Gaming Target - Xbox: Pitfall Harry

Written by Nick Doukas on April 11, 2003

First Impressions: AwwwЕOur little sprite's all grown-upЕ

On September 9th 1982, Activision (the original 3rd party developer) released Pitfall for the Atari 2600. I got the game for my birthday in October of that year, the same day Van Halen played Madison Square Garden. I was sick, and wasn't supposed to go (like I was going to give up a floor seat to see VH on the Diver Down tour, on my birthday no lessЕ.yea, right) but I played Pitfall all day and was on a train for the city that night. If there's one thing I distinctly remember about that day (besides Eddie's playing), it's being very excited that Activision was bringing new software to the table, particularly something as innovative as Pitfall. Play mechanics that included leaping and swinging on vines, dropping into underground passages, as well as treasure hunting and battling with scorpions and crocodiles, essentially made Pitfall the first console action/adventure game in history. The ability to travel forwards and backwards during the game's progression was an intriguing new twist as well, ushering in new concepts that arguably set adventure gaming down the path to where it is today. Over the years, several attempts to re-ignite the franchise have met with mixed results, but developer Edge Of Reality are bringing Harry back to Next Gen gaming with an updated, re-telling of the venerable adventurer's tale.

In Pitfall Harry, you'll take control of the main character as he attempts to rescue a party of fellow explorers who've been lost in the South American jungle, as well as thwart a group of adversaries intent on plundering the surrounding area. The game features over 50 levels of fast-paced action and puzzle solving, and you'll need to fight, swing, climb and crawl through 8 different types of exotic environments. These include: miles of lush rain forest, foreboding tombs and crypts, ancient Aztec ruins and towering mountains of snow and ice. Fortunately, the developers have equipped you well for the tasks at hand, and you'll have access to a wide array of tools whenever you need them. Sturdy ice-axes, a powerful sling-shot, blazing torches, a mighty shield, and an elevating pogo-stick (yes, you read that rightЕ.a pogo-stick) will help you extricate Harry from even the most uncomfortable situations, with relative ease.

In addition to scorpions and crocodiles, Harry will face new enemies, such as: piranhas, monkeys, jungle cats, crocodiles, disgruntled natives and bush ninjas. Combat will be aided by a feature that sees Harry automatically locking onto an enemy once they come within range, and will instantly disengage once he moves a prescribed distance away. You'll acquire additional moves and items as the game progresses, all of which will be put to good use, as the developers have designed the enemy encounters to require that certain context-specific maneuvers and items be utilized in order for you to defeat them. Overall, the combat looks interesting and varied, while staying true to the original spirit of the source material.

Graphically, Pitfall Harry looks sharp, with nice texture work evident in the environments and highly polished, quirky character models that display a whimsical flair. Though the game is still in the early stages of development, the lush details of the various locales look to be coming along nicely. Additionally, Pitfall Harry introduces a unique control scheme, with the ability to maneuver objects in Harry's hands via the analog sticks. Senior Producer Chris Hewish: УHarry's hands will react to the way you move the analog stick. For example, if you're in a dark ruin area, you can keep your torch facing the ground to watch for traps or creatures that might be attacking, or you can hold it up to see if there's an opening above you.Ф Overall, it sounds like Harry's getting a solid overhaul for the current generation of consoles. It remains to be seen if the developers can truly harness the power of X, and deliver a definitive next generation Pitfall for the 21st century.