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Pitfall! [Model AX-018]

Atari 2600 cart. published 42 years ago by Activision, Inc.

Listed in MAME

Pitfall! [Model AX-018] screenshot

Pitfall!© 1982 Activision.

Picture this! You are deep in the recesses of a forbidden jungle an unforgiving place few explorers ever survive. But you've got courage, because you're with Pitfall Harry, the world famous jungle explorer and fortune hunter extraordinaire. The lure of hidden treasure draws you and Harry deeper and deeper into the bush. But, being a great explorer, you wouldn't think of starting such a difficult journey without reading this manual first very carefully.

The object of Pitfall! is to guide Harry through a maze of jungle scenes, jumping over or avoiding many deadly dangers, and helping Harry grab the most treasures in the shortest possible time.

TECHNICAL

Model AX-018

SCORING
You start each adventure with 2,000 points. Some misfortunes will cause a deduction of points. Should you fall down a hole by accident, you will lose 100 points. Rolling logs will also cause point loss depending on how long contact is made with them.
Each treasure you find will add points to your score. There are eight of each type of treasure in the entire game, 32 in all, for a total of 112,000 points. A perfect score is 114,000 points (reached by collecting all treasures. without losing any points by falling down holes or tripping on logs).
Diamond Ring = 5,000 points
Gold Bar = 4,000 points
Silver Bar = 3,000 points
Money Bag = 2,000 points
TIPS AND TRICKS

Tips from David Crane, designer of Pitfall!
(David Crane is a Senior Designer at Activision. He also designed Dragster, Fishing Derby, Laser Blast, Freeway and Grand Prix)

"As you set off on your first adventure with Harry, you'll notice two important features: that the logs always roll from right to left, and that the replacement Harrys (after Harry loses a life) drop from the trees on the left side of the screen. So, to minimize the number of rolling logs to be jumped and the catastrophic hazards to be re-tried, simply run to the left."

"Pitfall Harry's trip must be made through a maze of surface and underground passages through the jungle. To capture all 32 treasures in under twenty minutes, Harry will have to use some of the underground passages. I'd suggest that you make a map of the terrain each time you play. Knowing the jungle and planning the best route to all treasures is the only way to insure success time after time."

"Until you get really skilled at making Harry jump from croc to croc, you might wait until the crocodiles' jaws are closed, jump to the top of the first croc's head, then wait for the laws to open and close again before jumping to the next one. Soon you'll be skipping across crocs like they were stepping stones in a stream."

"If you can find any writing materials deep in the jungle, drop me a line. I'd love to hear how you and Harry are getting along."

SERIES

1. Pitfall! [Model AX-018] (1982, Atari 2600)
2. Pitfall II - Lost Caverns [Model AB-035] (1984, Atari 2600)
3. Pitfall II - The Lost Caverns (1985, Arcade)
4. Super Pitfall! (1987, Famicom)
5. Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure (1991, Super Famicom)
6. Pitfall 3D - Beyond The Jungle (1998, PlayStation)
7. Pitfall - The Lost Expedition (2004, PlayStation 2)

STAFF

Programmer: David Crane

PORTS

CONSOLES:
usa Sony PlayStation (sept.30, 1998) "A Collection of Activision Classic Games for the Atari 2600 [Model SLUS-00777]"
usa Sony PlayStation 2 (nov.19, 2002) "Activision Anthology [Model SLUS-20588]"
europe australia Sony PlayStation 2 (2003) "Activision Anthology [Model SLES-51313]"

HANDHELDS:
usa Nintendo Game Boy Advance (dec.9, 2003) "Activision Anthology [Model AGB-BAVE-USA]"
usa Sony PSP (nov.8, 2006) "Activision Hits Remixed [Model ULUS-10186]"
europe Sony PSP (feb.9, 2007) "Activision Hits Remixed [Model ULES-00640]"
australia Sony PSP (feb.14, 2007) "Activision Hits Remixed [Model ULES-00640]"

COMPUTERS:
usa PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (apr.4, 1995) "Atari 2600 Action Pack"
usa PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (jan.1, 1994) "Activision's Atari 2600 Classics"
usa PC [Microsoft Windows, CD-ROM] (oct.2003) "Activision Anthology: Remix Edition"
usa Apple Macintosh [CD-ROM] (2003) "Activision Anthology: Remix Edition"

OTHERS:
usa Windows Mobile (may.25, 2009) "Activision Anthology (PPC)"
usa Android (aug.30, 2012) "Activision Anthology"
usa Apple iPhone/iPad (aug.30, 2012) "Activision Anthology [Model 542727742]"
usa "Atari Flashback 8" (sept.22, 2017) by AtGames
usa "Atari Flashback 8 Gold Edition" (sept.22, 2017) by AtGames
usa "Atari Flashback 8 Gold Activision Edition" (sept.22, 2017) by AtGames
usa "Atari Flashback Portable Game Player" (sept.22, 2017) by AtGames

SOURCES

Game's ROM.