Polybius Ultra

Polybius Ultra

Our ancient ancestors spoke of a legendary place -- where the young and young at heart could test their skills against a magical, electronic device, using strategy, and their reflexes at 25¢ a pop. These wondrous havens were called "Video Arcades" and these hulking machines were called "Video Games." Believe it or not kids, it was the only place you could play a decent-looking, somewhat sophisticated video game, housed in a heavy, laminated wooden cabinet, because at the time the only thing you could play on your "push-button" phone was the tune, "Mary Had a Little Lamb." There is another legend however, that at least in one or more of these Video Arcades in Portland, Oregon in 1981 A.D., there lurked a mysterious Arcade Game called "Polybius" and it had a much more nefarious purpose than to provide amusement and rook a kid out of a short stack of quarters -- it may have been there to try its hand at brainwashing you, and then report its findings to a sinister government agency. There were reports of players who suffered terrible side effects from the visual phantasmagoria of the gameplay, like severe headaches, nausea, memory loss, nightmares, an aversion to playing any video games afterwards and in some extreme cases, suicide. But were these reports true? Did this diabolical game ever exist? Was the legend of Polybius just an "Urban Legend?" One thing we do know is true, prior to the legend of Polybius, a secret government agency really did try to zap unsuspecting people's brains and take notes.

Tonight's Quote:

“The obvious objective of video games is to entertain people by surprising them with new experiences.”

  • Miyamoto Shigeru, the "Father of Modern Video Games" and Co-creator of The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers and many more.
For more information on this episode visit our website!

Show Links:

We've found that some sites are not showing these links as clickable unless they are URLs, so until those outlets improve their show notes section, we are providing actual URLs next to the clickable description of each link to make things easier for our listeners!

"The Cosmos' Most Ridiculously Implausible Videogames: Polybius - the most mysterious game of all time?" an article by Jason Helton http://bit.ly/1JZlNST "Polybius: Video Game of Death" by Brian Dunning from his Skeptoid Podcast #362 http://bit.ly/1SZ8eFN "Polybius: Portland's Own Seizure-Inducing Mystery Game" an article by Richard Grunert in Willamette Week http://bit.ly/1PVKKRB Polybius, the real Greek historian http://bit.ly/1Pjh2Aa Text of Original Polybius Comments from Steven Roach and Cyber Yogi http://bit.ly/20HOSpY The Simpsons and all it's Math http://bit.ly/1mqpuEw Duane Weatherall's Interview with Steven Roach http://bit.ly/20s6U2K Power Gloves & Tinfoil Hats: Case #001 http://bit.ly/1S1SnWB Download the Supposed ROM of the Game. PC Required http://bit.ly/23Ka7tA Interview with Ed Rotberg about Battlezone and the Military http://bit.ly/1SZaGMi Vector vs Raster http://bit.ly/1UMB2Pr Another Good Summary Article http://bit.ly/1NRnZXj Halcyon Days The Book http://bit.ly/1nOykP7 TEMPEST http://my.ign.com/atari/tempest BATTLEZONE http://my.ign.com/atari/battlezone

Episode 031 - "Polybius" Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Ryan McCullough Sound Design; Research Assistance by Tess Pfeifle. Copyright Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Jaksot(396)

44: The Beginning that Never Ended

44: The Beginning that Never Ended

In tonight’s dead letter… Listener, Isla recalls a childhood park trip in Australia where she and a friend went exploring after her mom’s car broke down in the bush. They wandered too far from the car and observed a void-like, spear-bearing figure on the bank. The bush fell silent and the wind carried songs in an ancient language as they fled back to the car without looking back. Years later Isla still feels watched whenever she strays off the path. The Movie ‘Get out’ (referring to ‘The Sunken Place’ from the letter) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052448/ Artlandish Aboriginal Art Website https://www.artlandish.com/ Goddard & Wierzbicka (2015) Article on ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283206413 Wikipedia – "The Dreaming" https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dreaming&oldid=1297566697 Petrichor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor SAS Survival Handbook https://a.co/d/6oSBMlQ ‘Songlines’ by Bruce Chatwin https://a.co/d/6kqf1Oc ‘Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions’ by Edwin A. Abbott https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland Email your stories to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com

2 Syys 39min

43: Tracked

43: Tracked

In tonight’s dead letter… Listener, Scott recounts a series of unexplained howls heard in the woods near his Alabama home. Night after night, he and his family would sit on the porch and listen, noticing patterns in the sounds. This progresses later to him being stalked by something he could not see. Alabama Bigfoot Website (via Wayback Machine) Most audio links not working: https://web.archive.org/web/20110518043255/http://www.alabamabigfoot.com/bigfoot/reports/Recordings.html RadioLab’s episode ‘Wildtalk’: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0sug8rBkpypmdnjFEQ3iA3?si=3K7sddfCRiKfLwBlj9qkkg Predators in Alabama: https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/environment/animal-services/pet-services/urban-wildlife/ Charle’s Fort’s Wild Talents (Book): https://a.co/d/8r1l6gz The Astonishing Legends Episodes on Charles Fort (if you’re curious): P1 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5kWLAh6t5REHPfKGZloOkb?si=7c98be94c8a44a06 P2 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QhqHXilyU0DZgFxfWKtjE?si=5bb9bf4d7a444d0a The Movie ‘Spartan’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartan_(film) The North American Wood Ape Theory: https://www.woodape.org/ The Alaskan Killer Bigfoot Story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Killer_Bigfoot https://www.travelchannel.com/show/alaskan-killer-bigfoot-travel-channel-atve-us Email your stories to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com

26 Elo 34min

Introducing: CONSPIRACY THEORIES, CULTS, AND CRIMES

Introducing: CONSPIRACY THEORIES, CULTS, AND CRIMES

From Jonestown to Heaven’s Gate, to the Octopus Murders and the Waco Siege, the world is full of deception, manipulation, and destruction. Listen to Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes every Wednesday as we explore the real people at the center of the world’s most shocking secrets and nefarious organizations. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House Original powered by PAVE Studios. Follow the show now so you don’t miss a single story. Listen and follow here: https://link.podtrac.com/nu1waeoa

20 Elo 8min

Dead Letter Office Special Announcement

Dead Letter Office Special Announcement

This week’s Dead Letter Office is cancelled, but the show will return next week. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

19 Elo 14s

42: A Gathering of Shadows

42: A Gathering of Shadows

In tonight’s dead letter, listener Jerri-Kay recounts a story from her childhood when her mother witnessed multiple shadow figures entering their bedroom in broad daylight. Later that night, while seemingly half-asleep, when her mom enters her room she yells that she's not her mother and points to lights that only she can see in the room, leaving the family shaken and searching for answers. Were these events positive or negative? Astonishing Legends' Shadow People Episode:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/7wNUanfRFXoQ0QOhy5l58L?si=62193edf57854ec0 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astonishing-legends/id923527373?i=1000355594797 Myth Fits Podcast with Kari Byron and Tori Belleci from MythBusters: https://www.youtube.com/@MythfitsPod https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mythfits/id1813405582 https://open.spotify.com/show/6SOvzD9Rc52Is6qHm0ivJt?si=f479aac0675644f8 David Weatherly's Work:  https://eerielights.com/ https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01N59JC6U/allbooks David Weeatherly on Astonishing Legends (Spotify/Apple Podcasts Links) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RWx4nYQNZZ9b3qd04Dj8y?si=0353dbf9a2324ae1 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5p5GxpIqVX43RQwvtmTdwz?si=35384b2e23404b63 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astonishing-legends/id923527373?i=1000495952492 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astonishing-legends/id923527373?i=1000497668831 Documentary - The Nightmare:  https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-nightmare Missing 411:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Paulides/author/B002ALI9AA? https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TRVhzSYDB6NKiU69L5c9A?si=e6fe2e83dfe84069 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Q0pc5e8JlBoZzDrgY1Evp?si=b451bd4ae98841be https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astonishing-legends/id923527373?i=1000579063545 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astonishing-legends/id923527373?i=1000580601049 Article on Light Emission After Death:  https://www.sciencealert.com/we-emit-a-visible-light-that-vanishes-when-we-die-says-surprising-new-study Email your stories to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com

12 Elo 36min

The Hatem Files 2

The Hatem Files 2

This week, Scott and Forrest welcome back Richard Hatem of Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf to Astonishing Legends! Join us as we delve into Richard's unique insights on paranormal literature, including odd details in famous experiences like Whitley Strieber's book, Communion and others. We'll explore Rich’s favorite episodes and get a sneak peek into his upcoming season. Plus, we'll hear about his pending tour across the US, including a stop at the Mothman Festival in just a few weeks! Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.

9 Elo 1h 47min

41: The Fisherman's Ghost and the Homunculus

41: The Fisherman's Ghost and the Homunculus

In tonight’s dead letter, we hear from our listener Sam, who shares two spooky stories. The first involves two hauntings at an aquarium in the UK. An old lady ghost with a penchant for floral perfume, and as one might expect…a fisherman. While the second features a mysterious, hunched-over shadow figure lurking in a South Carolina home. Sometimes these shorter letters are the most freaky. As we often remind our listeners, the real experiences don’t occur with a three-act structure or poignant message all the time. Instead they are just glimpses of something that you may never understand.  North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher:  https://www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher Phantosmia (Phantom Smells):  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantosmia Clairalience:  https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/enlighten/clairalience-to-clairvoyance-your-psychic-gifts/ Gorton's Fisherman:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorton's_of_Gloucester Trilogy of Terror (1975):  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilogy_of_Terror https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/trilogy-of-terror Homunculus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homunculus https://www.britannica.com/science/homunculus-biology Astonishing Junk Tour: https://www.patreon.com/posts/astonishing-junk-85805858?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Email your stories to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com

5 Elo 33min

40: Skinwalkers in Iraq

40: Skinwalkers in Iraq

In tonight’s dead letter listener Henry, a marine, recounts his experiences on guard duty in Iraq, where his platoon was stationed at an abandoned hotel near the Jordanian border. During a late-night watch, he and another marine hear footsteps in the stairwell, but a search of the building yields nothing but an unsettling encounter with glowing eyes in the boiler room. The mystery deepens when a fellow marine suggests the presence of a skinwalker, leaving the group to ponder the true nature of what they encountered in the desolate hotel. Navajo Culture https://discovernavajo.com/navajo-culture/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navajo Skinwalkers (In the Context of Navajo Culture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin-walker https://nativeappropriations.com/2016/03/magic-in-north-america-part-1-ugh.html The Monroe Institute https://www.monroeinstitute.org/ Jim Harold’s Campfire https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jim-harolds-campfire/id310656913 Trebil, Iraq https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebil https://web.archive.org/web/20050716034614/https://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2088 The Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona https://hotelmontevista.com/

29 Heinä 31min

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