Reception
Custer's Revenge quickly gained notoriety upon its release. Sold in a sealed package labeled "NOT FOR SALE TO MINORS" and selling for $49.95, 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." The makers elected to preview the game for women's and Native American groups, an act which some thought was a publicity stunt.
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." Activists tried pressuring legislators to outlaw the game, which Oklahoma City, Oklahoma did. 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.
The focused media attention caused the game to sell approximately 80,000 copies, twice as many copies as Mystique's other adult-only 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. 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." Ultimately, the game was withdrawn from circulation.
In 2008, the game was credited by Australian PC Magazine as being one of the worst games ever made. That same year, Games.net ranked Custer's victim as fifth on the list of top ten disturbingly sexual game characters. In 2010, UGO.com ranked it as tenth on the list of the most racist video games in history. In 2012, UGO also ranked the game's General Custer as the second most unsexy video game character of all time.
In 2008, the University of Calgary Tom Keenan professor cited "the hideous Custer's Revenge game", 26 years after its release, in an op-ed piece about current video game violence issues for the Calgary Herald.
In the South Park episode "You're Getting Old" (season 15), an arcade machine for Custer's Revenge appears in the background during Randy's musical performance at the bowling alley.
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