Pitfall II (Atari 2600)

[VideoGameCritic]

Been playing a lot of Pitfall II lately and really loving it. The graphics are gold, and that looping song never gets old. The checkpoint and scoring system are excellent, and I love the sense of exploration and discovery.

So I checked my review expecting an A+ or at least an A. What I found was an A-, with my main complaint being due to the lack of ducking.

Okay, that can be frustrating. But, once you get into the rhythm, running under the birds and bats is not so hard. Without that element, maybe the game would be too easy??

I'd like to hear your thoughts. What grade does this game deserve?

PS: I posted a short video of my playing this on my YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNZsdW ... EOfSmkCP8A

I don't normally do that kind of stuff but my friend Brad showed me how easy it was...

[Cafeman]

Cool. I was more interested in the board with all the red buttons, is that a huge multi AV selector of some sort? Care to share what brand?

[VideoGameCritic]

Mine say American DJ, or ADJ. But I've had them for a while.

The closest thing I see on Amazon is this:
https://www.amazon.com/PDU-Power-Strip- ... 48&sr=8-15

I plan to do a short video series on my setup soon (not that I know how).

[Retro STrife]

Pitfall II might be the most impressive game on the 2600. I'm trying to think of other console games that felt larger in scale, and I can't think of any until Super Mario Bros. came along. (Any others I'm missing?) If you bumped it to A or A+, I think that's fair. I think the first Pitfall might be worth a bump too, being at a B+. I always think of Pitfall as one of those "top 5" Atari 2600 games.

[Voor]

My takeaway from the video was “can we get a video game room tour?” Lol

[BlasteroidAli]

Fab, thanks for sharing. For me, it is an A plus. The pinnacle of Atari 2600 gaming. I also subscribed to your channel and gave it a thumbs up.

[DocHix]

Not only a great game in terms of design and execution, but also the first hardware assisted 2600 cart (with the built in DPC chip). I think the additional tech, coupled with the overall exceptionality of David Crane's work, makes this "A" game a true "A+"!

[Matchstick]

It already has an A rating. A, A-, A+, it doesn't matter - it's all the same to me. Fretting over a plus or minus when it doesn't change the letter grade is just splitting hairs. It's not like the game is going from a D to an A.

There was a post a few years back regarding Sega Genesis titles, and how no game had an A+ rating. NHL '94 eventually was given one, but I advocated for Road Rash to join that class, too.

Then I realized haggling over an A or an A+ was kinda missing the point.

Once you get into A-territory, the details don't really matter. It's already a top-tier game.

[Cafeman]

I've seen reviewers even include an "S" as the top rating, above an A! "S" for Super? Don't know.

[Darrin]

I think the 2600 Pitfall 2 should get an A and the 5200 version should get an A+. They are both top-tier games for their systems. And probably one of the very first true sequels (with an actual "2" in the title). The 5200 version has this CRAZY second map after you clear the first. And it's FAR more complex. There is an even a fairly ellaborate ending when you clear it.

When I think of "A list" 2600 games I think of ones higher in memory, endings, or title screens. Some examples might include: H.E.R.O., Pitfall 2, California Games, Stargate, Solaris, Galaxian, Pengo, or even Crossbow (I actually prefer Galaxian on 2600 more than the arcade, and the title screen is stellar).

Pitfall 2 on 2600: A
Pitfall 2 on 5200: A+