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There was one computer game of the past that conquered all others. A game that one could invest hours upon hours of time in and not realize the time pass. A game that could transport the player back into a time and place hard to imagine. That game is Oregon Trail. If you haven’t played, or at least heard of Oregon trail, then you probably grew up with modern technology. But for those of us who were lucky enough to play the original game, we miss it! Well I have good news Pioneers, Oregon Trail is back and it’s now available on your iPhone or iTouch!

Gameloft, the company daring enough to take on the remake of this game, did a fantastic job on Oregon Trail. They managed to capture the essence and story behind the original game, while bringing it into the future both technically and physically speaking.

For those Oregon Trail virgins, I’ll give a quick rundown of the game. You’re heading a group of pioneers traveling from Missouri to Oregon in pursuit of the American dream. As the boss, you control everything from group wellness, money, travel speed, food, supplies and more. The majority of the game you’ll be setting the travel speed of your wagon on the trail. You decide how slow or fast to go by tapping one of the three icons along the bottom of the screen. Go to slow and you’ll fall behind schedule, but go to fast and you’ll run the risk of injury and wagon failure.

Throughout the game, you’ll be prompted to go on various side missions that take you into a mini-game. The mini-games include: fishing, hunting, rafting, wagon repair, food gathering, telegraphing, gold panning, and river crossing. Your goal is to do well and score high, some missions will score you more supplies or money. Occasionally, you’ll pass through a town in which you can purchase supplies, cure members of your party, and make adjustments to your wagon.

The graphics for this game have come a long way since those in the computer version from way back. Instead of the old 2d version, you can watch your party travel in vivid, well done graphics. However, those awesome graphics come with a price. Throughout my game play, my game crashed a number of times sending me into a fit of rage. So players should be prepared for this. Perhaps upcoming updates will solve this issue.

All in all this is an extremely fun, and addicting game. Fans of the old Oregon Trail will undoubtedly fall in love with this game. But first time players will also grow an obsession. For the price of $5.99 it might be considered a little steep. But keep in mind the amount of use you’ll score from this game and you’ll most likely agree it’s worth it!

Verdict: 5/5 Stars