Red Sea Crossing (video game)

Red Sea Crossing is a Christian side-scrolling video game for the Atari 2600. Released for mail order only in 1983, its existence went unrecorded until it was discovered at a garage sale in 2007. Only two verified copies have been found, making it one of the rarest published video games.

Red Sea Crossing
Developer(s)Steve Stack, Inc.
Publisher(s)Inspirational Video Concepts
Programmer(s)Steve Schustack
Platform(s)Atari 2600
ReleaseOctober 7, 1983[1]
Genre(s)Platformer, Christian
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay
Moses jumping over giant clams, while evading a javelin. The fish that represents the time limit can be seen in the top left.

Moses parts the Red Sea and the player directs him between the parted waters. Moses must avoid obstacles such as seaweed and giant clams, as well as the pursuing Egyptians, by precisely timing his movements and jumping.

A fish swimming in the water behind Moses serves as a time limit - he must reach the end of the screen before the fish. Bonus points are awarded for collecting stone tablets or catching doves, and a staff item awards an extra life.

The game is not known to have an ending, but the developer has claimed that it is winnable. When the player runs out of lives, the Red Sea closes up.[2]

Development

In 1983, Red Sea Crossing was developed independently by the self-taught programmer Steve Schustack. He self-published the game and sold it exclusively through a single magazine advertisement.[3] Instead of a manual,[2] the game shipped with a coloring book[4] and an "explanatory" audio cassette tape, apparently recorded by Dale Evans Rogers.[5][6]

Writing broadly about "toy" programming in his 1993 technical manual, Schustack explains:[7]

I see children as a terrific market and one many of us are very familiar with [...] Money isn't the only aspect to this; there's plenty of potential satisfaction out there for the grabbing. I like the thought of my young nephews' and nieces' cute little fingers pressing keys, while [the video game's] music and animation bring smiles to their faces.

Rediscovery

The game had essentially vanished from all knowledge until a copy was found at a Cincinnati rummage sale in 2007. The discovery of the unattested game proved to be controversial. Users of the AtariAge forum identified Schustack as the developer and contacted him; he recalled advertising the game in an unspecified religious magazine. In 2011, an advertisement for Red Sea Crossing was found in a 1983 issue of Christianity Today, finally verifying the game.[1][2][3]

An auction was scheduled for the found copy in 2012.[3] Days before the auction was to occur, a second copy of Red Sea Crossing was discovered by a Philadelphia thrift store owner.[8][9] The auction was carried out after a deferment,[10] and the game sold for $10,400.[3] The second copy was also auctioned in 2012, for $13,877.[11]

See also

References
  1. James, Mike (February 15, 2023). Smoke and Mirrors. Andrews UK Ltd. ISBN 9781837910335.
  2. (2017) "Red Sea Crossing Manual (Unofficial)"
  3. Goldfarb, Andrew (September 10, 2012). "'Holy Grail of Atari Games' Sells for $10,000". IGN. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  4. Durham, Gabe (June 2, 2014). Bible Adventures. Boss Fight Books. ISBN 9781940535074.
  5. Inspirational Video Concepts (October 7, 1983). "Bible Video Game Brings Fun Home". Christianity Today (full-page advertisement).
  6. Metzger, Richard (January 15, 2014). "Atari 'holy grail': Moses 'Crossing The Red Sea' Bible story video game, 1983". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  7. Schustack, Steve (January 1, 1993). C for Fun and Profit. Carmel, IN: Sams Publishing. p. 493. ISBN 9780672303654.
  8. Woods, Don (September 11, 2012). "Vineland natives stumble upon rare Atari game". NJ.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. "Attn. Nerds: Super Rare Atari Game Surfaces At Medium Bob's". Philebrity.com. August 20, 2012. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  10. Conditt, Jessica (August 21, 2012). "Rare Atari 2600 game, Red Sea Crossing, pops up in Philly shop". Joystiq. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  11. Woods, Don (September 12, 2012). "Rare Atari game discoverd by Vineland natives sells for $13,877.78 on eBay". NJ.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
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