Everything about Gold Rushes totally explained
Gold Rush! is a graphic
adventure game released by
Sierra Entertainment in 1988. It was designed by
Doug and
Ken MacNeill. Players move a man from screen to screen, and type in simple commands to control him.
Story
The game is set in 1848, just before the
California Gold Rush. The player is
Brooklyn newspaperman Jerrod Wilson, who soon receives word that he must go to
Sacramento to meet his long-lost brother. After a few minutes of gameplay, word arrives that gold has been found in California, and it becomes much more difficult for Jerrod to settle his affairs in Brooklyn and find a way to Sacramento (for instance, the price of tickets skyrockets).
The game is notable for its inclusion of multiple paths which Jerrod can take to get to his brother. He can travel on a
stagecoach, which is the cheapest path, and the only one that's always available to Jerrod, no matter how long he spends in Brooklyn. This path also brings Jerrod into contact with
Native Americans, unruly
oxen, and parching
deserts. He can travel on a ship to
Panama, cross through treacherous
swamps and
jungles on foot, and catch another ship to Sacramento. This route is more expensive than the others and also requires Jerrod to prepare carefully for many hazards of the tropical climate of Panama, from
malaria to
crocodiles. The third, and most time-consuming path is to journey all the way around
Cape Horn on a ship. This choice has its own perils, from
storms to
scurvy. In each route Jerrod could perish at random by a disease to which there was no cure, forcing players to save their game whenever possible. Once Jerrod arrives in Sacramento, the three routes converge and all of the puzzles are the same.
Once in California, Jerrod must try his hand at prospecting, avoid bandits, and locate his mysterious brother.
Developmental history
Gold Rush! is one of the last games that Sierra made with the
AGI interface and is one of the most complicated. However, this hasn't prevented it from becoming one of the lesser-known Sierra adventure games.
Copy protection
Gold Rush used words from the manual as a form of
copy protection. If the user failed to enter the correct word, their character would immediately be arrested for
claim jumping and
hanged on the gallows, which is the same as the regular in-game punishment for claim jumping.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Gold Rushes'.
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