Page 43 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #3

by Tim "Sniderman" Snider
T box. Besides the in- Recently, I actually found that
he recent
death of Larry
structions and war-
scrap paper that had my contest en-
Linville, Frank
try. Here's what I envisioned:
ranty cards was an
Burns on TV's
to help 5 O'Clock Charlie bomb the
test.
'MASH,' saddened me. entry form for a con- "Hawkeye and Trapper are trying
I'm sure many of us "In 50 words or nearby ammo dump! Watch for Frank
have fond memories less, describe the Burns! He's trying to shoot Charlie
laughing at ol' Ferret gameplay for a future out of the sky! The Swamp-Boys
Face's antics on the MASH game of your move a target that Charlie's trying to
long-running sitcom. own design!" hit. If they can get Charlie to bomb
However, Larry Linville The winning entry the dump, you score!"
actually has classic would have his or her Many weeks later, I opened the
game-related memories creation made into an mailbox and found a parcel from 20th
for me. You see, his actual released game Century Fox games. Inside was a
character figured promi- and the designer letter telling me my idea had won a
nently in my design of would
MASH II for the Atari Larry Linville get, not
2600. only the noto-
While everyone has speculated at riety, but a game de-
one time or another on the existence signer's contract with
of a MASH II prototype game, I can 20th Century Fox! Sec-
tell you a bit about what MAY have ond place winners (10
been. When the original MASH cart of them I think) would
by 20th Century Fox came out, it was win a free 20th Cen-
all I wanted for my 14th birthday. I tury Fox game and
was a HUGE Atari and MASH fan at third place winners
the time. I thought that any game that would get a MASH t-
combined my two favorite time-killers shirt. I raced to my
was a great idea. (Plus, the cart room and began to fill
came complete with a free T-shirt, so out the form.
I had to have it.) Sure enough, it was It took three days M*A*S*H II Concept Screen
one of the gifts I got. of writing on scratch
After spending many hours wear- paper before I had my
ing my t-shirt ("Property of the MASH idea down to 50 words or less. I second place prize, which was Tur-
4077th"), rescuing "wounded," and based my concept on the episode "5 moil. I was thrilled that someone at a
operating on them in the OR, I de- O'Clock Charlie" which Big Time Game Com-
cided to take a break and rummage featured a North Korean pany thought my
through the miscellaneous paper- pilot with poor eyesight game idea didn't
work that was crammed in the game trying to bomb the camp suck.
ammo Since no descrip-
dump. Frank tion of MASH II has
had requisi- ever surfaced, my
tioned a game idea may be all
Howitzer to that exists of a recog-
shoot Char- nized game concept
lie out of the for the game sequel.
sky. Mean- In a way, I'd like to
while, think that my 14-year-
Hawkeye old ramblings on a
and Trapper scrap piece of paper
reasoned that, if Char- is all that remains of the ever-elusive
lie hit the dump, Char- MASH II 2600 cart.
lie would fly off to
"terrorize" more tar-
Original M*A*S*H gets.

Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2000 43