Pitfall! (Mobile)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.1 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Avery Score
• Reviewed on: 01/01/2004
• Updated on: 06/16/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Pitfall! (Mobile) Review

Swinging on vines and dodging deadly scorpions, Pitfall Harry is back in action in the newest port of Atari's classic, "Pitfall," for the Motorola T720. Less graphically rich (because of screen size) than the original version of the game, the mobile version of Pitfall will still make you nostalgic for the good old days of 4-bit gaming.

In the height of the Atari era, games were simpler. Pitfall is no exception. The object of the game is to help Harry to circumvent 255 screens of chasms, insects, and other pitfalls. Equipped with three lives and 40 minutes, the game poses a challenge, even for veterans of the 2600 version. Fortunately, the control design is fairly elegant. Harry's lateral movement, along with his ladder climbing, is handled by the directional pad, while his various kinds of jumps are delegated to the number pad. Your hands might feel a little cramped using this ambidextrous setup, but it makes leaping over obstacles a breeze. Simply by pressing the "3" key, for example, is all it takes to send Harry heavenward in a careless capriole over combative crocodiles.

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