The Video Game Project

A Closer Look At The Prototypes That Became Your Favourite Games!

Pickaxe Pete



Pickaxe Pete - Magnavox Odyssey 2

Pickaxe Pete or Pick Axe Pete! as it was known in Northern America was released for the Magnavox Odyssey² console in 1982. It was designed by Ed Averett, who wrote the majority of the games for the Odyssey². A U.S. national competition, "The Pick Axe Pete Pick-Off," was held at the World's Fair in October 1982.

The player controls a miner named Pickaxe Pete, and starts off in the middle of the screen with a pick-axe. There are thee doors from which boulders are coming, bouncing down the mine-shafts; every time Pete destroys one of these he gains 3 points, although the axe wears out after a while and disappears. When two boulders collide, they explode, and out comes either a pick-axe which floats to the bottom of the screen, a key which floats to the top, or nothing. If Pete has no axe, the player can either jump over boulders (gaining him 1 point), or get to the bottom of the mine to retrieve a new axe (gaining a 5-point bonus). If Pete collects a key then he can enter the doors, which lead him to the next level.

Pickaxe Pete - Magnavox Odyssey 2 - Eprom

Proto - Eprom

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