Gameloft has released a new updated version of everyone’s favorite elementary school classic, The Oregon Trail. I remember getting to play this game on the Apple IIe as a reward for doing good in class.

Overall: 9.3

Presentation: 9.5

The presentation is superb and very true to the original game. It is hard to beat an updated classic, and this one was done right.

Graphics: 9.4

The graphics are a big update from the days of playing on a monochrome green monitor. The game has a nice “cartooney” look to it that is sure to appeal to anyone.

Sound: 9

Sound is sound. I didn’t hear any audio glitches while playing, and the music and speech are clear and at a good volume.

Gameplay: 9.7

This game is just plain fun, especially if you remember the old game. Your goal, of course, is to travel the Oregon Trail to Oregon, avoiding obstacles and sickness on the way. You have to remember to watch your food and wagon strength, and rest along the way from time to time. As you travel the path, there are minigames that you will encounter. The minigames are there just like old times, though with updated looks. In the fishing minigame, you drag your finger down to drop your line, and then tap the man to make him reel the fish in. In the hunting minigame, you tap the animals to shoot, which seems simple but can become tricky if you get swarmed by a herd of animals. The minigame that I enjoyed the most was the “float across the river” game. This game utilized the device’s accelerometer to have you “steer” your wagon around odstacles in the river while picking up coins and boxes.

Replay Value: 9

This game has a lot of different paths that you could take, so it definitely has replay value. There are several side quests athat are available, which I only did a few of my first time through. I plan to be playing this game for quite a while, and also teaching my kids how to play it.

Tags: Reviews