Pitfall! (0)

Pitfall!
First release date
1982-09-06
Platform
Commodore 64 MSX PlayStation Atari 8-bit Atari 2600 ColecoVision Intellivision Atari 5200 Xbox 360 Games Store PC Windows Phone
Developer
Activision Learning Technologies Interactive
Publisher
Activision Pony Canyon, Inc. Home Entertainment Suppliers Pty. Ltd.
Theme
Pitfall
Franchise
Pitfall

Gameplay

A shortcut!

Pitfall! is a 2D where the player has to find 32 treasures within a time limit of 20 minutes. Players control the character and have to guide him through a dense forest filled with deadly obstacles such as snakes, scorpions, rolling logs, alligator infested swamps, and bottomless pits.

The game had many basic gameplay elements that are now common in all platformers. Harry had the ability to jump, swing, climb ladders and run left or right on the screen. The game places Harry on the left side of the screen by default, but a player could choose to tackle the jungle by going right on the screen. The game also had many secret passages which could be used as shortcuts.

Release History

Pitfall! was created in 1982 by employee . The game was a technical achievement in that it had multiple animated sprites of varying colors with no flickering. Pitfall! introduced the basic concept of having a character jump around to avoid obstacles and collect items, which is now the basis for all platformers. The game was a massive success on the and had ports for numerous game systems afterwards.

The character in the game is lovingly referred to as .

Fun Facts

  • Pitfall! was used in an episode of in which Father Maxy had to traverse a series of levels (with himself being the main character) to retrieve a lost scroll hidden in the catacombs of The Vatican.
  • In 1982, then-unknown actor was in a Pitfall! commercial.
  • Actor of Evil Dead fame would eventually play the voice of Pitfall Harry in the version of the game.
  • When Pitfall! was originally sold, anyone who scored above 20,000 points could send Activision a picture of his or her television screen to receive a Pitfall Harry's Explorers' Club patch.
  • In , the player must complete a game of Pitfall! using their own character in order to proceed in a mission.
  • In : this game is playable through a secret in the Nuketown 2025 map.