Game History
From a running figure to a jungle adventure
David Crane (Pitfall! designer and programmer) began with a prototype of a running human figure. He built a game around what that figure could do: run, jump, climb, and swing on vines. Activision released Pitfall! for the Atari 2600 in 1982, at a time when independent publishers were still establishing themselves on home consoles. Activision's development retrospective
How a 4 KB cartridge held a jungle
Pitfall Harry has 20 minutes and three lives to collect 32 treasures across a circuit of 255 screens. The game generates the sequence of scenes from a compact rule, so the cartridge does not need a separate map entry for every location. The sequence works in both directions, and the underground passages let players skip parts of the surface route. Learning where to drop below ground matters as much as timing a jump over a crocodile. Original Activision manual
Success, ports, and a series
Activision encouraged players to send in proof of a score of at least 20,000 points for an Explorers' Club patch. The game reached other systems, including Intellivision, ColecoVision, and Commodore 64. The 1984 sequel, Pitfall II: Lost Caverns, moved Harry into an underground setting. Later games such as The Mayan Adventure continued the series. The original remains an early example of building a console adventure around a route players could learn and improve. Atari's Pitfall II release notes
Discovered tricks and hacks
Original Atari 2600 cartridge.
Start by running left
Crane recommended starting left. The logs roll from right to left, so following their direction reduces how often you meet them head-on. Harry also respawns on the left side of a screen, which can spare you from retrying the hazard that cost you a life. Activision's original manual
Use tunnels to skip two surface screens
Crossing one underground screen advances you as far as three surface screens. Mark the ladders and treasure locations on a map so you know when a shortcut will save time and when it would skip something you need. Activision's original manual
Wait for a full crocodile cycle
Jump onto the first crocodile's head after its jaws close. If the next jump feels rushed, wait for the jaws to open and close again before leaping to the next head. Activision's original manual