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Custer's Revenge
Cover art
Developer(s)	Mystique
Publisher(s)	Mystique
Platform(s)	Atari 2600
Release date(s)	NA October 13, 1982
Genre(s)	Adult, Western
Mode(s)	Single-player
Media	Atari 2600 cartridge
Input methods	Joystick

Custer's Revenge (also known as Westward Ho and The White Man Came) 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 main character was based on General George Custer.^[1]

The game was first released on October 13, 1982, and has received significant criticism because of its crude simulation of an apparent rape of a Native American woman.^[2][3]

Gameplay

In the game, the player controls the character of General George Armstrong Custer, depicted as a man wearing nothing but a cavalry hat, boots, and a bandana, sporting a visible erection. Custer has to overcome arrow attacks to reach the other side of the screen. His goal is to have intercourse with a naked, large-breasted Native American woman, named "Revenge."

Reception

Custer's Revenge gained notoriety for its plot. Sold in a sealed package labeled not for minors^[4] and selling for $49.95^[5], it acknowledged that children might nonetheless see the game. The game's literature stated "if the kids catch you and should ask, tell them Custer and the maiden are just dancing."^[6]

The makers elected to preview the game for women's and Native American groups, an act which some thought was a publicity stunt.^[7] The game did prompt criticism from women's rights groups who stated that the game was a simulation of rape; the back of the packaging states "she's not about to take it lying down, by George! Help is on the way. By God! He's coming." Other groups such as Women Against Pornography, Native American spokespersons, and critics of the video game industry in general protested the game. Andrea Dworkin claimed the game "generated many gang rapes of Native American women."^[8] Activists tried pressuring legislators to outlaw the game, which Oklahoma City, Oklahoma did.^[9] Multiple Industries pursued an $11 million lawsuit against Suffolk County, New York and legislator Philip Nolan "because of a resolution authorizing the county executive to take action to halt sales and distribution" of the game.^[10]

This has been credited as being one of the worst games ever made by Australian PC Magazine.^[11]

Aside from complaints over the game's sexual content, the game was not well received due to poor gameplay and graphics — the two characters' appearances have been compared to Lego bricks or cardboard boxes.^[12]

The focused media attention caused the game to sell approximately 80,000 copies, twice as many copies as Mystique's other AO-rated games, Bachelor Party and Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em. Atari, only the platform for the game and not the maker, received numerous complaints about the game, and responded by trying to sue the game's makers.^[13] Stuart Kesten, President of American Multiple Industries (Mystique) stated "our object is not to arouse, our object is to entertain [...] When people play our games, we want them smiling, we want them laughing." The game's designer, Joel Miller, said Custer was "seducing" the maiden and that she was a "willing participant."^[14] Ultimately, the game was withdrawn from circulation.^[15]

Variations

Screenshot from the game showing the main character Custer with an enlarged erection (left), and the Native American woman, "Revenge"

Like many other video game manufacturers of the early 1980s, Mystique went out of business. It sold the rights to its games to Playaround, which continued to market Custer's Revenge as Westward Ho for a time. Playaround 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. It 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." Instead of arrows, cannon balls are fired at the woman.

See also

• Battle Raper
• RapeLay
• Video games notable for negative reception

References

• Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games. Roseville, California: Prima. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4. 

External links

• AtariAge: Custer's Revenge, with box/cartridge scans and other information
• Custer's Revenge at GameFAQs
• Custer's Revenge at MobyGames
• Seanbaby's Custer's Revenge page

From Wikia Gaming, your source for walkthroughs, games, guides, and more!

Custer's Revenge
Developer(s)	Mystique
Publisher(s)	Mystique
Release date	Atari 2600: October 13, 1982 (NA)
Genre	2D platformer
Mode(s)	Single player
Age rating(s)	N/A Atari 2600
Platform(s)	Atari 2600
Input	Atari 2600 Joystick
Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough

Custer's Revenge is a game released for the Atari 2600. It is one of several adult-oriented games released for that system, and rather simplistic at that given the hardware's limitations. The game drew criticism from women's rights groups who claimed that this game was a simulation of rape, plus other groups such as Women Against Pornography and Native American spokespersons protested this game.

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