Pitfall! Mobile Review

Join me now for a complex, thought-provoking look back at one man's weary, tiring journey to find a deeper soul within himself and retrace himself to become the man he was meant to be...um, yeah, not this game. Back in the 1980's, Activision made third-party adventure simple and yet incredibly addictive with the release of PItfall!, an adventure that puts you in control of a simple lug by the name of PItfall Harry who traverses jungle threats and dangers in order to score gold, money, and other treasures within the 40 minute time limit allotted.

This game is basically a port of the Atari 2600 version, and nothing has really changed. While some may see this as a big negative in their quest for big-time gaming, take heart. At least the game doesn't take the backward dive that the more kiddie-friendly efforts have introduced, and instead gives us the gutsy yet simple and to-the-point design of the original. You'll jump over scorpions, campfires, and other threats; swing across vines; avoid bottomless pits and water traps; jump on crocodile heads to get across otherwise unreachable areas; and eventually score monetary treats that will boost your score.

The game's controls remain as great as they've always been, with the typical run-and-jump formula put perfectly into effect. They come across fine on a mobile phone setting, and the sounds also follow suit with the simple effects that the original was known for. If anything's a bit of a questionable leap here, it's how the graphics are crammed into a smaller screen. Sometimes it's hard to make out specific dangers due to the width of the small screen, but otherwise it's ported over nicely, complete with the washed-out colors from yesteryear. Hey, sometimes you have to cram a game to fit it in a portable phone, you know?

Jamdat is to be commended for "keeping it simple, stupid" with the release of Pitfall!. It's a happy, no-frills reminder of what gaming used to be, and how it remains such a delight after 20 some-odd years of circulation. Just, um, try not to fall into a crocodile's jaws, okay?