Dan Geeks Out: Video Game Review #348: Pitfall II: Lost Caverns

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns

Atari 2600

Nostalgia Factor:

Here we go, my last review for Mop Up Duty for the year 1984. Checked off of my list are Frogger II and Cloak & Dagger. Now it's time for some Pitfall II: Lost Caverns!

I played and reviewed the original Pitfall for the 2600 a few weeks ago. While I acknowledged the game's limitations, I still had a pretty enjoyable time with it. I ended up giving it a C, which is a decent grade considering the game's complete lack of replay ability. I considered the game a cut above a lot of the other crap I've played for the 2600 over the years, so it certainly had that going for it.

I have never played Pitfall II before, so when I saw that it came out in 1984 I knew I had to check it out for my 1984 series. From what I had read, it was one of the last games ever released for the 2600. Critically, it had also gotten a lot of praise for being one of the best games ever released on the system. If my mind wasn't already made up, it was after reading those reviews. Would Pitfall II live up to the hype, or would it be another mediocre effort for the 2600? Let's find out.

Story:

I don't really know anything about this game's story, as nothing is explained in-game and I do not have access to this game's manual. But from what I could gather while playing, you return to the action as Pitfall Harry. Harry seems to have lost his niece and his pet lion inside this giant, treasure-filled system of caverns. He needs to search through these caverns, saving his buddies and recovering a valuable lost ring in the process. Collect all three of these "items" and the game ends with Harry doing a happy dance. Go Harry, go Harry, go!

Gameplay:

Unlike the first Pitfall game, where you are really only going left or right in a straight line, Pitfall II lets you explore a vast and deep system of caverns. You can climb up to new screens by climbing ladders, or you can climb down to new screens the same way (or by simply taking a leap of faith). You can go left and right as well, but you are not limited to that. In fact, if you want to make it very far in this game at all, you are going to need to descend into the cavern system in your first few minutes of playing.

There are several tweaks to the gameplay formula here, such as the ability to swim in water. Gone are the abilities to swing across ropes or jump across crocodiles in the water, which is kind of sad. When I think of Pitfall, I think of these things so it does suck to see them gone. You'll quickly forget about them, however, as I believe this game offers much more rich and fulfilling gameplay.

You can almost use the term "open world" to describe this game. You aren't stuck on linear path. You can explore this system of caverns in any direction you choose, moving from one screen to the next. The entire game is essentially just one giant stage. I believe I read that there are something like 72 screens in total to explore.

There is natural wildlife in this game that will kill you, but you can't fight them. You have to dodge them or jump over them to get by them, similar to how you deal with them in the first game. Pitfall 2 also offers the ability to grab hold of balloons and use them to help you "fly" through certain sections of these caverns. Using these balloons is essential if you want to beat the game. My first time attempting to play through this game, I wasn't even aware of the balloons' existence, and I ended up getting stuck for like 15 minutes because I ran into a dead end. Turns out that in order to trigger the balloons' appearance, you have to stand on one of the game's screens and just wait for them to appear - at which point you jump up and grab a hold of it. I'm someone who is always moving, always GO GO GO, so if I didn't turn to the internet for help I might still be sitting there wondering what the heck I was supposed to do next.

Once you've explored the caverns thoroughly and have collected all the items you need, the game ends. This is a pretty short game. Can probably be beaten in less than 20 minutes if you know what you are supposed to do. I suppose going for the highest possible score adds some replay value to the game, but you know my stance on that. I'm not a big fan of games where your only goal is to get the highest score. I want to be able to say I completed the game, and then I am out and I move onto the next game. That's exactly what happened here.

Graphics:

This is perhaps the best looking 2600 game I have seen. Pitfall 2's jungle cavern setting is brought to life to the best of the system's capabilities. Right off the bat you see trees, water, even a sunset in the background. Pitfall Harry is looking dapper as ever. The game's wildlife is comprised of bats, scorpions, and frogs - all of which look pretty good. The treasures are shiny and they stand out onscreen. It always feels rewarding when you collect one of them. By today's standards this game may not look too horribly impressive, but for the 2600 I have to say it is very good.

Sound:

Unlike many 2600 games that are eerily silent as you play them, Pitfall 2 actually has stage music. Wow, what a breakthrough! Even the first Pitfall game didn't have stage music. Yeah, the music is repetitive and honestly it is nothing to write home about, but I have to admit that it is still better than no stage music at all. I like how it plays clown or circus music whenever you are riding a balloon.

The sound effects are nothing special. Just your average boinging sounds you hear all the time for the 2600. In fact, everything may even be recycled from the first Pitfall game.

Overall:

This is one of the very best games the Atari 2600 has to offer. The graphics and the setting are nice. There's actual music. The game has an attainable goal, and it can be beaten to completion. Things don't loop endlessly, although you can explore the game to its fullest and go for that high score if you wanted to squeeze a little replay value out of this. Overall I would say I had a really fun, pleasant time with this game.

Pitfall 2 doesn't have that classic Atari frustration. I wouldn't say the game is easy, but it is very manageable. There is no set amount of lives, so when you die you simply restart from the latest checkpoint. Not having to deal with the frustration of starting from the beginning every time you mess up is such a giant relief and it allows you to relax and just enjoy the game. Of everything I have played for the 2600, this is definitely the one that comes closest to matching the quality of a game on the NES.

As much as I am praising it, it's still going to get a mediocre final grade. I would consider this title above average, but I don't think it's good enough to rank in the B range. It's too short. There's again a limited amount of replay value to be found here, just like with this game's predecessor. As good as this game looks and sounds by 2600 standards, it is still quite dated. I don't have any nostalgic feelings for the game either. Maybe if I had grown up playing this game as a kid and it meant something to me, I might be able to convince myself it deserves a B ranking. But it doesn't even have that going for it.

Look, I want to give it a higher score, but I know that compared to some of the games I still have yet to play and review, Pitfall 2 doesn't even come close to matching their quality. Even though it may possibly be the best game ever made for the 2600, it still pales in comparison with what's to come on my Mop Up Duty tour.

THE GRADE:

C+

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