Taste-Test: Pitfall: The Lost Expedition

Rated: E for Everyone Developer: Edge of Reality Publisher: Activision Players: 1 Saving: 51 blocks, manual GBA Connectivity: No Progressive Scan compatible Taste-test by Kevin McGinnis

Pitfall, you’ve come a long way, baby. I remember when I was a wee little lad playing the old Atari 2600 and playing the first Pitfall game. I thought it was one of the most fun and challenging things I’d ever played. Then, later on there was The Mayan Adventure on SNES and Genesis then came the titles on the old PSX and now to GameCube, Xbox, and PS2. It has been a long and strange journey for the videogame world equivalent to Indiana Jones. Harry has been all around the world, played in all kinds of palaces and laid all kinds of girls…wait, no, those were lyrics to Billy Joel’s “The Entertainer;” suitably fitting, though, as this is one of the most entertaining games I’ve played in many moons.

I’ve only put a few hours into the latest from Edge of Reality and Activision, but those few hours have been immensely entertaining. The first thing you notice in the game is the opening menu screen, which really captures the very essence of the game. It has the obligatory Pitfall alligator/crocodile just floating, with the lush jungle surroundings, leaves falling. The actual appearance is very nuanced yet impressive. It doesn’t stand out and make you say “wowwie,” but it really sets the tone for a fun romp through the jungle. Additionally, the physical menu (which is the pause menu as well) is just too cool for school. The menu is the “Heroic Handbook,” which will give you your options of load game, options, credits, etc. For each selection, Harry will turn to another page or pull a note page from the back (when loading or saving). In game, the menu shows options like map, save, load, etc. The appearance and sound of the books really just make you smile, but I digress.

The opening movie/story segue is really, really funny. You start a new game and you’re (presumably) in what is the final battle of a previous game or of this game. You find yourself with glowing hands in a ring of fire battling a giant Panther. You don’t know why, but you are. You defeat the beast, and then the segue begins. Harry attempts to leave, gets pounced on by the panther and is about to be killed. The scene freezes as the beast is about to swipe and Harry then does a philosophical and quite humorous musing about life, death and magical panthers. You are then magically whisked away to 24 hours previous to your encounter with the Panther, and so your adventure begins.

The story is neither deep nor difficult to follow, so, I’ll spare explanation of every detail. You start the game with no items. You are just in the middle of the jungle with only your fists, your backpack and your wits about. No one else from the plane (read: opening story line) can be found, and you must embark on your journey. Whilst the environments are contained, there is a certain feeling and aspect of free roaming. You can explore your worlds and surroundings as you see fit, but often cannot progress forward due to lack of items, abilities, etc. The path which you must follow is fairly linear but will require you to think a bit sometimes in order to get to the next area. If you find yourself stuck or aren’t quite sure where to go, on screen prompts will give you a hint or you can always look at your map to see where you are in relation to your next destination.

The actual mechanics within the game are part of the fun. The running, jumping climbing trees bit…and that was an Eddie Izzard quote. The swimming is amazingly fun and funny. If you swim too slow you get grabbed up by a crocodile unseen below the water, in which you must wiggle the control stick back and forth to press open the jaws of the croc and then press A to jump from it’s maw. Swimming underwater, though not the most enthralling (yet, anyway), is the most pretty part of the game. Combat is fairly straight forward. A is jump, B is attack. Y and B makes a spin attack and as you progress you can gain and purchase abilities. Purchasing abilities is also really funny. Periodically you will come across a sleeping Tribal Shaman. Punch him dead in the face to wake him up. Harry will yell for him to wake up and the shaman will then mumble some type of gibberish and offer you the chance to purchase more health, more canteen slots (which you fill with magic water to replenish your health), attacks, notes on areas and so forth. Apparently the currency in the jungles of Peru are golden statues which you can collect by risking your neck and saving others, swinging from all kinds of vines and trees, running across lava, you know, the usual drill for an adventurer.

Though, I must say, not everything is all well and good in the world of Pitfall. The only real complaint I have with it, which is unfortunate, is the camera control and button layout is bad. Now, hear me out, it’s not because the game is poorly done or Edge of Reality developed it badly. No, it’s just, well, the GameCube controller’s button layout really, really detracts. In order to properly do the sweep attack to take down a native I have to hold the controller like an arcade pad. Not good, Nintendo. Not good at all. The camera, as mentioned, is a little annoying. The design of the follow camera is pretty well done, but every now and then it doesn’t turn when it needs to. The player-controlled movement is a little crap. It is much like the camera in EA’s Harry Potter game. Right trigger to swivel right, Left for left; alas, sometimes the camera gets stuck in a wall or stays in the same spot (which happens every now and then when walking and moving the camera). It’s nowhere near as bad as the Chamber of Secrets camera, but it’s not perfect.

Well, with the little bit of time I’ve spent with the game I’ve greatly, greatly enjoyed myself. I mean, this really has been one of the most entertaining games I’ve played in a long time. I play games like Knights of the Old Republic because of its incredibly deep story, outstanding graphics, and character development…everything that goes into a classic work or literature or film. I play Pitfall because it’s unendingly fun and funny. Expect a full review, as if this weren’t in depth enough, in the next few days. Activision, you’ve got a winner on your hands.

Kevin McGinnis