Selfless crazies play Desert Bus for charity
by Scott Jon Siegel 
{ Nov 22nd 2007 at 9:01PM }
Desert Bus is one of several mini-games included in the never-officially-released Sega CD game Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors. The Desert Bus mini-game challenges players to drive Penn and Teller's tour bus from Tuscon, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada... in real time... and at a maximum speed of 45 mph.
It's a task that takes 8 hours to complete, and earns players one point in the game. The task can be completed back and forth as many times as the players can stomach, each time earning one point. The LoadingReadyRun team has pledged that the more money they receive, the longer they will sit and endure this painful, painful game. Over $1,000 USD have already been donated, which guarantees the masochists at least 64 hours of play-time. To see just how crazy they are, check out the gameplay footage after the break.
[Thanks, Graham]
We don't know what they were thinking, but this is the very definition of selflessness:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
robothouse @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:09PM
Why the fuck would they even put that in the game? It looks like something out of Homestar Runner.
Myxo @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:13PM
It was meant as political commentary back in the day.
Brello @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:13PM
Exactly what I was thinking, weird.
Bluebrake @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:54PM
Political commentary? I thought it was just a joke. The whole game was made of minigames like this that you were supposed to get your friends to play as a prank. Some were rigged to play different tricks on them, while some, like this, were just really really boring. Hence the title, "Smoke and Mirrors."
Probot @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:37PM
It is a joke/political commentary. It was a response to video game critics (at the time, Janet Reno) saying video games are too violent. P&T decided to make a realistic game to show how boring it would be.
The whole game is pretty funny. You can read more about it here:
http://www.waxy.org/archive/2006/02/28/penn_tel.shtml
Shiaoran @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:18PM
D8 (my face while watching the video)
A cookie for whoever tell me of a game more boring than this one.
Geist @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:30PM
Gears of War! Halo 3! Um. Assassin's Creed!
Heh, oh I kid, I kid. Just that a question like that invites all sorts of fanboy comments.
Seriously. This game is quite the boring experience.
Abortimus Prime @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:36PM
There are some pains man is not meant to endure.
Godspeed to those brave, brave souls.
Mr Khan @ Nov 22nd 2007 9:47PM
And i thought i had seen gaming brutality with Magician Lord and Wrecking Crew
Apparently i haven't even scratched the surface of brutal games
8 hours? They're masochists indeed
James @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:06PM
DONATE AND MAKE THEM PLAY MORE!!!
pirahna @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:08PM
Is there any traffic or turns? If not they could just, ya know, tape down a button and run with it, unless the bus has busted steering alignment and constantly tries to run off the road.
Good thing this crap never got released, holy shit.
supremespleen @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:51PM
They made it so the bus veers to the right constantly, so you cannot do that.
Geist @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:09PM
You forgot to mention the part where, at the end of the 8 hour trek, the game gives you a few seconds to confirm whether or not you'd like to try again. If you don't respond, it ends. So you have to do it _continuously_.
gone with the wind @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:13PM
wtf did i just watch ............................................................ mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so um yeah so excuse me while i rethink what ive done with my life ............................. what the bleepity bleep bleepity bleep bleepity bleep bleepity bleep bleepity bleep bleepity was that
gone with the wind @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:19PM
this would be a good xbox live achievement. they should release this as a arcade game
finnith @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:22PM
They should put this on XBLA with some achievements.
Allister Howe @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:34PM
Oh man, I know the LoadingReadyRun guys! This is awesome, going to have to donate.
hydralisk456 @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:47PM
They think that's bad, HAH! Try playing the unreleased sequel, Desert Bus 2: The Residential Zone! It's basically the same game except you drive through a residential area so the speed limit is a blistering 25mph. And you have to watch out for children, if you hit one the game bricks your console..... FOREVER!!
Dan Bugglin @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:12PM
hydralisk456: Awww darnnit! I was hoping they would stay truthful to the original and have no challenge whatsoever! It actually sounds like it might have an ounce of fun now...
Zeus the God @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:46PM
ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIFYING GAME PLAY. HOLY MOTHER-F**KING S**T! THAT IS THE **GREATEST** GAME EVER! HOW DARE YOU, JOYSTIQ, INSULT SUCH A QUALITY GAME!
I'M BOYCOTTING!
Geist @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:17AM
Overall Score: 9.5/10
samfish @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:02AM
Haha! I love Penn & Teller. I wish this game would have been released. A VC release would be awesome or the above mentioned XBLA release with achievements.
...well, achievement.
Joe @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:06AM
lol,
Singapura @ Nov 23rd 2007 12:26AM
They should use this game as an alternative for waterboarding. Cruel and unusual indeed....
DammitBran @ Nov 23rd 2007 6:26AM
APPROACHING SOUND BARRIER!
Link @ Nov 23rd 2007 7:24AM
Ummmmm, that truck needs some wheel alignment done.
Konchu @ Nov 23rd 2007 1:02PM
Owie that is painful they could at least put some traffic maybe an occational Coyote well maybe they did though some of those 2 lane highways are silly quiet. Kinda reminds me of the Lemanns 24 "24 hr" mode though at least on that your driving fast.
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Nov 23rd 2007 3:09PM
Been looking forward to this one for a bit :)
Adam Welsh @ Nov 23rd 2007 4:29PM
You all are forgetting the best part. When you go off the road, a tow truck has the tow your ass AALLLLLL the way back to Tucson, ALSO in real time!
JimmyTheMonkey @ Nov 26th 2007 8:11PM
That bus needs its allignment checked