Polybius | The Most Deadly Video Game in History | More Truth than Legend

[@skatinwhenican]

I Just Found This Channel, & It’s Awesome. I’m Subscribed & Locked In!!

[@TheWhyFiles]

Welcome aboard, KF!

[@HecklefishMoriarty]

Lock and load, baby!

[@gcopp81]

A.J. is a pro! Love the NY accent of Hecklefish

[@Samwiseclapscheeks]

@@TheWhyFiles loving every episode...can't....stop.....help...

[@TheWhyFiles]

@@Samwiseclapscheeks There is no vaccine for this channel, Keith!

[@Lordslog715]

Luv the show. Since I found your show last week, I've watched at least 30 episodes. I'd like to thank you and Lord HeckleFish for all your hard work.

[@donkeystyle3200]

If I had $10, I use it to roast the guy who made this video.

[@Michael-kc1pk]

Very well put together not a moment feels like "c'mon!" Moves right along

[@notbatman5156]

Haha 🎉 same since I found this channel I can’t stop watching now

[@OldNavajoTricks]

He is a strict but fair Lord.

[@sageminentjunky5197]

​@@OldNavajoTricksyes a strict but fair lord, is the Lord Hecklefish.

[@Johken888]

Every time I see the "WF?" red circle I think I see "WTF?" for a split second. I think it's part of a mind-control experiment. I feel so used ☣

[@k.b.tidwell]

If you look VERY closely you can see the "T" in tiny almost invisible script inbetween...

[@Johken888]

@@k.b.tidwell right....so do you really expect me to fall for that?? oh wait.....I see it....

[@k.b.tidwell]

@@Johken888 you are getting veeery sleepy...veeery sleepy...

[@katiehrrkatiehrr]

Yes!!! So do I. I really thought I was really tripping lol

[@awakenyewhosleeprealityisn4860]

The production values of this channel are amazing could he be getting…funded?

[@johnnycardwell3110]

That episode brought back some memories. I remember all those games I was 80s kid who loved video games. 52 year old man and I still enjoy playing a video game

[@ONEDVSDVIT]

*Correction* 52 year old boy... JK

[@blackhat856]

Me too I’ve ended up building a 6DOF racing/flight rig plus VR REC ROOM

[@floridapielady]

Gosh I miss going to those slammed packed arcades! I’m 51. My mom and I would drive all over to play. Those were the days.

[@jayscards8640]

51 here. I spent way too many quarters on Spyhunter.

[@floridapielady]

@@jayscards8640 I was the Galaga Queen! I’d play for hours and hours even tournaments. Won a giant Tasmanian Devil stuffed animal once and free karate lessons. lol

[@angeladawn805]

This is two years old - lucky old me for finding it. The content is ALWAYS so well presented. I've taken to listening to the extended podcasts on Spotify, but I also like to hop on here to feed the algorithm 😊

[@reekz1568]

I’m watching for the 3rd time.😂

[@kevincoones4368]

Hi I know this an old video. But I just found a KZbin channel. And it said that poly bios doesn’t exit

[@jlarrybrewer1149]

I always thought the Duffer brothers missed a huge Easter egg by not including a Polybius game in the arcade scene in Stranger Things season 2

[@zapperbunny1]

Since stranger things is based pretty tightly on a real person still alive, perhaps Polybius did not factor in his reality

[@rosalind1635]

@@zapperbunny1 say what?

[@mikerusso4775]

I stopped watching after season 2.... Is it the 90s yet?

[@jlarrybrewer1149]

@@mikerusso4775 season two had its moments except for the “Eleven joins the X Men” subplot. Season 3 was for me a let down but I really enjoyed Season 4

[@vontronreviews8524]

Yah But they had it in the Loki series when he was with the other Lokis in there hide out

[@dansmith760]

Thanks! All your episodes, very well done.

[@TheWhyFiles]

Thank you for supporting!

[@Just.A.T-Rex]

I was shocked to actually learn something new about Polybius that hasn’t already been covered to death by other channels. Kudos! Liked and subscribed!

[@jasonluong3862]

I had the misfortune of running into such a deadly video game as a kid. It ate all of my quarters.

[@ZeranZeran]

hehe

[@wdbeckiv]

🤣🤣🤣

[@trollhunter6934]

🤣

[@kellyford8832]

AND a bunch of your mind apparently according to this video

[@wdbeckiv]

@@kellyford8832 really? A hater? Why be a hater?

[@leequinn2733]

There's a book titled Acres of Skin by Allen Hornblum which details some of these experiments. Some of these people were mentally disabled and they certainly didn't give consent to this (abuse). Thanks for the video, good content.

[@erikiversen408]

I grew up in the town next to Calumet City, which is a southern suburb of Chicago. I remember the incident AJ mentions about someone being stabbed to death outside of the arcade very well, because I knew the kid who was killed. The arcade was called Aladdin's Castle and I rarely visited it because it would always be too crowded, but it was one of the first arcades to close in the area. The rumor going around as to why it closed was because of constant violence at the arcade and it seemed to occur only within a year. So, who knows? Maybe Polybius-like tech might be to blame?

[@BigSlotter]

I'm from the area too. I believe it was called Friar Tuck's though, and both the guy in 1982 who dropped dead while playing a game and the later stabbing in 1988 happened there, although I believe the stabbing happened outside as a result of a fight in the arcade earlier.

[@Nozarks1]

How sad.

[@purnangshuchandramittra9928]

Is it for real Lads?

[@martyzielinski1442]

Cal City? Not surprising......

[@MyName-tb9oz]

Isn't Chicago the murder capital of the US? Nobody should be surprised to hear of a murder in Chicago.

[@rond227]

I grew up near Seattle in the early 80’s and we used to play Tempest all the time. It was very addictive. Then Dragons Lair came out. That game was crazy

[@beatdeeznutz80]

How bout when street fighter 2 came out?

[@aplumber5933]

Loved tempest. Was amazed by dragons lair! At the time, the thought of a game like a cartoon was beyond legendary. And then Street fighter. You couldn't get near one for hours at a time. Some mastered it's repetitive moves so quickly. The rest of us just hit random combinations of the buttons and hope for a favorable. Outcome. Then we would loose and go play moonball... Good times!

[@NordicDan]

Holy crap same here! Grew up in south Everett and have fond memories of Tempest and Dragons Lair. Theeeeeen came Time Traveler (if you know, you know)....

[@thenestfall1991]

Watching my older sister play Dragons Lair at the arcade hooked me for life.

[@SerenityFalls666]

Yes!!! TEMPEST FOREVER!! lmao 🤣😂

[@quitetidy]

I am a true crime junky in recovery. These videos have helped me not binge on true crime stories. I've learned a lot too 😂 This is great content.

[@faithfulhill3769]

Same😂

[@BlancoOso]

I couldn't agree more with your comment. I binged on true crime thinking I was being entertained but really it was soul crushing, paranoia inducing, and hurting my trust in the motives and overall decency of my fellow humans. A.j. and hecklefish are food for the mind and soul and hilarious all at once. I'm shocked it's not a more popular channel and the folks I try to get interested just idk why but they never seem to... It must be the dastardly Lizzid peoples fault somehow lol. Take care

[@AGirlHasNoName1.618]

These are much better for your headspace :)

[@mfdinak]

I literally came here from Nancy Grace. That’s how bad I spiraled. So glad I found WF.

[@Aaron_Somers]

I stumbled across the channel then got totally hooked and watched it for about 5 hrs straight. Literally never done that with any other channel. Subbed and congratulations on this channel its fantastic

[@rba5567]

Thank you for bringing back memories of the arcade! I remember when donkey Kong first came out you could hit the lower corner of the change panel and it would rack up a game. You hit it real strong 10 times, you would rack up 10 credits. If you look at any of the old donkey Kong machines they're usually dented in that area. The way that worked was there was a swing mechanism that every time a quarter was deposited, would cause This bar to raise up and hit a button that would give you a credit. Hit it hard enough and you did not need a quarter to make that bar swing up. I believe the vendor finally got smart enough and started putting a hard metal strap across that front. Just a small history lesson from an old man.

[@loganfivesandman]

We used to use a straw to rack up credits on donkey kong, didn't know you could hit it for credits nice!

[@sweettangerines8182]

Very cool to know! 😄 Thanks old man 😉😆

[@albertoalcala7300]

I remember sticking a straw in the game and moving it up and down you could get all the credit you wanted we would spend hours playing for free LMFAO 😂

[@rba5567]

@@albertoalcala7300 you also forgot about the quarter and thread. had to be kind of careful with it and there was always a sweet spot in different machines, but I've seen that used as well.

[@MegaTapdog]

Pengo video game, unplug and replug get 99 credits. takes a few tries but it works. I caught college kids at campus arcade doing it after noticing very low revenue from the machine during collections. Many years ago.

[@guypoole3444]

The only mind control is Smart Phones, we have now 2 generations who are addicted and mindless without their phones.....

[@Bigpun485]

@@guypoole3444 and you most likely used your cell phone to leave thus comment. Welcome to the smart phone cult

[@alexispeyton649]

I am not....as I watch this on my phone.

[@Pontoonian]

This is so legit. People all worried about getting microchipped, you chip yourself every time you get a new phone.

[@rachelkerr9446]

😂😂 eh, they had similar reactions when books became accessible to more of the public. There are documents about parents getting upset about their children reading too much. Humans like to be distracted from how shitty life is. It can definitely be used against us, but most of it isnt a big deal.

[@markspitz7883]

You mean to say that there are 2 generations that were born into this, there are far more addicted.

[@usajoe3515]

AJ I can't say enough how awesome this channel is please don't wear yourself out for us ......but we do appreciate every video

[@FireFlyMaxx]

You have a terrific channel. I remember arcades in the 80s. The smell of stale beer pot and pizza, big hair, skateboards and breaking as far as the eye can see down the boardwalk on the beach in my hometown. It was rough and beautiful at the same time. You'd put your quarter on the cabinet to call dibs on the machine. Fist fights, the obligatory cat calls and wolf whistles. Good times. My brother being 9 years younger had him growing up with a kind of reimaging of the boardwalk & arcades. It was much cleaner, very policed, and lost much of the rough beauty I grew up with. It became a sterilized utopia.

[@abdulmuizz288]

You have a great talent for descriptive writing. If you haven't already, you should do something with your talent. All of my senses were qued in.

[@oozat]

Sounds dead good fun

[@siriusness7505]

Coney island?

[@BadManN_TheBushes]

Awesome childhood bro

[@garretthorsch8143]

@FireFlyMaxx isn’t it sad? We all want a safer world in that violent crimes like rape, murder, etc don’t exist. Everybody wants that. At the same time the governmental bodies and police have just gone too far in hopes that they will create their idea of a utopia. Kids, Teenagers, and young adults desperately need to go out snd get into trouble. Whether it is people underage drinking or trying weed, or running/driving around long after curfew. I am not saying young people should go out there and so drugs and drink. I am just saying that it’s important for kids to go get into trouble. It builds character growing up. I am not saying adults should just let them do these things but the parents of young kids now know for a fact that they did those things, their parents did those things, and their parents parents did those things. Kids now are so protected and sheltered with rules against doing literally everything. If they do break those rules and get caught. instead of the police just bringing the kids home to their parents like they used to. They will now arrest them and drop the hammer on them. I think zero tolerance policies like that have seriously harmed our youth. Again I reiterate that I am not saying go out there and experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex kids. But I think that the rough rugged world we all grew up with that sometimes gets you involved in situations where those are around. I know that looking back I am thankful I have been through some of those situations. Sure sometimes there were dangerous moments, there were fun moments, there were moments that legal trouble was a possibility, and there were many life lessons moments. Kids now don’t have that and I think it is really hurting society.

[@0101-s7v]

Growing up in the 80s, the only game I was absolutely addicted to was Joust. I could not get enough of it… even dreaming about it. We would regularly sneak out of the house just to go down to the arcade to play it. It was nuts.

[@metaljack866]

joust.and.centepede.:).

[@Stacey0909]

In the 80's, I was crazy for Montezuma's Revenge ~ Atari

[@brenhen702]

TEMPEST! That was mine, but PacMan got me riled and amped up. I had to walk away to calm myself after only 3 or 4 games.

[@crazychester]

Q-Bert, Asteroids, Centipede, Dig-Dug, Star Wars,

[@jamespope2840]

Hi Derek how you doing

[@Springbok295]

A good friend and I played Battle Zone every time we visited our local arcade back in '82-'84. He was much better at it than I was. For some odd reason when I saw the name and font Polybius in this video, it rings a bell in the deepest recesses of my mind. I honestly feel as if I saw the game back in 8th grade at an arcade.

[@bobbymiller8390]

I loved. That green 3 D game. Battle zone.

[@Vmaxfodder]

One was at Round table in Tigard ! I dumped 40+ bucks in it ! 83-85

[@Springbok295]

Tigard is a suburb near Portland right?@@Vmaxfodder

[@cotati76]

No you didn’t because it never existed in the first place.

[@HansZarkovPhD]

Loved me some battlezone.

[@elfenmagix8173]

Back. In those days I worked creating video games for a company in NYC. Also at the time I was a big Battle Zone player, figuring out how to play the game for hours on a single quarter. In one of the games the arcade owner came behind me and said "No matter how hard you play the game, you are not getting your quarter back!"

[@horstwestpfahl2459]

ARGH.. Shame on him..😂🤣🤣🤣

[@splifftachyon4420]

For me it was Bosconian. I got so good at that game that other people in the arcade would gather around to watch me play. I regularly had all the top scores. Later in the 80s it was Thunder Cross. My final game of Thunder Cross lasted for over 3 hours on one quarter and I had not lost a single ship. Finally I just let the game destroy me because I was tired of playing and never played it again.

[@michaeljordan3084]

I could play battle zone for hours on one quarter. I would start to get dizzy after about 3 hours and would just quit.

[@nowthatsjustducky]

@@splifftachyon4420 How often did the legendary gamers ASS and FUK bump down your high scores?

[@Sleazball_]

Ahhhh man do u remember the huge arcade inside 42nd street train station 🚉 back then I was very young n my mom only took me a handful of time mainly since there were usually an unsavory type there lol n she wasn’t for the bull

[@Dennis-66]

Man, The Last Starfighter, one of my favorites. I think when I retire I'm going to plop down onto a recliner & stream 80's movies back to back every day. Love your channel, you're killing it, can't wait to see you at 5 million subscribers!

[@stevejackson9952]

We rented a VCR for my 12 th birthday and watched this movie and The Never Ending Story. I wouldn't mind a remake of this or Ice Pirate's.

[@TheChillje]

I am so glad that I stumbled upon "The Why Files". I find so much joy in watching and learning about these incredible outside-of-the-box true stories. Thank you for making such great content in a sea of garbage!🖖

[@dropkicksmurfy8144]

I am late to this game, but I find myself hesitant to binge as much as I want due to there being a finite amount of this awesome content.

[@rarebird_82]

Same 😄

[@Vgallo]

wise, I binged some and it definitely had diminishing returns.

[@joelspaulding5964]

Living it...but worth it.

[@xbrandi12345x]

Aww! Dropkick Murphy's and Smurfs too? I like you already!! I have the same binge issue. Sometimes it's hard to put my phone down.

[@fartkerson]

Don't binge content then.

[@Pabloworldwide]

Fun fact for young people. The term "Troll" as used online was first coined on Usenet. Also "Flaming" was also coined around the same time. Them were the days.

[@willramirez75]

It’s not the game. It’s Portland.

[@shelbyconstructions7256]

Melton, Australia

[@maxstoner5527]

Blazers are definitely cursed damn it 🤙

[@paleoghost]

I don’t even know what, “Blazers,” are, but it’s a funny comment😄

[@vonnoyes4515]

Lol

[@EricHazelbaker]

Bah! Got me.

[@juice3167]

Events occurring within the same time and place brew the perfect legend. Thanks for the vid! I love urban legends around videogames. I noticed you mentioned Berzerk, which has it's own urban legend. The curse of Evil Otto. But I don't think it was ever as wide spread as Polybius

[@denisejimenez4945]

Great content! My hubs and I are hooked, we listen while we work and replay multiple times because we missed something from last time listening. We are entertained by the many subjects and have more to talk about together ❤️ !

[@TacDyne]

Agents tried this at the arcade near my high school back in the early '80s. I was approached one afternoon and asked if I had any drugs for sale by an obvious LEO. I told him yeah I can get whatever he wants, but it will take me a while to get them so wait here.... then I went home and laughed.

[@mattropolis99]

I guess it worked - it got a teen to go home for the evening.

[@arsenalfanrichi]

@@mattropolis99 hahaha

[@308dad8]

I remember being asked one time by terrible under covers where to “buy smoke”. I said you want smokes? That convenience store has all kinds of smokes. They came back and cussed me out. I guess they didn’t want Marlboro.

[@brettfigurski6614]

LMAO bro was waiting too

[@JohnDoe-cd6ro]

What's LEO?

[@wednesday8397]

I just found this channel a few days ago and am HOOKED! Well done!

[@steveneller9079]

Thanks!

[@TheWhyFiles]

Thank you!!!

[@BigRayHernandez]

This has quickly become one of my daily go to channels! Fun, smart and gets the mind moving. I’ve recommended this channel to a plethora of my peeps! Excellent job! HeckleFish is over with me!

[@odeleon24]

Never heard of this urban legend. What a great and detailed video. Amazing!

[@Viclade]

You are amazing

[@franksherwood5511]

I didn't know about the Polybius urban legend but I did recognize the game. I watched a TV series called Dimension 404 and they had a episode based on the Polybius game. It was a horror episode so don't let Hecklefish watch it. He might get scared.

[@probationbird9786]

Being an early genX, I grew up in the 80's, and remember seeing all sorts of crazy games in the multitude of arcades, skating rinks, pizza places, convenience stores, gas stations and tattoo parlors. I never ever say Polybius. I wish I had, I would have loved to play it! Also, The Last Starfighter is one of the best movies ever made. Great stuff AJ, thanks again!

[@cotati76]

Fellow latchkey kid here. We used to love going to the pizza place near my house that had four arcade games in it. I remember Rampage was my favorite game at the time. We would spend hours there.

[@Pittsburghpilot]

Dude why don’t you have show on TV, you stuff is so well done and you are a great story teller. I really think your stardom is about to explode!

[@robopoet]

TV? What's that?

[@wukilla8ee]

I found this channel a cpl weeks ago & I've watched a ton of videos already & I haven't come across 1 video I didn't like yet and/or clicked off of. Excellent videos my man!! How you don't have more subs is beyond me, you will get there. Keep grinding them gears

[@nicholasholmes2189]

Thanks for all your content AJ. This one in particular was always a fantastic story in my opinion.

[@cheif10thumbs]

I worked as an Arcade game technician back in the early 80's. I also worked as a Slot Technician for IGT repairing and maintaining slot machines. Nothing special. It was standard 8bit vector graphics using a VF power supply. North America uses 60 cycle (hz) AC power. The UK and elsewhere use 50hz AC power. Some people are sensitive to screen flicker that is known to cause nausea, headaches, epileptic fits, dizziness and in a couple cases fatal strokes after prolonged exposure. Games produced in the EU have warnings hard coded into the game. The Warnings are displayed as the games initialize.

[@bobwoww8384]

UK cares a lot more about individuals than US

[@Nozarks1]

Makes sense. Lots of people get irritated by flickering lights etc.

[@briankenison7995]

I can't play first person games . Makes me ill

[@diegonarvaez7487]

@@briankenison7995 I have the same problem, I remember heretic, after playing the nausea was terrific. I never play those kinds of games😵‍💫😵‍💫🤕😂

[@mikeyfn-a6684]

Believe every game for my PS4 does that here in the US as well.

[@jamescook4881]

Wow, this sounds like one of my favorite movies as a kid called "The Last Starfighter."

[@texashotpoints4227]

First thought I had. Great flick.

[@YourHeartsDesires]

That's the clip he showed in the video

[@mintylikethecandy7881]

Dude! Loved this one. I did my masters research on addictive qualities of video games in 1980. There wasnt much in the early days. But what is clear is that human nature hasnt changed...

[@dr.scientist3481]

Another great video! You definitely brought some more information about the game. Keep up the awesome work guys!

[@chrislail3824]

Would like to point out that the head of MK-U, Gottlieb, also shares the name of a major video game developer during the 80’s. Gottlieb’s most known game is Q-Bert.

[@joelspaulding5964]

A lot more people will see him here than on network TV. As much as my nostalgic soul hates it; legacy media has lost its place as the alpha in this business- for better or worse.

[@SyphusBatterus]

I was surprised he didn't mention that.

[@JoseMolina-ij3xx]

Q*Bert is one of those games that caused visual hallucinations and disorientation, too.

[@ryancarthen2198]

@@JoseMolina-ij3xx really I used to play that on Nintendo as a kid an nothing ever happened. I would play it for hours that and karnov

[@GameTimeWhy]

@@ryancarthen2198 I think it's like the Pokemon lavender town urban myth.

[@UAPReportingCenter]

This channel has quietly become my go to KZbin channel. You're formula just works!

[@00DUCK]

My first room mate collected arcade games and we had Tempest in our dining room for about a year. This was about 1995. We had looked inside the cabinets he had a few times and from what I recall there was no camera. But now that I have seen this, I wonder if we were even looking in the right place not that we knew what to look for. This is the first I had ever heard that Tempest or any arcade game was used in such a manner. I wonder if they ever retrieved all of the cameras from those machines and if they still exist out there? We were big arcade fans in the 80's and spent a lot of time in them. But I had never heard of Polybius. Then again, it doesn't sound like a game I would have played. Fantastic content once again, I look forward to seeing more!

[@pinkgarage]

know this is dated but would be interesting to dive into how psychoLogy is being applied in modern online gaming, since the have gone way beyond "Skinner's Box" and simply creating dopamine feedback loop, thriving on dependency...., great video!

[@perkele1989]

I love when the algorithm shows me a video from The Why Files that I haven't seen yet. This was a good one too!

[@nayyarrashid4661]

It is a pretty interesting episode. I had my run with nausea and migraine playing my very first and only First Person Shooter, a game named Blood. Now I liked the idea of the game but whenever I played it for more than 30 minutes my head would start spinning and severe pain in the back of my neck. The absolute maximum I went once was 45 minutes and I couldn't get up for 3 hours. I could play CnC Tiberian Sun all night no problem. In fact never had any problem with any other game. I never understood why that happened only to understand it years later.

[@GhostCrowBrother]

I get motion sickness playing Wolfenstein 3D

[@michaellefevers4248]

​@GhostCrow666 Yeah even on a modern video card wolf 3d gives me headaches

[@CiscoWes]

In around 1985 I was in an arcade at the local mall and while I was talking to the guy that worked there, I heard a loud noise like something hitting a video game cabinet and I turned around, there was this guy lying on the floor having a seizure and he hit his head on the game, on the way down. This was before we knew about games triggering seizures and such. They carried the guy to the workroom in the back and he finally came to and left. Not sure why they didn’t call the paramedics but nobody did.

[@michaellefevers4248]

Because it was the 80s and we were tough kids😂

[@jasonhoppe3667]

That and going to the hospital for a seizure is pointless. They can do nothing for you

[@JohnMurphy-ze4zp]

Great show A J rewatching àll your old video's. So much I missed the first time 😊

[@beckyhegland7902]

Throwaway comment: I'm so glad the Greek in the Polybius Square you showed was correct. I was just watching a History Channel video the other day and they hosed up their Hebrew awfully badly, and it really made me question the overall accuracy of what they present. Thankfully, no such discrepancy with TWF - yet - and I can feel good about continuing to watch. Attention to detail matters! 👏

[@frocurl]

I love when you talk about the culture of the late 80s 90s and early internet! Make an old guy happy!

[@TheWhyFiles]

From one old guy to another: you are appreciated!

[@frocurl]

@@SPotter1973 lol not too old yet but when your teenagers are about to graduate high school it starts to feel that way

[@kessiawright1710]

@@frocurl I graduated High school in 1989 and have friends with grandkids in high school and older. I have a 27 year old nephew. It was a different, more wholesome time in many ways. I remember when a friend got a Commodore 64. It was so fun. About 30 years ago, my mom remarried and my late step dad had a Commodore 64/128 and had dial up internet. Sometimes it took so long to got on the internet, but so fun. He had tons of games. My favorite was a mech game that I do not remember the name of and a space bouncing ball that would go down tubes to go to other places. I like lots of modern games, but the originals were really special. It was so new. A cousin gave my siblings and I a hand held Donkey Kong game and we didn't even care we had to share. My cousin doesn't even remember giving it to us, but we will probably be old and still remember that. I bought my first video game, Genesis, when I was maybe 12. I got a paper route and put it and some games on Layaway at Woolworth's. It was the first thing that I saved up for and I was so proud of myself. Different time.

[@frocurl]

@@kessiawright1710 it's a shame society couldn't find a balance between screen internet use and life. You notice huge tech giants send there kids to low tech traditional boarding schools? There should be an age limit to use social media internet and computers. It distorts reality and what u see online isn't how life is especially for kids under 16. When we had a party we said we would go and that was it. If you wanted to send a personal message to a crush you wrote notes. Tech suffocates children and robs them of the wonder of being a kid. Information overlord and dependance. There are great educational and DIY stuff online its just not balance. My little niece cant conceive of a pen pal on my summer gf every year when I was 12. Maybe a good ole fashion EMP will set these kids right.

[@johnmulligan9299]

Another great video!

[@halhmdani4923]

Finally it’s out, don’t forget to like and share guys so we have more WF videos

[@TheWhyFiles]

Thank you!

[@supermiki2]

feels like a bot post

[@yoshimitsu8643]

Yeah I mean what It’s like the three spider man pointing fingers at each meme 😂😂😂

[@ibeledlacir4020]

I love every episode you broadcast. I learn lots. Keep up the great work guys

[@Jin420]

As a chicagoan -- I've heard about the stories that happened in cal city (calumet city). I've watched few different outlets that worked on this content.. But I'll admit, yours is the most thorough one. 💯 Thanks ❤

[@lauriejonesgiampietro7246]

I cannot believe Hecklefish said "Stunad." Also, in psych 101, our professor said the military created the first person shooter to help recruits overcome the revulsion of shooting at another human being. Think about the ramifications of that, really.

[@nobingnobs8748]

Seems unlikely the military made the fps to me but merely adapted it to that end which is def something they would do.

[@ChrisHarper-om3do]

Great catch on the “stunads” by hecklefish lol.

[@jessicajae7777]

@@nobingnobs8748 oh they most certainly did. they dont want them to hesitate. or get emotionally fd up and blame the government for making them into killers which is exactly what they do. they give them a gun and say here now kill that person because we say hes a threat to government security but really all it is is that person told the government no and they dont like that

[@Handsomeanthony68]

It’s actually a super fascinating study, how the military deprograms the revulsion against killing. I did a dive after I left the Army and it’s so interesting, I never realized the reasons they did so many things until I did that reading. The emphasis on unit cohesion? Someone is more likely to kill to protect their family vs an abstract concept like duty/honor/country. Green person shaped targets during training? Gets you more comfortable discharging your weapon at a man-shaped target. You HAVE to refer to your M4 as a “weapon”? Well, the term “gun” has certain socially ingrained psychological connotations that the term “weapon” doesn’t. There’s a lot more, but it’s damned interesting.

[@dman1314]

He's cool

[@camrobie7230]

Great video!

[@HecklefishMoriarty]

You're welcome!

[@brenthardenburg4920]

In 1981, I got the high score on Pac Man at Cedar Point. I had 325,000 points before I lost a man. I've Never heard of Polybius. ✌🏻 🐠

[@drphosferrous]

Polybius seems totally familiar in real life memory but the one that messed with my head was totally tempest. You ran around the edge of a hole shooting things coming out of it. I halucinated about it years after.

[@TheR1U2T3H4]

I love this comment, you cheered up my day, I ca nt stop laughing😂

[@garrygraves3848]

I used to love tempest. I get nostalgia just thinking about the old arcades of the late 70's and early 80's.

[@bigboy4006]

@@garrygraves3848 I miss those old games. Growing up, I played a lot on the Atari 2600 and the ColecoVision. At times I miss parts of my youth.

[@Triggernlfrl]

Maybe they have still recordings of you playing it...

[@DollfaceKim]

I'd try to sleep at night, still stuck in the game.

[@recur2883]

The purpose of the game was to legit find potential UAP pilots that were psychologically and emotionally competent and very focused under pressure, capable of maneuvering a craft that on the inside has its own gravitational field, causing the crew to feel as if they’re standing still while maneuvering within four dimensional. The pilot has to maneuver through four dimensions while moving so quickly a stars light could appear as a flash, the terrain moving towards the craft would also appear as flashing strobe lights in some sense. The game had an exponential increase in difficulty for various psychological tests. The UAP pilot video game program was cancelled due to the publicity and a low return on the investment. The games were possibly placed in specific areas because those areas had on average a higher percentage of intelligent people in a less dense population, in the 80’s I’d say mostly white residential areas, places in areas with middle-class families, good schools with good science programs and advanced computer labs (for that time). Look at the area. Local schools. Average test scores. School science activities. Any public info on IQ testing results. The kids that disappeared, their ages. Find the kid(s) that fit those points, add in more points that I didn’t cover and Scooby-Doo that $ht.

[@adamgardiner5869]

Uh uh my dude. It was ancient aliens for sure. History channel is an unimpeachable source of truth n' facts.

[@thundercron77]

Your story falls apart when you say the game was placed in areas with kids who have higher than average intelligence, because this all happened in Portland. I live in Oregon, I know.

[@dungareion]

Isn't that the plot of Ender's Game?

[@alexsmith6914]

You mean like, “The Last Starfighter?” Lol

[@greggthunderburg7294]

Correct, they weren't placed in ghettos or barios.

[@Lathias42]

I’m loving your videos. Just joined your Patreon! The Angry Video Game Nerd did a pretty good video about this game. He even brought up the Polybius Square. Keep the vids coming. I love them.

[@seanfannin8299]

I grew up very close to the Malibu Grand Prix arcade around the time when this game was supposedly installed. I knew every game there like the back of my hand and I don't remember ever seeing or hearing about this game. Not saying it wasn't there, but I think I would have remembered the name, seeing it, or playing it. I frequented this arcade (and the awesome go-carts!) very regularly. It was also the go-to spot for every kids birthday.

[@nowthatsjustducky]

Malibu Grand Prix...That's the name of the "go karts on steroids" and arcade I was trying to remember always wanting to experience back in the 80s.

[@FossegrimTheKnøkk]

There was also the Electric Palace in the beaverton mall. The Electric Palace was renown for the drug busts he was talking about on this episode.

[@scottys1423]

I visited there a few times. We used to drive up from Salem. The carts you remember had Wankel rotary engines in them. Sometime in the late 70s they had a huge fire and all the carts burned up. They replaced them with carts having 2-cylinder Kawasaki engines, which were mit quite as fast as the rotarys.

[@spaghettiwrestler]

I had my birthday there as a kid for a few years and maybe still have one of the license that they would give you with your picture on it

[@Adino1]

I knew a guy that was in the military from the late 70's to early 90's who didn't even know about the Polybius lore tell many years ago describing a game being on a military base in South West, and how strange he and his friends noted it being and they would see it when they closed their eyes at night So when I showed him the lore and mythos around Polybius he said it raised his hackles

[@cotati76]

Seeing the game when they closed their eyes is pretty normal. Happens to me all the time if I play and then go to sleep within a couple hours.

[@Andres-mh9ey]

Tetris is notorious for this effect

[@NeoRomero7]

Omg thanks why files! I submitted this idea 3 years ago! Thank you for listening to you audience and taking into consideration your viewers ideas!!! You guys are amazing!!! Love you guys!!!! Best channel ever!!!

[@danielmcgrath7519]

Kool as mate another great episode very interesting thanks mate,

[@HecklefishMoriarty]

Thanks, Daniel. You deserve a cookie.

[@Nostrudoomus]

I am an engineer and worked in a consumer software company in the early 1980s, and so I was reading industry magazines back then that had news about all consumer electronics and software products. According to articles I read years ago there is a specific fairly high frequency of flashing objects or colors that can occur on video screens that will cause a type of brain damage, this will cause the victims, teens are most vulnerable, to see things that are not there and it will reoccur occasionally from then on once injured. I believe the frequency was 1200 to 1300 mhz. There is a law in the USA from the 1970s that outlaws products that flash at these frequencies. There was an article about a few products, 3D gaming Googles, that came out in Japan around 1997 that had this problem and Japan had no laws prohibiting it but those products resulted in laws being created. These effects sounded very scary and very similar to what was said years ago about LSD use that it caused brain damage which was said to cause users to have flashbacks and to see illusions at random times for the rest of their lives. But my understanding is that the visual effects from this screen flashing are actually quite minor and the random shapes seen are not highly intrusive, I am not a doctor and I am not certain of the severity of these effects.

[@puppylove3781]

I want to pick up a pair of these "3D Googles" you speak of

[@ryanwebb6356]

@@puppylove3781 Nintendo Virtual Boy Good luck finding anyone willing to sell

[@ryanwebb6356]

Nintendo Virtual Boy. It did have a warning to avoid extended use. I remember the headache.

[@jamli3025]

Great video, made me feel a lot better today, thanks!

[@Hi-yv9fj]

This is the type of content I love

[@HecklefishMoriarty]

Fish content?

[@evajacobson4571]

Recently started watching your videos and I am hooked. Was wondering if you could do one on the lost civilization of - Gobekli Tepe. Love you and Hecklefish.

[@harrisjon1]

I noticed it says Polybius on your bulletin board behind you…lol! Great channel!

[@TurquoiseInk]

As a migraine sufferer (migraineur, yes it's a word) I can believe the migraines, vertigo and throwing up. I've learned to look away when I see certain "psychedelic" images.

[@GregoryShtevensh]

Knowing the word immediately increases the severity of the suffering

[@SerenityFalls666]

@TurquoiseInk: I have learned the same. Even though I'm in my 50s and I've "outgrown" (that's the doctor's word, not mine) having migraines, I still get sick and dizzy from flashing/blinking lights. Does carsickness and claustrophobia plague you as well? 🥺 Wishing you wellness in all things...😊

[@monharris28]

same, i immediately look away

[@Roan7995]

Yep! Me too, ever since I got Covid.

[@Kevin-qo6jw]

​@@Roan7995covid made me lose 25 pounds I look amazing I got the covid vaccine and my member grew 3 inches my iq went up 30 and I look 20yrs old again all thanks to the government

[@markmacleod6971]

This guy is great he needs his own show on network television . the fish is awesome as well

[@gilsanchez9934]

He don’t need any networks. They will try to get involved and change his show to their liking. I’m glad people like him have the opportunity to create these amazing and entertaining videos while getting paid without outside influence.

[@Keopp69]

I'm worried if he goes mainstream they will try to separate them. Hecklefish will go on a solo tour and AJ will end up being a mouthpiece for tech TV.

[@maxthepupp]

@Trip Wire: Yes, no doubt! But the "Behind The Music" episode will be awesome ! Everyone knows Hecklefish is just a little fame away from hookers & blow!😂😂

[@ryanhampson673]

Network TV is dead…This is the future.

[@rudyschwab7709]

Networks will ruin it.

[@bubbajiff]

BEST CHANNEL EVER!!! 2.95M?! I remember when it was sub 200k which wasn’t even that long ago!! SO amazing. You deserve every bit of it x

[@arnoldm889]

Video games were almost deadly to me and my brother. We found a treasure chest in our basement with tons of change and quarters. We’d take that money and go to the gas station with a few arcade machines almost every day in the summer. Well……… the treasure chest was where my dad put his change and when he found out he was very pissed at us.

[@markogaudiosi5243]

Hence the " almost deadly", i assume ...

[@Gunjack1440]

Happen to me too lol. Good summer up until then.

[@pst9821]

Deadly dad

[@criticalthinking3861]

Just found your channel a few weeks ago. Great job,i find your content very interesting and presented very well.

[@CooleoCatzASMR]

I live in Portland and play arcade games frequently. I really enjoyed this video. Thank you.

[@TheMixedPlateFrequency]

I have always played various different video games since late 80s and currently. But i never had that addiction feeling ever, not until the very early 2000's. There was a game from South Korea called Ragnarok Online from Gravity. I think I had got addicted to it, since my first experience playing a video game, but with multiple real life people from different cultures and parts of the world. One of my friends actually pulled me out of that addiction. But I think during that time too, I had a good amount of friends, but none of the really played or liked video games. But one of my friends actually introduced me to his cousin and his cousin hung out at an area of like minded people and I was able to pull away from that and sort of have a perfect balance with everything.

[@InternetKeren]

great video as always AJ ! looking forward to the next video

[@thomasskelton1555]

My father fought in the persian gulf war in a bradley. He described his training in Germany was simulated russian tech that resembled arcade video games. They studied weaknesses in russian armor through simulation arcade like games

[@frankwaugh1894]

Actually this is true. It was called UCOFFT. You were in a replica of an m1 or Bradley turret and you used all the gunnery controls and what you saw through the sights were video game images early 80s graphics with different vehicles and even helicopters you would engage. If you took too long to kill the target they would shoot you and the whole turret power would shut off and go dark to let you know you were killed. It was great training for using your controls and also running you through different scenarios such as when your power went put and you had to use your manual controls to engage targets instead of the joysticks.

[@kud108]

I see what you are doing. It’s mind control. Can’t stop watching your videos! :)

[@danielgraham2788]

All this research has made him strong in the force. Which path will he choose?

[@seyerus]

Darren Brown demonstrated the genuine power of a video game with his Zombie Game stunt. Truly amazing and terrifying.

[@anthonyconvery4331]

I heard from more then one source it was paid actors, not saying that there is psychology involved in video games. Rather saying sometimes people create projects to cloud truths

[@GhostCrowBrother]

Derren Brown inspired me to become a hypnotherapist. I can't afford "legit" NLP training.

[@seyerus]

@@anthonyconvery4331 Who were the sources?

[@anthonyconvery4331]

@@seyerus well unfortunately for "evidence" it would all be speculation or 3rd hand story telling. I would like to point out however that he is/was a magician and a celebrity magician no less. When it comes to hypnosis many people need to be "screened" so to speak to see if someone is susceptible to hypnosis. For everything to be staged now a days... its difficult for me to accept the hypnotized zombie killer at face value. No different then the magician walking across a pool or flying. It's video taped but you expect a TV audience to except the LIVE audience isn't kinda in on the bit David Blaine?

[@seyerus]

@@anthonyconvery4331 I didn't ask for evidence, just who the sources were. Context is everything.

[@mikeflix1598]

I loved the last starfighter growing up, funny thing is I'm definitely not addicted to video games. Berserk is a great game, when that basket ball started jumping around the scene I would freak and try to exit the map. When people stopped smoking Facebook, Instagram games and KZbin came out to be the new form of control, addiction and spying, weird.

[@xbrandi12345x]

Why do you feel it's funny? You don't have to be addicted to games to play games!! Games are for everyone, it just gets taken too far sometimes and the people that make these games want to normalize overindulgence because it makes them money. There's nothing odd about the fact you are well-adjusted, well, at least when it comes to gaming, I don't know you so I can't speak about anything else lol. If you can play a game, enjoy it and then go on to something else then you are doing it the way things should be done. I would be a gamer addict if I didn't have something wrong with me that makes me severely sick when I play newer video games. Anything N64 and up makes me motion sick but it's worse than regular motion sickness you might get from riding in a vehicle. Doctors in my area suck so they just kinda look at me like I am nuts and haven't figured anything out yet. That's not my only issue is that I can't play video games or I wouldn't bother trying 5o figure it out but it affects me other ways. I do have an addictive personality and have struggled with other things and when I see all these kids that are literally hooked on video games, it scares me because it's not much different than the way someone would treat drugs or alcohol. So if you aren't hooked on the game, don't think it to be strange and it's definitely okay to like a game and not be obsessed with games. I don't remember Beserk but I think I have heard of it and am headed to Google to see if I can find it. It sounds like a simple game I might be able to play. The way you described it made me think of JezzBall, part of Microsoft's Microsoft Entertainment Pack in the 1990's so I am interested to see if they are similar. The Last Starfighter I have heard of and feel like I recall some popularity around it but I don't remember anything about it so I will look that up too. I love KZbin comments because it's a great way to discover things that are new to me so thanks for helping me discover something today!

[@xbrandi12345x]

I just checked out Beserk and that actually looks pretty fun, I would definitely like to try it because the older games don't make me sick. The Last Starfighter is another story though. It looks like there was a game for NES but it says there was never an arcade game and there was supposed to be an Atari game that never happened so was it NES you played the game on??

[@HOAXTelevision]

Brandi the last starfighter was a movie.

[@craigthescott5074]

I was heavy into video games at this point in time I was 15 and played Video games every day at a popular arcade in Phoenix. I never remember seeing this game. They were very addictive though.

[@paperbagfilms]

“The Last Starfighter”… great movie :)

[@brandenmcgee5125]

I think one of the two arcades Polybius was found was a pizza parlor called The Organ Grinder. I was 9 at the time, and saw a large group of older kids surrounding one machine.

[@jhonjhonjhonson7773]

I Loves the organ grinder

[@christopheraaron1255]

If you're saying it was really Polybius, you're lying. It's not real.

[@crimsoncruze]

I am curious how they got the screen capture of the game. Well if any topic involves government secret projects, i am ready to believe in every legend of it just like hagglefish😀

[@TheWhyFiles]

My opinion: I think the screen capture was made by Kurt Koller with Photoshop. But I'm ready to believe the legend, too!

[@Clip.Collector]

If you want more Polybius content look up Whang Polybius. Some of the information is the same but it's worth the watch. Both videos on the subject are 👍

[@deejames6371]

"Polaroid".... lol-SmileOutLoud

[@deejames6371]

"....then shared it on AOL!"

[@rarebird_82]

Hecklefish* 😉🙂

[@rodmandealerman3297]

Ah, the good ol' days. I worked at a typical mall arcade back in the mid-80's. The only thing I was addicted to were pinball machines, driving games, and Gauntlet 2. 4-player heaven, at least until 1am when the alarm had to be on.

[@jeffgoodnough9704]

This was a great feature! You've joined the tiny ranks of channels to get my subscription in just one video... fantastic presentation, great polish and editing- excited for the rest of your back catalog and whatever comes next!

[@annikkirahko6714]

YAY!!!! New video!!!!!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@TheWhyFiles]

Great to see you!

[@PerfectPrimarch]

AVGN did a pretty good vid on Polybius. You can tell it's an urban legend from the early 2000's. No one before then ever thought about stealing peoples 'data' and have it seem threatening

[@carlcarl6032]

For me, Defender and Stargate seemed impossible to even get through a few stages but I loved me some Robotron and was actually pretty good at it. Would love to play that again on a real machine.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

I spent hundreds of dollars, getting good at Defender, then Stargate came next. It was then that I realized that there would be no end to more games to beat, so I started putting my time into school instead, and it paid off. The biggest game is life, and what I really wanted was a girlfriend, and playing video games wasn't the way to do that. Games are fun, but really pointless.

[@michaellavoice3807]

I love how this urban legend had worked its way into pop culture like "Ready Player One," and "Armada" by Earnest Cline.

[@angelwings1]

I love your channel ❤ Keep up the good work 👍🏻

[@lizc6393]

It's not like the U.S. Military scouted drone pilots at video game conventions or anything. Oh wait...

[@Radxcor83]

I had a rad childhood. My dad worked for a whole bunch of arcade cabinet distribution companies (including Brady games). Me and my brother got to play many of them before the general public. My dad would let us skip school with him to go to "The Shop" where he would work and we would "test" all the Arcades for free.

[@TylerSteinle]

Another great video keep up the good work!

[@dmtmediabrothers]

If you think this is the only game to purposely be built this way...youre in for a suprise

[@LunarJetwoman]

Theres also a really really well researched and comprehensive video on this by a channel called ahoy ( probs mentioned in the comments already ) . Most of his stuff is great too