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Arcade game:Berzerk

1980

The Strong National Museum of Play

The Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester, United States

In 1980, Stern Electronics released the video arcade game Berzerk: a maze game designed by Alan McNeil. The player navigates a "humanoid" through a series of labyrinths while killing enemy robots. These robots differ in speed and firepower, but they all have one thing in common: an endearing clumsiness. The player can easily direct the robots into the maze's electrified walls or into the crossfire of another robot. The player does not have to kill all the robots before moving onto the next maze level, but they earn bonus points for doing so. Almost immediately after entering a new level, the robots direct fire towards the humanoid.
Berzerk also features an indestructible boss character known as Evil Otto. Although he is merely a smiley face, Evil Otto is a force to be reckoned with. Evil Otto bounces through the walls of the maze, making his way towards the humanoid. The humanoid's firepower has no effect on Evil Otto. If he reaches you, it means certain demise. The synthesized voice of the robots is another notable feature of Berzerk. The robots taunted the player with phrases like "Get the humanoid!" and "Kill the chicken!"
An unfortunate legacy of Berzerk exists in the game's role in the death of a video game player. In 1982, 18 year-old Peter Burkowski died of a heart attack while playing the game. Berzerk was the first, and perhaps the only, game to be linked to the death of a player.

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  • Title: Arcade game:Berzerk
  • Date Created: 1980, 1980
  • Location: USA, USA
  • Subject Keywords: video game, electronic game, arcade game, video game, electronic game, arcade game
  • Type: Arcade Games, Arcade Games
  • Medium: plastic, metal, glass
  • Object ID: 109.17266, 109.17266
The Strong National Museum of Play

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