Custer's Revenge
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| Custer's Revenge | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Mystique |
| Publisher(s) | Mystique |
| Release date(s) |  October 13, 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Adult |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Input | Joystick |
Custer's Revenge (also known as Westward Ho) is a pornographic video game made for the Atari 2600 by Mystique, a company that produced a number of adult video game titles for the system. The game was first released on October 13, 1982 and is subject to significant controversy because of its crude simulation of rape with a physically-restrained Native American woman.
Contents |
[edit] Controversy
Custer's Revenge gained notoriety for its peculiar plot. In the game, the player controls the character of General George Armstrong Custer, depicted as a man wearing nothing but a cavalry hat, boots, a bandana, and sporting a visible erection. Custer has to overcome various obstacles to achieve his goal, which is to rape a crudely depicted, naked, large-breasted Native American woman who is bound to a post, named "Revenge" in the manual.
The game prompted criticism from women's rights groups who stated that the simulation of having sex with a tied-up woman was a simulation of rape. Other groups such as Women Against Pornography, Native American spokespersons, and critics of the video game industry in general protested the game.
Aside from complaints over the game's sexual content, many found the gameplay simplistic. People also found the pornography element of the game inadequate - the two characters' appearances have been compared to lego blocks or cardboard boxes.[citation needed]
The focused media attention caused the game to sell approximately 80,000 copies, twice as many copies as Mystique's other X-rated games, Bachelor Party and Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em.
[edit] Variations
Like many other video game manufacturers of the era, Mystique went out of business. They sold the rights to their games to Playaround, which continued to market Custer's Revenge as Westward Ho for a time. They made minor modifications to the game, which included making the skin of the "woman" darker and having her extend her arm and gesture to "Custer" to come over to her. They also made a version of the game called General Retreat. In this game it is the "woman" who has to overcome various obstacles to have sex with "Custer" – who this time is the one tied to the post. Instead of arrows, cannon balls are fired at the woman. General Retreat has often been hailed as the better of the two versions, featuring slightly less questionable material.
There were rumors that a sequel to the game was to be released, entitled Custer's Return. It was supposedly the same game, but set in Mexico. This rendition was never released.
[edit] References
- Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. Roseville, California: Prima. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- AtariAge: Custer's Revenge, with box/cartridge scans and other information
- Custer's Revenge at MobyGames
- Custer's Revenge: A Manly Game
- Seanbaby's Custer's Revenge page
