Pitfall Arrives On iOS

Pitfall Harry, one of the most well-known characters from the Atari 2600 era, is back. Activision has released a new Pitfall game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad at a price of $1.29. An Android release is planned as well.

Pitfall is the first game produced by The Blast Furnace, Activision's new mobile studio in Leeds, UK. The studio is led by Mark Washbrook, the former boss of Rockstar London. Today Activision revealed that they've hired Rockstar Leeds' former president Gordon Hall to serve as Chief Creative Officer.

The new Pitfall retains some elements of the 1982 original. Harry must venture into a dangerous jungle in order to find long lost gold and diamonds. Along the way, he'll dodge numerous hazards like ravines or volcanic flames. Fortunately, he isn't defenseless this time around. He can use a bullwhip to take out enemies like scorpions and snakes. This new adventure has a much faster pace than the original, too, with mine carts and motorcycles allowing Harry to cover ground quickly.

Like most mobile games, Pitfall has an in-game shop as well. Players can take the loot they've collected and use it to buy power-ups or custom wardrobe items. To speed up the process, you can spend $2.59 to double your treasure gains.

When I first heard Pitfall was being remade for mobile platforms, I assumed that it was just going to be the old side-scroller with HD graphics. I'm sure they could've sold plenty of copies with that, too. Glad to be wrong, though. It's always heartening to see a developer take the less lazy approach to a project.

Pete Haas

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.