SuperParent
The cult classic “edutainment” PC game The Oregon Trail has just returned in a brand new version, this time with a fresh new look and featuring both Pilgrims and Native American characters for the first time in series history.
Initially released in 1971, The Oregon Trail was developed by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger as one of the very first computer games. The title was revolutionary back in the day, as it was created as a way for school-aged children to learn about the early western American settlers. Since its release fifty years ago, the series has gone on to have many different iterations, but this newest version is perhaps the most ambitious.
Adding in a New Native American Perspective
This new version of The Oregon Trail expands on many different facets of the classic game, but perhaps the biggest change is the addition of Native Americans as playable party members. Developed by Gameloft, the developers hired three Native American historians to help with designing the virtual figures’ appearance, speech, and roles within the game. With the help of these historians, the developers aimed to make the Native American representation more authentic. In doing so, they removed stereotypical features, such as the characters playing flute and drum music and those possessing bows and arrows in favor of rifles, which were more common in that period.
The game can be played with either North American settlers or Indigenous North Americans, with the player’s parties being able to be a combination of both. The Indigenous characters will respond to settlers as their equals and have their own dialogue and gameplay scenarios just like the settler characters.
New Graphics & Touch Screen Controls
Another major change seen in this new version is the game’s overall look: while the game graphically still has somewhat of a retro and pixelated look, it now reads better than ever with bright colors, realistic lighting, and an overall fantastic art style. Players will surely be impressed by the game’s new visuals, which look truly modernized.
This new version of The Oregon Trail also improves the game’s HUD, which now displays additional bits of information such as the current date, weather conditions, wagon travel speed, each of your respective party members’ stats, and more. The game’s move to mobile devices also adds some new quality-of-life features, such as an easier item management system.
The title has been developed by Gameloft, one of the largest mobile game developers, which has developed countless games for the platform, including titles such as Lumines, Disney Magic Kingdoms, Minion Rush, and the Asphalt racing game series. The new version of The Oregon Trail is exclusively available for iOS devices through Apple Arcade. There’s no word on whether the title will be ported to other platforms or devices in the future.
At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)