Disclaimer: I am a fourteen-year-old girl. You are probably thinking "Isn't that a bit old for The Learning Company?" But let me set you straight:
SETUP:
I just recently rediscovered it while going through some old things, and I installed it on my Windows Millenium without a problem. Yes, I did have to download QuickTime 3 (I was expecting horribly graphics when I learned this) but it was ready to play in four minutes.
PLOT AND CHARACTERS:
The plot is simple: Guide your wagon party from Independence, MO, to Oregon City while fufilling goals in the progress. More on this later. The characters are real actors implanted in a computerized background (this can look tacky and cheap at times, but it's nothing big). The actors are costumed well and look the part, but the dialouge is horrible and many of them speak in abhorrent, over-the-top accents (a prime example is the actress for "Caroline Crabbe."). I solved this problem by simply turning off the volume and using the subtitles. The acting itself is also horrible, but you must remember this is a game intended for young children.
GAMEPLAY:
I have had no problems with this game, except for infrequent occurences where the game shut off and glitchy sound. The loading times were extremely short. The QuickTime 3 has not affected any other games on my computer.
RECOMMENDED?:
If you have children, I would definately suggest buying them Oregon Trail 4. It would make a great gift. Granted, I have not played OT 5, so you may want to check that out.