Review scoopings 4/5 · Mar 16, 2022
Surprised Me With How Addictive And Fun It Was
Look: 7/10 Pretty much felt like the original. I do like Atari colors, but meh. Just functional. The water and swimming animations were pretty cool I suppose. But I have to give it credit: I always knew everything's function. And I was just too into the game to pay attention to graphics or take screenshots, so it's kinda unfair.
Sound: …
Look: 7/10 Pretty much felt like the original. I do like Atari colors, but meh. Just functional. The water and swimming animations were pretty cool I suppose. But I have to give it credit: I always knew everything's function. And I was just too into the game to pay attention to graphics or take screenshots, so it's kinda unfair.
Sound: 9/10 Good music, catchy and fits the theme/vibe. It was nice to have a song that actually got stuck in my head and would keep playing in my head after I was done playing the game heh. And that it fit with/added to the action adventure feel of the game. Somehow, even as I get near the end of the game, I am enjoying this adventurous, catchy tune. Rare that an early game's sound clicks with me. Lol that percussive "bink" sound, coming off like a cowbell lmao.
Play: 8/10 I like that there are checkpoints, I like that the gameplay is more straightforward than the original, and I like that it felt like a more varied adventure. Cool that they added the swimming feature. Definitely shorter than the over-the-top-yet-clunky first one. At first I found the mechanic/controls for going down a ladder rather than falling through the pit a bit clunky, but once you get a hang of it, it actually is very fast-paced and well-done. Especially when you're trying to speed run. Even the balloon floating part, which is how you access those higher platforms that reminded me of Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey/Exodus in some ways (tho, of course, in that, you typically have to reach the platform and pull yourself up). Mid to late 1983 just keeps impressing me, I suppose the videogame crash was a good thing in the long run: it forced games to reinvent and improve themselves. The silly "trickery" of having you have to check each screen for gold that wasn't already visible got tedious near the end there, that zig-zagging ladders part. (and tacky to use that trickery again, where by now I knew to check to the right but still, right at the end. thank goodness for nearby checkpoints. cuz my goal was max Score!)
Feel: 9/10
The checkpoints, the varied settings, the improved controls, and the music all made for a great feel. I expected not to like this, because I didn't care for the first Pitfall all that much. But this one really all came together to feel like a good, more advanced/modern platformer adventure. It also was nice to have that feel where I don't have to use save states or cheats, etc., but did use a gamefaqs guide (yay feeling more modern now ha) to make sure I got the maximum points possible. Most importantly, I truly had fun playing it and going for my lofty goal. Plus, it's the perfect length for a gamer like me :-p And lol the way the woman just disappears when you "collect" her for Score. And yay, after a couple headaches near the end there, I did it! I got the maximum Score! And my character does a happy jump dance as a result :-p Love it. 
Attachment: 8/10 Definitely one I wont forget, as it foreshadows the upcoming more adventure-feeling platformers I am excited for. Funny that the descriptions says its much larger and less linear than the first one--the first one's "skip screens by being in the bottom half and dealing with the scorpions" factor really made it seem much larger. I honestly struggle to believe that Pitfall II is substantially more screens, but goes to show my, uh, gaming prowess lol.
Completion: 100% (199,000 Score) Playtime: ~ 40 mins