What was this late 80s/early 90s computer game?

December 11, 2008 1:04 PM

What was this late 80s/early 90s computer game? It involved traveling with sled dogs...

This has bugged me for a while. Back in elementary school, during the late 80s or very early 90s, the computer lab had this game sort of like the Oregon Trail but not. In this game, you led a pack of sled dogs to travel along some trail. You chose a guide, chose your dogs, and occasionally had to stop along the way to let an injured dog heal or buy supplies.

I'd love to know what this game was, and if it's available anywhere as abandonware/freeware. All the Google searches I've tried have turned up something like Amazon Trail or Yukon Trail, which isn't it (no sled dogs). Anyway, not a huge deal, but I'd greatly appreciate some input if you have any idea what I'm talking about. Thanks!

posted by mingodingo to sports, hobbies, & recreation (13 comments total)

We can rule out Oregon Trail, right? It's horses of course, and is the Oregon Trail, but it would be good to rule it out right off the bat.
posted by crapmatic at 1:14 PM on December 11, 2008

Yeah, not Oregon Trail.
posted by mingodingo at 1:17 PM on December 11, 2008

I have a vague recollection of something similar. Could it have been distributed by Scholastic as some sort of software subscription/magazine?
posted by Bromius at 1:24 PM on December 11, 2008

My kid brother had this game. Reading a description here leads me to believe it is the Yukon Trail, which does have dog sleds.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:27 PM on December 11, 2008

Not sure here... but seomone else is looking too that might help solve this.

From:
http://www.cantfindongoogle.com/en/list/1.html?eso=7

"Really Looking For: An old computer game, circa 1995. In the game, you were in command of a sled dog team. It was like Oregon Trail, but with a dog sled. I assume it was for the Apple II computer. It may have been made by Mecc, but maybe not. You could pick the dogs for each position. "Wheel" is one position I remember. Sometimes the dogs would run away. Oh, and I think you could hire an old Native American dude to come with. If anyone has any info, I'd much appreciate it. I want to recapture this little bit of my childhood. Search Terms Tried: arctic trail, yukon trail, sled dog game."
posted by bleucube at 1:46 PM on December 11, 2008

Man.. I think I remember something similar. Like it was on a disk for the c64, and there was also some fur trapping game on the same disk, or on the other side or something. H(BD)TH
posted by blenderfish at 1:50 PM on December 11, 2008

Definitely Yukon Trail!
posted by kidsleepy at 1:55 PM on December 11, 2008

Bleucube, that person is describing the exact same game...unfortunately no responses yet...now I really want to figure this out.
posted by mingodingo at 1:59 PM on December 11, 2008

kidsleepy, does Yukon trail meet the description quoted by Bleucube above? It seems slightly different, from what I've read. Thanks.
posted by mingodingo at 2:00 PM on December 11, 2008

Do you recognize the name from this list of Apple II games?
posted by schyler523 at 2:31 PM on December 11, 2008

Sadly, no. Thanks, though.
posted by mingodingo at 2:59 PM on December 11, 2008

Mushing the Iditarod Trail

It is a board game...

I call the Eskimo dude! You can be Todd Palin.
posted by clearly at 8:23 PM on December 11, 2008

The internet's a small world. I was the one that asked that cantfindongoogle question that bleucube mentioned above. I actually did eventually get a response: The title is "Dog Sled Ambassadors."

Not realizing that you'd made this post, I turned to the hive mind and asked if anyone knew of a place where I could get a copy. That AskMefi is here.

studentbaker made the connection and told me about this post. I'm gonna try ILL'ing to get a copy of the disk, but I don't know if then I'll be able to find a way to actually play it. Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

So much trouble for what's probably a game that is not as awesome as I remember it being. :)
posted by bergeycm at 10:50 PM on April 16 [1 favorite]