1979: THE FIRST EASTER EGG

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ADVENTURE

WHAT IS IT

Adventure is a fantasy video game that was developed by Warren Robinett for the Atari Video Computer System and was initially released in 1980. The main goal of the game is to explore various environments riddled with enemies to find the golden chalice and return it to the golden castle. You play as a square avatar who fight dragons and bats that either kills the avatar or steal your items.



The Easter Egg

In 1979, the game developer Warren Robinett was frustrated that he was not credited within the game for his own design due to a clash within corporate culture in 1976. Atari's acquisition by Warner Communications caused a conflict between New York executives and Californian Programmers cuasing Atari to remove all game developer's names from their products. As a way to rebel, Robinett added a hidden room with a key that unlocks a special feature, showcasing his name. The first person to discover this feature was a 15-year-old boy named Adam Clayton who sent a game map to Atari after his discovery.

DIRECTIONS

  1. Select Game 2 or Game 3.
  2. Get the Bridge
  3. Find the maze north of the Black Castle. Look for the room that is flickering -- the flicker is due to the extra item hidden in the room related to the Easter egg.
  4. In the flickering maze, use the bridge to get to access the chamber in the bottom/middle of the room.
  5. Go to the lower right corner of the small chamber and you'll pick up a single pixel.
  6. Carry the pixel to the room just above the Catacombs, located exactly one screen down, and one screen right from the Yellow Castle. Note: The pixel will be invisible unless you rub along a southern border.
  7. Drop the pixel in this room with a barrier on the right side.
  8. Retrieve two more objects (Key, Sword, Chalice) and drop them in the room.
  9. Once there are three objects in the room including the pixel, you can walk through the rightmost wall to view the Easter egg.