Desert Bus: A game about leaving Tucson

[Triple Zero]

(via http://waxy.org/2011/02/metagames_games_about_games/ )

Penn & Teller's Smoke & Mirrors (Sega CD, 1995) was a collection of small pranks that used unique aspects of the medium to let buyers play tricks on their friends. In Desert Bus, the most notorious of the mini-games, players drive a tour bus on a mind-numbing eight-hour trip from Tucson to Las Vegas.

The objective of the game is to drive a bus from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada in real time at a maximum speed of 45mph. The feat requires 8 hours of continuous play to complete, since the game cannot be paused.

The bus contains no passengers, contains little scenery (an occasional rock or stop sign will appear at the side of the road), and there is no traffic. The road between Tucson and Las Vegas is without exception completely straight. The bus veers to the right slightly; as a result, it is impossible to tape down a button to go do something else and have the game end properly. If the bus veers off the road it will stall and be towed back to Tucson, also in real time. If the player makes it to Las Vegas, they will score exactly one point.

gameplay video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBr7EhL6Jpg&feature=player_embedded

[Telarus]

 

Gotta love Penn & Teller humor.

[LMNO]

That is amazing.

[Eater of Clowns]

There's been a charity set up around this game for years.  You donate to have a group of guys play Desert Bus, the more donations, the longer they play.

http://desertbus.org/faq/

ETA:  The last drive, they went 5 days, 21 hours.

[Freeky]

There's been a charity set up around this game for years.  You donate to have a group of guys play Desert Bus, the more donations, the longer they play.

http://desertbus.org/faq/

ETA:  The last drive, they went 5 days, 21 hours.

Yeah, these guys are over at escapistmagazine.com.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Oh my god, what? This is amazing!

[Bruno]

What game system is that?

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

If they ever reach 21 days of gameplay, they'll find out that the bus becomes unable to leave Tucson and just endlessly circles the city until the wheels melt and the engine explodes.

[President Television]

If they ever reach 21 days of gameplay, they'll find out that the bus becomes unable to leave Tucson and just endlessly circles the city until the wheels melt and the engine explodes.

All the Las Vegases that they got to were just mirages.

[Cinderflame KSC]

Yes, this game was created as a response to yet another debate over overly unrealistic and graphically violent video games.It was made to be completely non-violent and painstakingly realistic.

Java Applet version here: http://desertbus-game.org/

[BadBeast]

But I've heard, on fairly reliable sources that you can never leave Tuscon. Even on a Bus.

[Freeky]

But I've heard, on fairly reliable sources that you can never leave Tuscon. Even on a Bus.

It's only a videogame, Badbeast, it's not meant to be realistic.

[BadBeast]

Must have accidentally my realities there for a moment.

[Z³]

nothing is original, art is dada, dada is dead, art is dead, god is dead.