Time for a lesson in nostalgic video games. (Yaay!!) For those who don’t know, Pitfall! was originally released for the Atari 2600 back in the early 1980’s. It was supposed to be a platforming adventure game full of vine swinging and alligator avoidance. It was a big hit, and became known as one of the better known Atari games for the home console. A reimagined iOS version of the game is currently available on the App Store. Does it capture the feeling of the original? I’m not sure. I’ve never played the original.

What Is This?

In the reimagined Pitfall game you take control of an Indiana Jones-looking person to jump, slide, and take turns to avoid obstacles while endlessly running. Sound familiar? Yes, it is very familiar to Temple Run. But then again is Temple Run a ripoff of the original Pitfall? And for that matter it looks like both are pretty much ripoffs of Indiana Jones. But then again is anything truly original these days? This is getting way too confusing. And I’ve spent way too much time opining in this silly paragraph.

Is It Fun?

I must say that Pitfall! (do I need to put the exclamation point in every time?) is a pretty fun game. All the sliding and jumping and turning is pretty addicting. Plus there’s a good amount of action added in to break up the running. You need to swing from vines and collect treasure during your non-stop jog. Did I happen to mention there were also poisonous snakes along the trail? That’s where your trusty whip comes in handy. That’s right, you defend yourself against snakes with a whip. Pitfall Harry, you may be much cooler than I gave you credit for.

However..

Let me get one thing straight. The graphics are a pretty nice touch. Everything looks crisp in 3D. However, how cool would it have been if they went with a more retro look? Keeping the original-looking graphics with the same game would help distance the gameplay from that of Temple Run. And who doesn’t love that retro flair?

Bottom Line

The reimagined Pitfall! doesn’t have a ton of original gameplay to offer. However, I don’t believe that’s really what they were going for. It seems more like they saw the success of endless runner adventure games and said “we did that first!” While it’s a successfully fun attempt at an endless runner, there isn’t enough depth or originality to distance itself from similar games. Pitfall Harry, I hope your next adventure is a bit more memorable. Also, consider a snappier name. Maybe Pitfall Pete?