Pitfall!
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| Pitfall! | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Activision |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Designer(s) | David Crane |
| Release date(s) | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Platforming |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Media | Cartridge |
| Input | Joystick |
- This article is about the video game. For other uses, see Pitfall (disambiguation).
Pitfall! was a popular video game released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in 1982. The game is considered by many to be the first platform game ever made, despite having no platforms and coming out well after games that did, like Donkey Kong. It is the best selling game ever made for the Atari 2600, with over 4 million copies sold.
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[edit] Gameplay
The player must maneuver a character known as Pitfall Harry through a maze-like jungle in an attempt to recover 32 treasures in a 20 minute period.
Along the way, he must negotiate numerous hazards, including tar pits, quicksand, rolling logs, rattlesnakes, scorpions, walls, fire, and crocodiles. Harry may jump over or otherwise avoid these obstacles by timing his climbing and running, and in certain places he can swing on a vine to avoid them.
[edit] History and development
Pitfall! was created by David Crane, a programmer who worked for Activision in the early 1980s. In a November 2003 interview with Edge he described how in 1979 he had developed the technology to display a realistic "little running man" and in 1982 was searching for a suitable game in which to use it:
"I sat down with a blank sheet of paper and drew a stick figure in the centre. I said, 'Okay, I have a little running man and let's put him on a path' (two more lines drawn on the paper). 'Where is the path? Let's put it in a jungle' (draw some trees). 'Why is he running?' (draw treasures to collect, enemies to avoid, etc). And Pitfall! was born. This entire process took about ten minutes. About 1,000 hours of programming later, the game was complete."
Its technical achievements included non-flickering, multicolored, animated sprites on a system with notoriously primitive graphics hardware. Pitfall! was a massive success for the 2600. It is considered to have been the best selling game ever made for the system, with over 4 million copies of the game sold. Several ports were made for computer systems (such as the Commodore 64, Atari 800 and TRS-80 Color Computer), as well as for other videogame systems (such as the ColecoVision and the Intellivision).
Jack Black made his TV debut in a commercial for Pitfall, as shown on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he shows Jack a clip from the commercial.
[edit] Sequels
Crane also produced a popular sequel, Pitfall II: Lost Caverns the following year. It sold well, though not as well as the original, and is considered by many to be one of the best games ever made for the system. Also, unlike most games of its day, it had a definite ending.
Activision also produced Pitfall II versions for the Atari 400/800 and the Commodore 64; Brad Fregger was the producer for these versions. The Atari 400/800 version had the largest easter egg ever produced for a computer product. Since the two new versions had significantly more memory than the 2600, Fregger allowed the two designers to use the additional memory as they saw fit. The Commodore 64 designer enhanced the graphics, while the Atari 400/800 designer created an entirely new game that would be played after the initial game was finished. The new game was more complex and, in many ways, more challenging than the original game. In addition, the new game ended with Pitfall Harry and all the treasures on the surface waiting for rescue. However, marketing would not allow the two versions to be different, and demanded that the additional game be stripped from the Atari version. Instead, Fregger and the designers decided to leave it in and make it an easter egg.
In 1985, Activision licensed Pitfall! to Sega, who made an arcade version of Pitfall II: Lost Caverns. The game, which is now quite rare, actually had little to do with that game, and had more resemblance to the original Pitfall! released three years earlier.
Pitfall! was also created for the Commodore 64 using Activision Gamemaker as a demonstration of the game building software.
The name Pitfall! appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 as Super Pitfall, but was not successful and received poor reviews.
The game made its debut on the SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive systems in 1994, with the popular Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure. The game was ported to the Windows 95 operating system the following year. The Mayan Adventure was well known for having the original Pitfall! available to play on it. Two other games under the Pitfall! name have been released, Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle in 1998 and Pitfall Harry, released in 2003.
In 2004, a sequel was released for Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox. It was titled "The Lost Expedition", though it had many cartoony effects with tributes to the original Pitfall. The first two original games are playable in the game.
In 2005, the Pitfall alligators were edited into one of the television commercials for TBS' new Gametap website.
In 2006, the original Pitfall! resurfaced as a mini-game in Arcade's Murderworld in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
[edit] Television adaptation
In 1983, Pitfall! made its animated television debut as a segment on CBS' Saturday Supercade cartoon lineup, under the name Pitfall Harry. The basic plotline involved Harry, his niece Rhoda, and his cowardly mountain lion Quick Claws, exploring various lands for hidden treasure.[1]. After only one season, Pitfall Harry and Frogger were replaced by Kangaroo and Space Ace. The series has never been officially released on DVD or VHS.
[edit] External links
- AtariAge entry for Pitfall!
- MobyGames' entry for Pitfall!
- The Dot Eaters article featuring Pitfall!, Crane and Activision
