History Trivia / TheOregonTrail

** A well-known meme from Oregon Trail exists ''because'' of people 'circulating tapes'. Why does everyone remember "[[GraveHumor here lies andy; peperony and chease]]"? Because [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25430 a player put that tombstone into a copy of the game that was widely pirated, and in the heyday of emulation, found it's way into almost all Apple II disk image archives online.]] (The "pepperoni and cheese" joke itself is almost certainly a reference to [[https://youtu.be/vKspf06XuaQ this '90s Tombstone Pizza ad.]])

* ItsBeenDone: When Target put out a handheld version of the game in 2018, people were crying out for a port of Oregon Trail for [=iOS=] and Android. That actually happened in 2011 (see Porting Disaster entry in YMMV), but then Gameloft mismanaged the franchise and [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwed the game over]]...[[note]]Speculation abound that Gameloft only agreed to porting the game because they wanted the license to the franchise to create a "''VideoGame/FarmVille'' clone" based around Oregon Trail. This is mostly supported by the fact that said ''[=FarmVille=]'' clone is still going strong while the actual game ports had been retired several years ago at this point[[/note]]
* LetsPlay: A very popular target for this, especially the second edition of the game.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually, in ''Oregon Trail II'' and its sequels. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the medical advice from your guidebook and other characters is unrealistically accurate for the period. For example, cholera being airborne was the overwhelming medical consensus of the time. The disease being waterborne was first proposed by John Snow in 1854, and his view was extremely controversial for a while. The game, however, acts like it's already an established fact that cholera is waterborne. Also, bloodletting was a be-all-end-all treatment during the period in which the game takes place, but it's never offered as an option or even mentioned.

* ItsBeenDone: When Target put out a handheld version of the game in 2018, people were crying out for a port of Oregon Trail for [=iOS=] and Android. That actually happened in 2011 (see Porting Disaster entry in YMMV), but then Gameloft mismanaged the franchise and [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwed the game over]]...[[note]]Speculation abound that Gameloft only agreed to porting the game because they wanted the license to the franchise to create a "Farmville clone" based around Oregon Trail. This is mostly supported by the fact that said Farmville clone is still going strong while the actual game ports had been retired several years ago at this point[[/note]]

** A well-known meme from Oregon Trail exists ''because'' of people 'circulating tapes'. Why does everyone remember "[[GraveHumor here lies andy; peperony and chease]]"? Because [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25430 a player put that tombstone into a copy of the game that was widely pirated, and in the heyday of emulation, found it's way into almost all Apple II disk image archives online.]] (The "pepperoni and cheese" joke itself is almost certainly a reference to [[https://youtu.be/vKspf06XuaQ this '90s Tombstone Pizza ad.]]

** A well-known meme from Oregon Trail exists ''because'' of people 'circulating tapes'. Why does everyone remember "[[GraveHumor here lies andy; peperony and chease]]"? Because [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25430 a player put that tombstone into a copy of the game that was widely pirated, and in the heyday of emulation, found it's way into almost all Apple II disk image archives online]].

* ItsBeenDone: When Target put out a handheld version of the game in 2018, people were crying out for a port of Oregon Trail for [=iOS=] and Android. That actually happened in 2011 (see Porting Disaster entry in YMMV), but then Gameloft mismanaged the franchise and [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwed the game over]]...[[note]]Speculation abound that Gameloft only agreed to the porting the game because they wanted the license to the franchise to create a "Farmville clone" based around Oregon Trail. This is mostly supported by the fact that said Farmville clone is still going strong while the actual game ports are retired at this point[[/note]]

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: A well-known meme from Oregon Trail exists ''because'' of people 'circulating tapes'. Why does everyone remember "[[GraveHumor here lies andy; peperony and chease]]"? Because [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25430 a player put that tombstone into a copy of the game that was widely pirated, and in the heyday of emulation, found it's way into almost all Apple II disk image archives online]].

* ItsBeenDone: When Target put out a handheld version of the game in 2018, people were crying out for a port of Oregon Trail for [=iOS=] and Android. That actually happened in 2011 (see Porting Disaster entry in YMMV), but then [[TheyJustDidntCare Gameloft mismanaged the franchise]] and [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwed the game over]]...[[note]]Speculation abound that Gameloft only agreed to the porting the game because they wanted the license to the franchise to create a "Farmville clone" based around Oregon Trail. This is mostly supported by the fact that said Farmville clone is still going strong while the actual game ports are retired at this point[[/note]]

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: A well-known meme from Oregon Trail exists ''because'' of people 'circulating tapes'. Why does everyone remember "[[GraveHumor here lies andy; peperony and chease]]"? Because [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25430 a player put that tombstone into the game that was pirated the most]].

* ItsBeenDone: When Target put out a handheld version of the game in 2018, people were crying out for a port of Oregon Trail for [=iOS=] and Android. That actually happened in 2011 (see Porting Disaster entry in YMMV), but then [[TheyJustDidntCare Gameloft mismanaged the franchise]] and [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwed the game over]]...[[note]]Speculation abound that Gameloft only agreed to the porting the game because they wanted the license to the franchise to create a "Farmville clone" based around Oregon Trail. This is mostly supported by the fact that said Farmville clone is still going strong while the actual game ports are practically abandoned at this point[[/note]]

* ItsBeenDone: When Target put out a handheld version of the game in 2018, people were crying out for a port for [=iOS=] and Android. That actually happened in 2011 (see Porting Disaster entry in YMMV), but then [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Gameloft mismanaged the franchise and screwed the game over]]...[[note]]Speculation abound that Gameloft only agreed to the porting because they wanted the license to create a "Farmville clone". This is mostly supported by the fact that said Farmville clone is still going strong while the actual game ports are practically abandoned at this point[[/note]]

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually, in ''Oregon Trail II'' and its sequels. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the medical advice from your guidebook and other characters is unrealistically accurate for the period. For example, cholera being airborne was the overwhelming medical consensus of the time. The disease being waterborne was first proposed by John Snow in 1854, and his view was extremely controversial for a while. The game, however, acts like it's already an established fact that cholera is waterborne. Also, the existence of bloodletting, which was a be-all-end-all treatment during the period in which the game takes place, is totally ignored.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually, in ''Oregon Trail II'' and its sequels. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the medical advice from your guidebook and other characters is unrealistically accurate for the period. For example, cholera being airborne was the overwhelming medical consensus of the time. The disease being waterborne was first proposed by John Snow in 1854, and his view was extremely controversial for a while. The game, however, acts like it's already an established fact that cholera is waterborne.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually, in ''Oregon Trail II'' and its sequels. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the medical advice from your guidebook and other characters is unrealistically accurate for the period. For example, cholera being airborne was the overwhelming medical consensus of the time. The disease being waterborne was first proposed by John Snow in 1854, and his findings were extremely controversial. The game, however, acts like it's already an established fact that cholera is waterborne.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually, in ''Oregon Trail II'' and its sequels. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the medical advice from your guidebook and other characters is unrealistically accurate for the period. For example, cholera being airborne was the overwhelming the medical consensus at the time. The disease being waterborne was first proposed by John Snow in 1854, and his findings were extremely controversial. The game, however, acts like it's already an established fact that cholera is waterborne.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually, in ''Oregon Trail II'' and its sequels. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the medical advice from your guidebook and other characters is unrealistically accurate for the period.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually. While you're limited to nineteenth-century medicines, the game's advice about how to use them is unrealistically accurate for the period.

* ScienceMarchesOn: Inverted, actually. The game's medical advice is unrealistically accurate for the period. But what would be the point of filling kids' heads with outdated medical theories?

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: A well-known meme from Oregon Trail exists ''because'' of people 'circulating tapes'. Why does everyone remember [[GraveHumor Here Lies Andy: Peperony and Chease]]? Because [[http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25430 a player put that tombstone into the game that was pirated the most]].

* LetsPlay: ''LetsPlay/PlagueAndTreacheryOnTheOregonTrail'' by Chewbot, same guy that brought us ''TheTerribleSecretOfAnimalCrossing''. Featuring the hapless Cyrus J. Neckebard, his [[ActionGirl suprisingly capable]] wife Susan, their [[ChocolateBaby suspiciously black son Cyrus Jr.]] a.k.a. "[[NoodleIncident Waffles]]," their mouth-breathing daughter Sarah Jane, and [[{{Gonk}} Baby]].
** The LetsPlay/FreelanceAstronauts also [[http://freelanceastronauts.com/view.php?id=859 took a crack at the game]], the tone of which was set when they attempted to ford the first river crossing and Maxwell managed to drown in just under four feet of water.
** ThatGuyWithTheGlasses reviewers PawDugan and PushingUpRoses did a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYgfIvL83gw&feature=plcp two]] [[http://www.youtube.com/user/pawdugan#p/u/14/nQ5mMzydXds part]] Let's Play of the game using their TGWTG site coworkers as party members. In the end everyone but Paw died because of broken limbs.
** Another ThatGuyWithTheGlasses reviewer [=LordKat=] [[http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9827934 also]] did a Let's Play on his live stream. Like Paw and Rosie, he used members of the site as members of the party but only one ([=RolloT=], who was first the party member to die in Paw's LP) died before reaching their final destination.
** Justin.tv caster MonotoneTim also regularly does runs of the Windows version of Oregon Trail, with varying degrees of success. He's less worried about actually reaching Oregon at all since he focuses on [[ScoringPoints getting as many points as possible to]] [[HarderThanHard beat Stephen Meek's score of 7,650]]. [[http://i.imgur.com/g5Byy.png He eventually pulled it off.]]

** ThatGuyWithTheGlasses reviewers PawDugan and PushingUpRoses did a [[http://www.youtube.com/user/pawdugan#p/u/15/DYgfIvL83gw two]] [[http://www.youtube.com/user/pawdugan#p/u/14/nQ5mMzydXds part]] Let's Play of the game using their TGWTG site coworkers as party members. In the end everyone but Paw died because of broken limbs.

** Justin.tv caster [[http://www.justin.tv/monotonetim MonotoneTim]] also regularly does runs of the Windows version of Oregon Trail, with varying degrees of success. He's less worried about actually reaching Oregon at all since he focuses on [[ScoringPoints getting as many points as possible to]] [[HarderThanHard beat Stephen Meek's score of 7,650]]. [[http://i.imgur.com/g5Byy.png He eventually pulled it off.]]

** The FreelanceAstronauts also [[http://freelanceastronauts.com/view.php?id=859 took a crack at the game]], the tone of which was set when they attempted to ford the first river crossing and Maxwell managed to drown in just under four feet of water.