Most Gen X and Millennials have fond memories of playing The Oregon Trail in computer labs as a kid, or maybe even on a home PC if they were extra lucky. Although most of them didn’t realize it, the game they were playing was actually not the original version.
The Original THe Oregon Trail Release
The original prototype of The Oregon Trail arrived all the way back in 1971. Like a lot of computer games at the time, the first iteration of the game was completely text-based and didn’t include any kind of visuals at all. If the game you remember had any graphics at all, then this is not the version you played.
The first prototype was developed by a student-teacher and two of his friends in the early 1970s. His students loved the game and, when he finished his stint at the school, Don Rawitsch took his source code with him and headed for a job at the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium.
The Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) decided to further develop the concept and use the game as a tool to help teach children about the hardships faced by early 19th century pioneers. The MECC version launched in 1975.
The Oregon Trail version 2.0 and Beyond
The original version of The Oregon Trail quickly became one of MECC’s most popular pieces of software. The company saw the potential the game had and decided to further invest in it with an updated version that would incorporate graphics and more interactive gameplay elements.
Development on the second version of The Oregon Trail began in 1984 and was focused on optimizing and updating the game for the Apple II. This version of the game released in 1985 and MECC went on to continue updating it and porting it to other platforms in the following years. The iconic 1985 version, with the green and black color palette, is likely the version that most Gen Xers and elder Millennials recall from school. This is the version that many adults currently look back at with nostalgia and the original of the “[Player name] has died of dysentery” memes.
By 1993 The Oregon Trail Deluxe was widely available on both Macintosh and Windows computers. This version was also incredibly popular and is likely what most younger Millennials picture when they think back to playing the game as a child.
Gamers who want to check out an updated version of The Oregon Trail can find the 2022 version on Steam. The modern game draws inspiration from the original story and mechanics, but updates the graphics and gameplay with a blend of classic, pixel-art, and modern 3D visuals.
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