]

Trollioli I know, don't worry about it. It's just that I am either incredibly hopeful or incredibly stubborn by having thr idea that this might work out if someone puts enough effort into it.

[@joseagustincuesta]

SSJ30 More like fuck the people who use the Internet, the poor thing didn't do anything wrong.

[@Haakenstad91]

Trollioli Not necessarily. Just look at Cicada 3301 etc..

[@kbitevonbite5107]

in my opinion this is the most touching and solemn AVGN episode ever

[@nintendozilla9843]

SwordQuest: Airworld is finally becoming a reality and will be part of the Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection!

[@WickedJ133]

Unfortunately, the talisman was melted down. The guy who won the chalice still has it in a bank vault. The other three prizes are still a mystery. Jack Tramiel died in 2012 who was the only possible link. The world may never know.

[@finalbossfoxandcookie3331]

What? Why is it melted?

[@finalbossfoxandcookie3331]

Oh. Such a jerk.

[@RegentPie]

Melting down a one of a kind prize like the talisman is such a shame. Literally, one of a kind.

[@KisekiTim]

Final Boss Fox and Cookie I think it was because the original owner wanted to get some cash for it.

[@MrTurp420]

***** Sold for $15,000 not to bad but probably could of made 100k + these days.

[@MinoriGaming]

Fun fact: The Swordquest games are on a DS Atari collection... But they didn't include any digital or material comic books.

[@abcdefg98765]

So basicly Nintendo is just fucking people over again like in the days of the NES

[@subzerotheiceninga8254]

They are on Atari 80 in 1 and Atari Vault as well.

[@oohplah]

+EU 〉 NA 4Head what

[@Akechi_The_Phantom_Detective]

Probably a really good way to play them. I believe one of the games is available on the PSP atari collection as well.

[@AsgneonthebesT]

Lmao what a fail

[@omerozel4716]

AVGN The Movie AVGN The Movie 2: New York 2017 AVGN The Movie 3: Sword Quest

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

7:24 ...Well not so anymore (Sort of) because it was released as part of Atari 50th anniversary collection.

[@pedrofromrio645]

Air world or water world?

[@jackbandit2114]

Was this contest for real? They really gave away gold and precious gems? That's crazy, they should do shit like that today. Imagine the competition they could make with modern consoles and/or computers. People generally dump everything they find onto the internet, but if there was prizes attached? I wonder how that would go down.

[@raidersoto7755]

Yea I remember hearing about it when I was just 7 years old it sounded awsome

[@jonathanbutler7337]

Jack Bandit most likely a riot would break out or someone would steal the prize.

[@beadyb.1781]

Jack Bandit well today no one wants an awesome sword or a sleek philosophers stone. There all brainwashed for CASH! CASH ONLY! what a dark time we live in.

[@TrainerTakumi]

Jack Bandit there are huge prizes for League of Legends, CS:GO, and other games...

[@70swords]

They kinda do. Nothing this epic or complex though. National gaming events give away huge amounts of cash, computer tech, and other prizes globally every year. But I agree, we need more cryptic treasure hunts for crazy prizes, like a platinum batarang worth 20k that you can only win if you piece together a secret message found within the latest Arkham game.

[@synergy021]

Geeze I played this on my Atari 2600 in the early 80's and had no idea wtf I was doing.

[@loganfravel204]

Air world is in the atari 50th anniversary collection,the balance of the cosmos has been restored. 😂👏👍

[@ABlankAndrew]

I remember watching this video when it came out about 9-10 years ago, I must have been 14 or 15, it filled me with wonder and I thought it was so cool to learn about this old school gaming event. This is prime AVGN.

[@matthewlouwrier9973]

"Damn thats a good game! Gee wiz i sure loved that game!" gets me every time :)

[@matthewpilgrim9610]

This really is the finest AVGN video. I return to it often, it's just so well made. It really feels like James is discussing a legend from the mythical past.

[@conorburke1999]

The internet would completely ruin a game like this these days

[@yarpen26]

The puzzles would have to be extremely convoluted and as a result very few people would even attempt.

[@superiornicholas412]

Personalizes every copy

[@conorburke1999]

​@@MedicMain9 That's not a game or the same type of puzzle.

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

@@MedicMain9 Thats not a woosh moment...

[@Fermion.]

@@superiornicholas412 A continuous server-side hash check cross referenced the player's OSI layers 2 and 3, along with procedurally generated maps might go a long way towards slowing down rampant collaboration.

[@Remedey49]

AVGN is a national treasure. This episode never gets old.