The Story of The Oregon Trail

In 1971, three student teachers in Minneapolis, MN created a little computer game about westward expansion in the United States. Over 50 years later, The Oregon Trail series has sold more than 65 million copies and has been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. But the original creators never made a penny off the game. Learn the story behind one of the most successful edutainment games of all time.
A special thank you to @minnmax for providing some footage for this documentary. Check out their documentary on Oregon Trail here: • Trailheads: The Oregon...
00:00 - Introduction
03:02 - OREGON
29:15 - MECC
42:39 - The Apple II
48:16 - A New OREGON
1:11:57 - Learning Could Be Fun
1:24:45 - End Credits
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#OregonTrail #Apple #GamingHistorian

[@GamingHistorian]

Thanks for your patience with this one! I hope it brings back lots of great memories.

[@KINduz3jp]

Thank you G.H for coming back to us with history and nostalgia!

[@MrWhatever085]

Great to have you back. I was getting worried

[@mTwJARhead]

Please continue to take your time. These videos are the best!

[@MentalLiberation]

Oh it definitely does. In all the right ways. Thanks for the continued, great work.

[@lelandunruh7896]

Who knew dying of dysentery could hold such nostalgic appeal? Thank you!

[@RobotacularRoBob]

This could almost be a Ken Burns documentary. Gaming Historian’s quality never disappoints and is always improving.

[@dsimpson530]

Gaming Historian has always taken a page from PBS documentaries. Even the ending of each video (except this one) is a nod to PBS's "viewers like you". Easily some of the best KZbinrs

[@GamingHistorian]

Thank you. Ken Burns is my idol!

[@rasputinslover]

Ken burns is spot on. The tone, the sensitivity, the care… @gaminghistorian you’re a gem

[@raymondfuller8177]

I just wanted to agree: the production quality of this video is absolutely top notch. The research and entertainment value are also excellent, but the production quality really stands out. Thank you Gaming Historian for your work.

[@excrono]

Get Peter Coyote onboard to narrate your next project and this could become a reality.

[@bredenis5]

"When you're an educator, you're encouraged to write and publish. Paul and Bill and I, when you get right down to it, we were teachers. We have the teacher mentality. And so to get rich off of this would have been nice, but not as important as having donated something to the world of education" -Don Rawitsch This really warmed my heart. My God, if this quote doesn't embody the true altruistic nature and spirit of an educator, I don't know what would. No one would blame these guys if they were bitter or restful for having their original game modified and sold for profit to the extent of making OTHERS rich, but these gentleman are not only magnanimous about that fact but they are just happy that their inspiration was able to teach millions across the world. Isn't that just truly beautiful? THAT, my friends, is a teacher.

[@tsriftsal3581]

Pretty sure the kids today would call this "cope".

[@agiar2000]

1:16:08

[@spiderplant]

Sorry, but this mentality was specifically manufactured by the slimy rich scumbags to more easily steal ideas and get rich off other peoples' work. This is like the badge of pride working 80 hours a week for 30 years for somebody else. These dudes should have absolutely gotten rich from their hard work, and been given the freedom to do whatever they liked, including have tons of resources to innovate and make tons of new games and ideas, instead of some corporate executives making hundreds of millions, then running it all into the ground.

[@ChristopherAndersonPirate]

@@tsriftsal3581 yeah it makes me sad that they never got any residuals or anything, but it was a different time back then.

[@anjetto1]

Almost like their attitude is a direct refutation of capitalism and its base arguments.

[@taylordunekacke5784]

I teach 5th grade social studies, and a few weeks ago, I showed my kids the game. I played it for them, and the kids cheered loudly when I shot a buffalo. The kids got hooked on the game. It's amazing a game so old can still get kids in 2024 excited about learning.

[@generalinbox3740]

Which version did you show them?

[@AKayfabe]

I feel like this game is timeless. It gets occasional updates on graphics and choices but it’s otherwise unchanged in its original concept

[@tsriftsal3581]

Pretty sure that would be considered pop tart with a bite taken out of it now. How dare you!

[@BrianJNelson]

There is a "new" version they revamped a year or two ago. It's not bad, but the original was top notch, for its day.

[@fleshtaffy]

Bullshit, and even if it's tue you'e a garbage teacher.

[@pass_]

fun fact: there are currently 349 games on the "list of video games considered the best" on Wikipedia and Oregon trail is the earliest

[@GamingHistorian]

You love to see it

[@QJ89]

It's still kinda hard to verify that kind of claim on Wikipedia. But considering how it's so popular in American schools, I'll accept it.

[@AndSaveAsManyAsYouCan]

Where does Chrono Trigger fall on that list? Zelda II The Adventure of Link?

[@johnnytimestamp8224]

@@AndSaveAsManyAsYouCan zelda 2? ewww

[@AndSaveAsManyAsYouCan]

@@johnnytimestamp8224 8th best selling NES game... most didn't say ewww...

[@BatmanBoss]

Massive respect to these educators for creating a game that reached so many lives!

[@GamingHistorian]

They were really great. I had a blast talking to them!

[@brettb205]

​@@GamingHistorian Thank you for taking the time to do this! Love getting to hear the story from the people themselves about the process of how it came to be. Blows my mind how people programmed games back in the day, and hearing it in the context of the board game and the other computer games they were experiencing at their college just goes to show how innovative these guys were. Never going to forget my childhood memories playing the MECC games with my brother. Still make random jokes with references to the Yukon Trail with him!

[@spungbopscarepans]

yep!

[@nph0]

When my school got Apple II’s they’d give each class a chunk of time on Fridays to do whatever we wanted on them. There was 25-30 of them in the “computer room” and you’d see Oregon trail on every single one. Thanks for introducing us to the people who made it happen. It’s so cool to learn that the game we loved as kids was created by caring teachers and not soulless software mills.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

'they’d give each class a chunk of time on Fridays to do whatever we wanted on them.' So the school allowed you to watch Pormhub?

[@andynfb1]

I was in elementary from 1996-2001 and it was still like that every Friday at my school.

[@DustyHoney]

I wish this kind of thing had survived until now because I know I would love that

[@keinlieb3818]

Yep, same in my elementary school in the 80s. Oregon trail and I remember another monster number eating game that taught math, but I can't remember the name.

[@joutoob9]

Same, we also had some kind of spirograph program called LOGO that was popular.

[@betterinsodapop]

My entire generation owes so much to the trio of Dillenberger, Heinemann, and Bouchard. I only wish this trio got more recognition for their massive contribution. Excellent and inspiring documentary.

[@jayesun3420]

Agreed

[@garapueto96]

There was never enough time in class to finish the game. One day, my friend and I shut off the monitor, but not the computer. Later that day, we both snuck out of class, went to the computer lab, and finished the game. We could finally say we beat Oregon Trail!

[@grantdeisig1360]

Our computer lab teacher would never give us any (or not enough) time to even play it, but it was what all my classmates would talk about. I think she was against gaming.

[@queerdor]

I remember having a class floppy disk to save my progress. Did you not get that?

[@timmyotoole7312]

Has dysentery...

[@OneRudeBoy]

@@timmyotoole7312💩💨 😭🤣💀

[@mariatelos]

If you were lucky, you found save files on the computer that were further ahead than you were. I used those to "beat" the game as a kid.

[@cgimovieman]

As someone with degrees in broadcasting who worked in television for 18 years, and I truly do mean this as a compliment, I can’t believe how well made your videos are. They must take you a very long time to produce, and sometimes I don’t know where you come up with the images, video, or most importantly the detailed information. But your images are always very clear, your audio levels solid, and your interviews well done. As a person who grew up throughout the 80’s and 90’s, and grew up with Apple computers at home and school in the 80’s, Oregon Trail is something that’s engrained in my memory. I think some people who weren’t alive in the 80’s or even 90’s, have things with the “You have died of dysentery.” meme, but never even experienced the game in its heyday. That game, along with the Carmen Sandiego games, I swear comprised about 75% of any of the educational games I played growing up. It’s wild looking back today how simplistic they were in their look and design, but they really did serve a useful educational purpose. It’s too bad some more local wholesome companies like MECC were gobbled up by much bigger corporations. But I’m glad some of their games either still exist today, or even if they don’t, we still remember them so fondly.

[@chrisd6287]

And Word/Number Munchers, and Spellevator! Thank you Apple II

[@thejananigans431]

Here here

[@whiterabbit1632]

bass too high

[@jays2551]

​@@whiterabbit1632 then lower the dose you're giving them. they're fuckin fish dude, it's not 1:1 with humans on their tolerance for thc

[@vermiform]

​@@whiterabbit1632understandable, have a nice day

[@jesseleesamples]

The 3 fellas that made the game seem like the sweetest and most genuinely kind old men imaginable. True selfless heroes in video game history that haven’t gotten enough recognition, but I think this amazingly well done video will do a lot to help with that now.

[@indyracingnut]

Just the fact Prince was part of the history of The Oregon Trail is in itself legendary...How cool was that??

[@JoJoTheOtter]

I’m about 20 minutes into this, and it’s giving real “teacher comes rolling into class with the TV and VCR” vibes. And I love it.

[@excrono]

Then sits at their desk and starts grading reports.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

The TV and VCR cart was called a COW (Cart On Wheels) 😂

[@JoJoTheOtter]

@@adventureoflinkmk2 Then Moooove it on in here.

[@FigureFarter]

@@adventureoflinkmk2So that's what COW stood for. I thought they just called it that because it sounded cool as a kid

[@zZiL341yRj736]

Substitute teacher days.

[@stratking86]

Hearing them talk about not caring about their lack of payment, basically because "That's what heroes do." Legit got me choked up a bit.

[@loldoctor]

In some ways this mindset is mandatory for public school teachers.

[@eaj626]

​@@loldoctorAs someone who worked briefly as a teacher, yes. You have to love the job, being selfless, and putting your students before yourself. Otherwise the stress and lack of pay will get to you. These guys seemed like they really cared, which is amazing to see.

[@budderk1305]

too bad teachers are not being lauded as many of the other 'heroes' of our society, no they are even looked down upon

[@DJReflect]

Same. Actual heroic mentality.

[@Trygon]

@@Wis_Dom Do you really think those guys chasing their bag would have helped more people then freely disseminating their work to millions of kids did?

[@kingnothing3523]

I did know that Oregon Trail was developed for use in the classroom. I *didn't* know that it was three student teachers crunching in a school building after hours because one said "I need a teaching tool for American westward expansion, and I need it in two weeks." That is damn impressive. These men are all a class act in both teaching and technology.

[@matthuckabey007]

These guys, Paul Dillenberger , and Bill Heinemann are a true American heroes releasing the code for public consumption. They deserves more recognition for sure. Gaming Historian deserves kudos as well for bringing people like this to light.

[@JohnRiggs]

Can I just note that every other documentarian would do this on Kickstarter, release the DVD and blu-ray, tour it at video game conventions... Gaming Historian does all the work and posts it on KZbin for free. Norm rules.

[@NealMohansMicroPenis]

They would also interview random popular content creators to be in it (even if those creators barely have any experience with the title) and then get them to shill the documentary on their channels.

[@boxerblake1]

He gets paid for it through ads & crowdfunding

[@tsriftsal3581]

​@@boxerblake1and satisfaction

[@csrjjsmp]

New to KZbin, huh? Welcome! Hope you enjoy the website!

[@JudeKane]

John Riggs attends retrogamecon regularly. Norm can too!

[@elfman72]

There are History Channel docs that don't even come close to the quality that you bring to us. Simply amazing.

[@AlwaysBolttheBird]

That’s because……..aliens

[@queenannsrevenge100]

@@AlwaysBolttheBird- yep, they’re too busy talking about swamp people and Nazi Gold 😂

[@Moldylocks]

That doesn't say much at all. It's like saying to your wife, "there is poo that don't even come close to the quality of your cooking". It sounds sarcastic, and almost like there are still some poo that taste better.

[@SuLokify]

​@@Moldylockslong ago, in the before times, the History channel was known for quality documentaries. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

[@JohnSagin-SimViDeLucis579]

​@@AlwaysBolttheBird Fun Fact: Internet Historian is an extra terrestrial.

[@robertesensee3494]

Part of my beloved childhood. I am 53 and still consider this one of the greatest games of all time. The creators should have received more recognition both publicly and financially. They are true legends. Such an amazing video and I appreciate all your hard work in making this.

[@RyanTreks]

I'm 46 and I didn't play it until last year when my son was in 5th grade. My older brother remembers playing it in 5th grade but u never did. I have ADHD and teachers in the 80s were not very forgiving or understanding, so it was probably like one of those field trips I never got to go on. I played it last year a little when my son introduced it to me. It was hard for me to sit and play the whole game. So I stopped and let my son play. I would occasionally check in on him or help him if he had a question. After playing it several times he finally become approximately 8th place on the list of winners.

[@numba_2552]

This made me tear up. I played old MECC games as a VERY young child, and Oregon Trail was always the top tier, well ahead of Word/Number Munchers. Great upload. Keep em coming❤

[@kalifogg6610]

We had the Munchers games when I was really young. I want to see a remake of them as they were fun to play and the animations were fun to watch.

[@angryw4nderer]

I had forgotten about muncher game till you mentioned it, thanks😊

[@drew124]

Mr. Dillenberger was a frequent substitute teacher of mine in middle school. He was one of the kindest most genuine people I've ever met! It's so cool to see you share this incredible story that hits so close to home!

[@PsionicMonk]

He seems like a treasure of a person from the video I'm glad to hear it from someone who has met him!

[@drew124]

@@PsionicMonk He really was. Always made class entertaining!

[@mootbooxle]

that’s wonderful to hear!

[@billkendrick1]

Creator of Tux Paint here. I was in 5th & 6th grade between late 1985 and early 1987. My elementary school had a lab full of Apple IIe's, and we played a lot of Oregon Trail, Carmen San Diego, and other edutainment games (plus Logo), and I enjoyed attempting (and failing) to recreate those kind of games in BASIC in my Atari computer (which I still have and use to this day 👍). Excellent documentary video. Keep up the good work!!!

[@LonelyKnightess]

Googling Tux Paint out of curiosity just triggered so many core memories wtf was I adopted?

[@andrewschroeder9502]

For a brief time, I taught computing at an elementary school. Your program was always a hit, especially with the pre-schooler's, 1st and 2nd Graders!

[@billkendrick1]

@@andrewschroeder9502 Glad to hear it!!!

[@joetheman74]

Are you still the maintainer of Tux Paint? Is it still maintained? My kids used Tux Paint and now my grandsons use Tux Paint. It doesn't seem to have had many new features added over the years. My youngest grandson who is 9 loves art and has a Wacom drawing tablet. He has progressed beyond Tux Paint's features but more advanced software like Krita is still too advanced for him. I had always hoped that one day Tux Paint would get some additional features to give it a bit more functionality for older kids. There really isn't anything else out there in between. Ever think about adding some (just slightly) more advanced features and capabilities? Even just a few more advanced or additional drawing tools? Just a thought. Well anyway thanks for your great software. My family certainly has gotten a lot of use from it. Discovered it when I started using Linux in the early 2000's. Tux Paint is installed on both my grandsons Windows machines right now and even on my laptop for drawing time with my grandson. (Running ONLY Linux of course)

[@billkendrick1]

@@joetheman74 Yeah, still lead developer and we're still adding features. We had for releases in the last 12 months! ( And almost 10 releases since things picked back up in 2020.) People joke we should add layers, which we almost definitely will *not*. However, with clever use of Templates (which you can now create right inside Tux Paint) and the Eraser tool, there are some really neat things you can do. I'm constantly adding artwork to a new gallery on the website, and there are some incredible examples of what Tux Paint can do found in there. I also recently interviewed a bunch of artists & posted those to the website. Thanks!

[@luke5100]

Gaming historian arguably graduated to historian with this one! You can’t tell the story of this video game without discussing the actual journey of the Oregon Trail itself. Wow! This was one of your best videos ever and a massive trip down memory lane, for me.

[@eamonia]

Wow, this literally just blew my 38 year old mind. This documentary is going to be _huge_ and that makes me very, very happy. What a magical adventure in real life 200 years ago and just as amazing being brought into the digital age for the last 50 years. What an adventure...

[@andresbravo2003]

This should be Aired on PBS, but I loved this! Pretty much that Fans knew that the Game was a Labor of Love.

[@TheInredibleMrH]

There’s a different actually a different Oregon Trail documentary called Trailheads that aired on TPT, the Twin Cities’ PBS channel. It’s much shorter, but still fun.

[@nobleartist1]

too good for PBS

[@toferg.8264]

Indeed too good for PBS! Who watches PBS anymore?

[@sorenpx]

@@toferg.8264 Leftists.

[@wstine79]

Everyone is a gangster until they get bit by a rattlesnake and catch dysentery on the Oregon Trail.

[@DrunkenHotei]

@@GombySprangster That sentence is a work of art.

[@msplendor]

Gangster has dysentery. Gangster has died.

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

Greetings from the Willamette Valley of Portland Oregon, April 12th 2024. Things haven't changed much. I'm currently in line at a Vietnamese noodle joint on Southeast 82nd Avenue. A Pho Queue. This, too, can kill you from dysentery.

[@Iron-Van]

Facts

[@mgmx2099]

I remember playing the Apple 2 version in primary school. No one really showed us how to play so everyone were buffalo hunting bankers.

[@ZealPropht]

I was one of those kids who played Oregon Trail in school on the black and green computer monitors. One of my best memories. ❤

[@SpideyCU]

I've always enjoyed your documentaries, but I've come to appreciate them even more after viewing some "professional" video game documentaries on other streaming services and realizing how much better structured yours tend to be. You really knocked it out of the park with this one. I normally don't get emotional with these types of documentaries, but you included the heart in addition to the facts. Thank you so much for this.

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

Man these game designers/educators are about as adorable as it gets. These guys deserve a lot more recognition for what they gave the world. Im really happy this video was made. Theyre gaming heroes.

[@ThatVSMBro]

Adorable? These are scholars, smart pioneers not frail old ladies in hospice. Stop emasculating them

[@JulieMarcum-zs1pz]

Hundy P 🥰

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

@@ThatVSMBroStop whining.

[@PiggyPorkchop]

As a resident of the Twin Cities, it's an amazing surprise to hear a local story featured on this channel, great job covering it!

[@GamingHistorian]

Thank you! I made a few trips up to the area while making this video. Northfield is such a nice town.

[@cosmicminun59]

Yeah, this one really hits close to home despite living in the west-central part of Minnesota next to the Red River of the North as well as right next to Fargo, North Dakota

[@BlazeHeartPanther]

Minnesota, HELL YEA!

[@Iron-Van]

Same I had no idea this all started about an hour away from me. I remember playing the PET version of OT

[@luke5100]

You guys gave us two great gems of pop culture in the 70s/80s - Prints and Oregon Trail lol. Thank you!

[@Louisrockefeller]

The point about treating each of the 400 thousand brave men, women, and children who made the trek like a hero really resonated with me. We as a nation owe so much to these people who risked everything in the hope of a better life out west. What a well put together video! You’ve earned a subscriber from me!

[@CoOzEbOy1]

The addition of the names was brilliant. Makes it a way more personal experience.

[@Nobluffbuff]

This game is remembered and loved by so many. Not only does the game represent American history, but the events surrounding it's creation also truly tells a great American story. Thanks for putting this together!

[@GamingHistorian]

Thank you for the generous donation. And I agree - it's a wonderful story!

[@iyeetsecurity922]

*Death by die-arrea.*

[@jiveassturkey8849]

@@iyeetsecurity922yep. Dysentery was a major killer in the 19th century. You literally passed so much liquid that your body dries up and you go insane and eventually die. The best remedy at the time was opium.

[@olezaku3469]

I have only the utmost respect for these men. As a kid in the 90s, we played the 1985 version of the game in our dinky little computer lab that once was a storage closet at my school. Naturally, my classmates and I adored it. And nowadays, I'm a Social Studies teacher who teaches 18th and 19th Century U.S. History, and I get to share the '85 game with my students each year. And most are still just as charmed by the game as I was, and it has always been a hit as a part of that unit's lessons. And, of course, I face constant requests to play it again the rest of the school year... and honestly, we do usually return to it since it's a great way to spend the last day or so of school as things are winding down and everyone's burnt out, haha. A fantastic documentary, can't wait to share it with the other teachers in our history department.

[@elsiebartlett6808]

Not sure if you ever checked it out but our family got a “sequel” or rather spiritual successor called Yukon Trail that you might be interested in for your class 😊 Happy teaching!

[@dancooper6002]

Not sure I can say the same. They made a good game sure, but the fact that they were trying to get out of fighting in Vietnam doesn't say much about their character.

[@SuperPickle15]

@@dancooper6002 what sensible person wouldn't want to avoid being sent to a sham war only to be returned home broken and thrown aside like trash...

[@dancooper6002]

@@SuperPickle15 Vietnam was not a "sham war" clearly you don't know your history. Much of why Vietnam vets were treated so poorly was thanks to the draft dodging scum which sat in the US and spat on them when they returned. Had they been sent as Shtraf like they should have been this wouldn't be a problem.

[@JulieMarcum-zs1pz]

I'm glad to know that teachers are still sharing this game with their students 🥰

[@helxis]

It is a genuine shame that these guys were never properly compensated for their creation while companies stood by earning literally millions of dollars with it.

[@ArchaeologyTube]

As a teacher it’s just so completely heartwarming to see these guys talk about their genuine love of the practice. Teachers do that everyday - they just do stuff because they know it will help their students learn and it’s the most beautiful thing to help them do just that.

[@DiestroCorleone]

This has to be your magnum opus, to date. It's a literal masterpiece. The production value, the music, the interviews, editing, illustrations, script... And definitely, the most touching and emotional so far. Worth the wait.

[@daakrolb]

Oh wow were your emotions activated from a video about a video game???

[@lunakid12]

​​@@daakrolbWhy on earth not? (Also, a different kind of emotion of yours was triggered by a comment about a video about a video game... And again: why should it not? Um, or rather: ???)

[@Write-Stuff]

​@@lunakid12Don't feed the trolls, friend. These weirdos crawl out of the strangest places to make the most bizarre comments. You have to understand that you're trying to reason with someone who is mentally unstable. Thus, you're only wasting your own precious time.

[@daakrolb]

@@lunakid12 Mine wasn’t emotion. It was logic confronting emotion- the driving force of women, weakness, & evil.

[@lunakid12]

@@daakrolb Ah, OK, sorry. Do you also fantasize about hurting people? I mean... like physically? Just wondering, nothing personal. Just for a data point.

[@thecatherd]

I love that you were able to get interviews with the original developers of The Oregon Trail for this. You can tell by how they talk, just how much joy they have for the success of their pet project. Wonderful documentary.

[@luke5100]

Exactly, and no bitterness or animosity that they didn’t get to share in the commercial success of the game. True servants of society, these men

[@dancooper6002]

@@luke5100They were not "servants of society" they were a bunch of draft dodgers.

[@porterjones6022]

I did not expect to get so emotional watching a video on The Oregon Trail. Seriously, it was such a pleasure listening to these humble men just talking about how they wanted to make learning fun for kids using their talents. I'm glad they've gotten recognition for their achievements, because they themselves ended up making history too. Thank you so much for this beautiful video! I have great memories of playing this in the early 2000s with my siblings.

[@RevelationNone]

Same. I almost cried remembering my youth and this game

[@Modulater83]

Same here. In my 40s, this video brought back a flood of elementary school memories playing this game on an Apple IIe. Such a foundational stone in my love of computers and games. Grateful for it.

[@JulieMarcum-zs1pz]

Oregon Trail was such a happy part of my childhood. It was definitely my favorite thing to do in elementary school. I wish I could thank the creators. They may not have gotten rich, but they enriched the lives of so many children 💜

[@TrainerRed519]

Me 26 and my father 52 both remember playing this game in grade school. It is a beautiful piece of art that truly connected generations

[@ultimateman55]

Only 7 minutes into this and already the production values and interviews are off the charts! Absolutely top tier stuff. So glad we have Gaming Historian!

[@elel9640]

The year was 1988 and I was in 4th grade. My teacher Mrs Perry's husband was a high up at Apple computers and somehow managed to get the company to donate an entire computer lab to our school. All the school needed to do was to provide was the building. I remember my father who was a general contractor and many other local tradesmen coming together on weekends with us kids and getting it built. I remember the truck of equipment showing up and watching Mr Perry and his friends and coworkers setting it all up. Being the mid 80s we were the ONLY public school in the district with a computer lab. Other schools literaly took field trips to our school just to see and use the lab. 90% of my time in that computer lab was spent playing The Oregon Trail. I'll be 45 one week from today and I'm still gaming it up with my son. ❤

[@yourealldoomed3691]

Gather round kiddos: I'm 40, I had computer lab classes in elementary school on apple II's from 1990- 1996. Oregon trail & Number munchers built my lifelong desire for gaming. Staying inside for lunch to play Oregon trail is a root gaming memory. Thank you so much to people I will never who did so much for my life, Amazing to spend this time with such formative people.

[@mwolkove]

A few years ago i tried playing the Oregon trail card game with some friends. The first card i picked was "you have died of dysentery". Man that brought back memories.

[@dajosh42069]

Seriously though... Oregon Trail 2 was amazing. With real people pictures, real voices, random trading, hunting, foraging, making sure you had sufficient supplies...all of it. You could customize your entire party, their jobs before joining your party. It was just a really cool, really fun game. Being born in '85, I never played the original, but it was certainly a very well known part of pop culture. Just started the video, but...eager to hear about this. 😁😁

[@sonoftheredfox]

After watching this I want to go and find a copy of al the newer versions and play through them, since I only played the Apple II versions.

[@dajosh42069]

Most modern rigs can't run OT2, but if you _CAN_ find and run a copy (I think there are free copies out there) I would highly recommend OT2. 😁

[@justmeherethereandeverywhere]

I find it interesting that you mention you were born in '85, but didn't play any versions before Oregon Trail 2. I was born that year myself, and we played the updated Apple II version in my school system, as we had Apple IIGSes in the elementary school I attended at the longest. I'd say it or the Munchers games were the most popular with my class. I'm genuinely curious if the funding for your schools was worse or better, considering the discrepancy and how finances were ultimately a part of that.

[@dajosh42069]

@@justmeherethereandeverywhere Actually, none of my schools had any computers that I used until I got into middle school (6th-8th). And even then, I didn't end up playing it in school. My family wound up getting a computer through my uncle. A "Power Mac", and I guess my parents bought the game, because I always remember it being around. That and Civilization II. And "The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis". lol I never used, or played on ANY Apple II's anywhere in my school systems, which were in mid texas, in the first couple grades, and Las Vegas for the everything 3-12.

[@NealMohansMicroPenis]

​​@@dajosh42069They might not be able to play it natively but it's playable in some forms. It's playable on the website (seriously the first result when you type Oregon Trail 2) and also playable thanks to software like PCem that can emulate old PCs.

[@Jppen]

This makes me proud to be Minnesotan, and be part of a place that values education!

[@devincordova5358]

Oregonian here, thank you for bringing all this up, loved the video!❤

[@alankingchiu]

I am not sure how educational Oregon Trail was, but man was it fun to put your friend’s names in the game and laugh when their avatar died of dysentery.

[@kylekorona]

I'm rock hard baby! Waited way too long 🎉

[@MarquisDeSang]

Here in Quebec we have no history, so we played 3D Sports Driving in class.

[@e8ghtmileshigh1]

​@@MarquisDeSangyou got cheese and syrum shacks

[@matthewlister3755]

I played this game as it was intended: By buying nothing but ammo and hunting all the time. I bagged 452 pounds of meat but I can only carry 5 pounds back in my wagon? I'm behaving just like the pioneers! This game is historically accurate!

[@user-cq6uu3zx4i]

I'd use smash Bros characters

[@Bajamamut]

"When I was your age, we died of disentery crossing the Oregon Trail, And We Liked It!" Definitely one of the best pieces of software ever created. Thanks for all your time and effort.

[@staffstaff3846]

😂

[@SafetyServbot]

I love how candid they are about their sensitivity testing. They seemed so happy and willing to change things that were inaccurate or offensive about their game after being further educated on such matters. To be so candid about it shows real integrity!

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

I remember playing a rendition of this as a kid, I found the topic absolutely fascinating and I wanted to get into it, but I was too young to know what imperial measurements meant, and I didn’t realize how much of anything would be a reasonable amount, so I often ended up massively overloaded, moving slowly though the plains while diseases took down my crew one by one, either that or I’d lose everything in the first river and starve to death trapped in the snow. Now that I’m an adult though, maybe it’s fine I give this game another go. I think I’d love to experience this game properly now that I have the knowledge to do it.

[@TheWonderStraw]

I have a feeling that if you went to elementary school in the USA during the 90's you most likely know this game. I played it many hundreds of times. From an Apple II E, to a Macintosh, to the I-Mac. so many core memories unlocked Thanks very much for this video :)

[@GamingHistorian]

It was a staple in the computer lab at my elementary school. Appreciate the comment!

[@0neDoomedSpaceMarine]

Many generations of people played it, in the 80s and 70s too.

[@jbellflower83]

Yup. We also had it on my Grandmother's computer so I also played it at home.

[@jeffpilkington7480]

Oregon Trail in the video game hall of fame is a no brainer, but how was it not included in the introductory class is mind boggling. It’s the educational game, it’s the standard that all other educational games should stride for and be judged by

[@eatassonthefirstdate]

dude no joke, that game shoulda went in when the first Mario n Zelda games went into it.

[@jdlyonsky]

Goodness those guys deserve a million bucks a piece for the memories alone.

[@greyfox496]

Thank you so much for making this. Thank you for telling their story and not allowing this history to be lost.

[@airyokama]

When I was a teacher, I used to have my students play Oregon Trail as an alternate way to learn about the westward expansion and had them do a creative writing assignment of having kids pretend they were in the wagon, experiencing everything. They were stoked to play video games during school, permitted by a teacher, hahaha.

[@dobbersanchez1185]

They should do one where they learn about spreading small pox to the indigenous populations, then they could understand the reality that underlies this colonial glorification.

[@jonbourgoin182]

@@dobbersanchez1185 would you like to poop on this party any further or do you think that's enough Edit: nvm I read your other comments on this video and already got my answer.

[@howHumam]

I was a student with a similar experience. I played as a merchant hunter, perfected the balance between ammunition and luck for years. As an adult, I know about money...

[@NealMohansMicroPenis]

​​@@dobbersanchez1185 These are very real topics that should be taught but you come off like an angry contrarian, being oppositional just because you can. Like someone that would yell into the face of someone having a great Thanksgiving "bUt WhAt AbOuT tHe SuFfErInG oF tHe NaTiVe pEoPlE !?" Like someone that doesn't want others to be happy and will do anything to shit on their fun. Who hurt you, why are you like this ? I mean it, I always wonder why people are assholes. Even when I'm bitter and resentful towards people (and I am) I still cannot bring myself to be such a jerk. Though it is funny seeing someone so triggered by a video game. Getting yourself worked up over nothing.

[@dobbersanchez1185]

@@NealMohansMicroPenis sorry, who's worrked up?

[@i407tv]

My first thought was how in the world are we going to get an hour and a half worth of Oregon Trail and after watching the video I felt that wasn't enough and I wanted more! Absolutely a phenomenal documentary!

[@sherra-sama]

Man I wish there was a Ko-fi page or a tip jar or something for these guys. I was part of the kid crowd playing the Apple II version in like 1990 in elementary school, and my subsequent takeover over of the computer labs of middle and high school I can pretty much draw a direct line to this moment I fell in love with computers. I basically owe them my entire career in IT. I'd love to share the love.

[@EriolGaurhoth]

Awesome work, Norman! Once again, you've created the definitive documentary on one of the most important games in history. So cool that you were able to get interviews from the original creators.

[@wasmadeinthe80s]

Projects like this is why I will never stop supporting you on Patreon. You are extremely talented Norm and you're way of telling stories and explaining the history of games, accessories, and anything else you can think of is second to none. I hope all is going well for you in life and that you and your family are doing well. Looking forward to many more years of videos.

[@stuckin2003]

I grew up in Minnesota in the late 80s, so MECC floppies were always part of my grade school education. Totally had no idea Oregon Trail (and Word Munchers!) were already being used around the country by that point! Growing up on the Apple II version, it's so fascinating to learn the evolution and process of the game. Thanks so much.

[@jerve99]

Same here. The moment I saw the first pic of that MECC-wrapped floppy I was instantly back in the Apple II lab

[@osubreeze]

The quality of these productions always make them worth the wait. Awesome topic to cover.

[@10Bones01]

My favorite game of all time. Thank you to the creators of this fantastic experience.

[@dustintaub]

I like the interview with Philip Bouchard, he really does a great job of describing the game design ideas and brainstorming behind the version that his team worked on and expanded on. This is the version I grew up playing and loved.

[@Valecene]

I was an elementary schooler in The Dalles, OR in the mid/late 80s, and I remember thinking naively that this game was made especially for us because our town was the end goal of the game.

[@gregdubya1993]

That's kind of endearing. Thanks for sharing.

[@princesspikachu3915]

Kinda was if you think about it.

[@luke5100]

Portlander here and we’re probably around the same age. Only recently did I come to realize the international popularity of this game. Pretty cool! I would argue the state of Oregon is less popular than this game lol

[@daniellebackus819]

@@luke5100as a transplant to Hillsboro, OR from Kansas City, which was also a very important stop on the Oregon Trail, I get a thrill from realizing I completed my own Oregon Trail of sorts to get here. And I definitely played a lot of Oregon Trail in elementary school.

[@glorifiedng]

A lot of Fond Memories playing this game in school.. mid 80's IIRC.. on Apple ][e Bolo, Logo, Oregon Trail, Westward Ho!, so many to name... i forget. Thanks for this great history on a memory I cherish!

[@piroskha]

Thanks so much for this. Your docs are always such high quality and I'd say this is probably my favorite so far. Excellent work!

[@alexandert9255]

I’ve been on KZbin since its inception and I’ve never commented on a video until today. Just have to say that your videos are outstanding. Super insightful and well put together. It’s always a treat when I see a new one pop up on my feed. Thank you for all the work you put into them, it does not go unnoticed! Oregon Trail was one of my favorite games growing up. It was such a fun surprise when we had the chance to load it up in our computer lab and play on the Apple IIs. It’s fun to see the story behind it!

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

I look forward to your next comment in 20 years.

[@eazy2klean]

Ain’t no way that’s true🤣🤣 if you think THIS is the video that needs your sacred comment that’s been trapped in the dungeon since 2005 then you must have been watching the wrong videos😭 there are way better videos then this one😂 (No hate this video still good)

[@henrybierman8431]

​@@eazy2kleancoming from a guy who uses emojis

[@eazy2klean]

@@henrybierman8431 oh you’re so sophisticated mister🤣

[@PsionicMonk]

You must have an older account you don't use since KZbin itself says your account is 12 years old, so 2012. KZbin started in 2006.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Keeping up on the updates on your Patreon and seeing this project take shape over the last year or so has been fun and fascinating. I already watched it on Patreon but it was so good I'm watching it a second time right now. You're all in for a treat. The 90 minutes will fly by. Incredible job with this one, Norm. You should be very proud of it.

[@MentalLiberation]

Hey, I know that guy. He just dropped a great video on the Game Boy. Quality KZbin channels? I'm here for it!

[@TehPwnographer]

I watch his SMB3 video at least once a year, it always lifts my spirits!

[@robertstitches9517]

Just watched your Great Game boy video today, and now I've watched this! KZbin creators are killing it right now

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

@@robertstitches9517 thanks!

[@Linfamy]

I just had a big ol smile on my face at the part where the game was a hit with the students.

[@AngusRocker22]

You knocked it out of the park again. Great topic! Really cool interviews with the creators. Unparalleled quality in this space!

[@TheHairyNord]

Thank you for the amazing upload and talking about this nostalgic game. I know it means a lot to a lot of your viewers.

[@GamingHistorian]

You're welcome and thank you for the donation!

[@carlosfranceschy9428]

These are Educators through and through. It’s not about making bank, it’s about helping others. Fantastic video, thank you so much for it

[@michaelkeller5927]

They're also humble enough to accept feedback. When they were told there are aspects that could be offensive, they changed it so it wouldn't exclude anyone. They wanted everyone to enjoy this as the good guys

[@Xechor]

Such a good documentary. Thank you for shining light on a shining light in so many students' experience at school.

[@Jebediah4002]

Your production quality always blows my mind, some of the most professional level stuff I've ever seen on KZbin

[@programmer437]

BROOO the production quality this time was unreal. This was an extremely professional documentary.

[@spicyautist]

Grew up in Minnesota in the ‘70s and ‘80s, remember being one of only two kids in my school who really gravitated to the Apple 2e that was donated to our classroom. Died of dysentery a hundred times before reaching 9 years of age 😂 thanks, this is awesome

[@manicmike3952]

This was an amazing journey!. Nostalgia feels for sure. Your narration and editing are second to none. Thank you for this call back.

[@pokehybridtrainer]

Mattel really did the whole Embracer Group botching decades earlier. That aside... Gods I loved learning the original devs with their stories and getting the game out there. Played it as a little kid 30 years ago on an Apple 2, and beat it on a Macintosh. It helped me seek a career path to IT. Thanks for telling their story, Norm. Masterclass work.

[@play_history]

If there's any company that did the Embracer Group thing back then, it's Infogrames - later Atari SA. They expanded without a single thought to how it would all fit together in the end. The SoftKey takeovers were at least targeted on the educational and productivity markets. Something not mentioned here is that SoftKey actually gutted a huge percentage of staff from the companies they bought to reduce their overhead, so when Mattel bought The Learning Company it actually only had IP rather than much in the way of assets. It was a husk and would have been clear if they waited even a few more months to arrange the purchase.

[@pokehybridtrainer]

@@play_history Ohhhh, damn. I didn't know about The Learning Company being botched, but I remember Infogrames. It's why all those DBZ games had the Atari logo.

[@Ilix42]

I played this back in 80’s. We also played Odell Lake and a life sim game where you planted different trees. All in glorious green and black.

[@Shin_Lona]

People sleep on Odell Lake, but that was the jam.

[@internet_introvert]

Odell Lake taught me to fear otters.

[@Ilix42]

@@internet_introvert And Osprey. D: There was a color version with a UI and everything that I played later, Odell Down Under. You swam around a reef looking for food based on your fish type and avoiding predators.

[@jodosh]

@@Ilix42 Oh man Odell Down under was such a great version. Learning what an osprey was by selecting "swim shallow" and seeing the talons pick me up is still stuck in my brain some 30 years latter.

[@ethanbrown4188]

Lots of love @gaminghistorian grew up watching all of these videos u made get so excited when u post

[@matthewlister3755]

The Prince/Oregon Trail connection is nuts. It's extra cool because Prince really embraced technology, as his work with programming the Linn drum machine was groundbreaking at the time. I'm wondering if this influenced Prince at all, at least in terms of seeing how technology could help you accomplish certain goals. That's probably a reach, but it's fun to think that we both grew up lamenting the fact that we died of dysentery.

[@KingRey.]

WE FORDIN' ACROSS THE RIVER WITH THIS ONE!

[@archizona]

I loved going to the computer lab, filled with Apple IIe’s, once a week at school. Then, summer break came and I flew to Portland to visit my grandparents. They took me to end of the Oregon Trail, and 8 year old me broke down in tears of happiness. My grandparents thought I was losing my mind. I told them about the game and how I could brag to my classmates that I was THERE.

[@lukesherwin4137]

Had a smile on my face for the nearly 1.5 hour run time. I got to play a PC version of this game in the mid-90’s in the classroom but I also found a copy of the Apple II version in a storage room (I was at the school during the summer with my mom who was a teacher at the time and I was messing about) and played that around 1999-ish. Also played the Amazon Trail game at home as well. So cool hearing about the game and how the creators were just so selfless, kind teachers who wanted something interactive and fun for their students. Mix that with the genius of innovative video game designers in the 80’s and you had a truly timeless game. Games like these set into motion a lifelong intense interest in history/geography that I still spend hours every week indulging in (though I work in the healthcare field now as a guy in my mid-30’s) through KZbin, Wikipedia, and the occasional book, as well as traveling to museums and other historical places. Kudos to these guys for making every millennial kid’s childhood and educational experience much more interesting!

[@IronSwish777]

When I hear your narration, I can’t help but remember “The Wonder Years” show. The Oregon Trail is one of my favorite games from my youth; I still remember having to flip the disc on our old Apple II when you reached Fort Laramie. The thrill of rafting down the Columbia River. The anxiety that comes when your food is running low, you’re down to your last 10 bullets, and winter is starting to creep up on you. The “alert” sound in Oregon Trail 2 still haunts me to this day. Naming your wagon party after your parents and siblings at the age of 7 sounds like a great idea… until your mom drowns in a river, your brother gets lost wandering off from the wagon, and your sister dies of cholera. Then it’s just traumatic. 🤣 Plus, with our Royals FINALLY looking like a winning franchise again, I hope that has you as stoked as I am for this season. Thanks for all of the great videos of the year! Your passion and dedication to your craft is unmatched. Looking forward to more content in the future.

[@helamsirrine]

My daughter is learning about the pioneer westward expansion in school right now, so the timing on this video is perfect.

[@daviddavidson931]

Been wishing for a remake that stays faithful to how gritty the original was as a kid

[@stephenlowe8158]

This was an incredible documentary! Great job! This was well worth the wait.

[@novelezra]

Holy crap, Norm is just improving 10 fold with every episode. How can anyone moan about the wait when the result is of this quality? The mood set in the first few moments was enough.

[@warwagon]

TRUTH!

[@sonoftheredfox]

I'm 20 minutes into watching this, but I had to stop and go ahead and comment. This game did so many things for me as a kid in elementary school in the early 1980s. Mostly, it got me hooked on computer gaming and it put a deep love of history into my soul that has never subsided. I started off on the Apple II port but when the 1985 version came out there was always a battle between us when we went to the library to get the computers with color monitors. If I ever get dysentery, I I can handle it because I've died so many times from it already.

[@KnifeplayShawty]

It’s amazing how they created something that transcends generations so successfully. I remember being a kid playing it at school and when I was telling my dad about it later he knew more about it than I did! It blew my mind at the time

[@ames522]

This is amazing! Don't know how KZbin thought to target me, but so glad they did. This was very well done, and the original creators were so wholesome!

[@EATSxBABIES]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the fact that a positive impact of GOOD teachers was so powerful, it created more good teachers who would create one of the most timeless education games ever invented. I wish we could all be so lucky to have such kind and talented teachers. I think I had maybe 2 good teachers in all of middle-high school.

[@clintonsmith8215]

Absolutely insane that this level of documentary is available for free on KZbin. OT is one of the first video games I remember playing. Incredible work, thank you.

[@xkernalsandersx]

The work you put into these videos shows, I love watching all your new deep dives. Keep it up!!

[@captainboof741]

Amazing work on this! What a wonderful game and an important story to be told. Thank you Norm!

[@greenpoprocket7965]

My parents own a nursery school, and they keep an Apple Performa 580 in the classroom for five year olds, specifically to play Oregon Trail. Most of them like hunting, but every year there's at least one student (again, five years old) who actually plans their journey and beats the game, to the amazement of their peers. It's a wonderful game.

[@Cyril29a]

2:32 when he looks at the camera and smiles speaks volumes about the kind of man he is