Pitfall! Pitfall!x256 (was: Pitfall!x16)

[AW127]

How great would it be, to have something like this in "Pitfall 2". But problem in "Pitfall 2" then would be, to make the game solvable.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I haven't disassembled Pitfall II yet, but I don't think the world is created (entirely) randomly. So there is little chance to create new worlds on-the-fly.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

New (final?) version 1.20 (see first post).

For each of the 256 variations, you now can select additional variety with left difficulty switch = A (B = no variations). At difficulty A, the score is displayed in orange and you get 5 instead of 3 lives. Initially the following things have been varied:

1. pits on a treasure screen will open and close twice as fast
2. you gain 2,000 more points per treasure (maximum score now 178,000)
3. the logs may roll into both directions
4. when loosing a life, Harry always reappears on the side of the screen where he had entered it (so no skipping by loosing a life anymore )
5. fire, cobra and logs are positioned on the left side too
6. there may be one or two fires or cobras on one screen
7. the liana may have a 50% faster speed

Every 4 collected treasures (down to 12 remaining) some obstacles may change their behavior and become a bit more difficult to master.

Edited September 5, 2021 by Thomas Jentzsch

[Mountain King]

Great job Thomas! Will you call this Pitfall! Plus or Pitfall The Unexplored Jungle or Super Duper Pitfall! the Pits will Kill you.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

What's wrong with Pitfall!x256?

[Mountain King]

What's wrong with Pitfall!x256?

Nothing. I'm just a fan of catchy titles.

On a side note how do you get past the pits? They seem too open and close too fast.

 

Never mind, version 1.20 slows down the pits.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Mountain King

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Nope, 1.20 has them at the same speed as before. And only the treasure pits are fast. I explained how to pass them a few post before yours.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

BTW: Whoever plays this, it would be nice if you report your findings. What happens every 4 collected treasures?

[Arenafoot]

BTW: Whoever plays this, it would be nice if you report your findings. What happens every 4 collected treasures?

v1.12 & v1.13 on Stella 4.0 both have faster opening and closing pits which are uncrossable = player can not reach either treasure (either start left or start right)

 

v1.20 on Stella 4.0 has normal pit speed, but I've only been able to get 2 treasures so far - I never was good at Pitfall! to begin with anyway.... but still searching for a 3rd one for ya....

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I suppose you missed my posts above:

• The fast pits are passable.
• Version 1.20 allows you to play the game without extra variation (left difficulty = B, which is Stella's default), that's why you face a normal fast pit.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I suppose you missed my posts above:

• The fast pits are passable.
• Version 1.20 allows you to play the game without extra variation (left difficulty = B, which is Stella's default), that's why you face a normal fast pit.

[VectorGamer]

I suppose you missed his posts above:

• The fast pits are passable.
• Version 1.20 allows you to play the game without extra variation (left difficulty = B, which is Stella's default), that's why you face a normal fast pit.

[Trebor]

BTW: Whoever plays this, it would be nice if you report your findings. What happens every 4 collected treasures?

 

Playing v1.20 NTSC, I did not notice anything after every 4 treasures collected playing the very first "1" game variation. I played in "B" mode though, as no matter how often I tried under "A", I came nowhere close in successfully passing a fast pit.

 

I kept an accurate track of treasures up to the 16th one acquired. After the first 4 treasures, I thought the vine was moving faster, and perhaps the barrels.

 

Being unsure, I thought perhaps the change after every 4 was subtle, and may be hard to distinguish. After the 16th treasure though, and then the 17th, and still not believing anything has changed since the first 4, I stopped keeping accurate track.

 

I do believe I ended in the ballpark of ~20-23 treasures. All I did was run to the right, and did not take the lower passages. I wasn't horribly sloppy, but not careful either respecting losing points:

 

[Thomas Jentzsch]

You have to play "A", in "B" the nothing changes (like in the original).

 

Maybe I should post a video of me passing the pit.

[AW127]

I haven't disassembled Pitfall II yet, but I don't think the world is created (entirely) randomly. So there is little chance to create new worlds on-the-fly.

Yes, it`s not randomly created. That`s what i meant with "... to make the game solvable." Would be hard work to create a complete new world in this game. "Pitfall 2" is one of my absolute favourites on the Atari VCS-2600 by the way. A superb game with a great atmosphere.

 

"Pitfall 1" is also a good game and your new version is great.

Edited July 9, 2017 by AW127

[Lynxpro]

Hi,

I had a few hours of spare time and, based on my old disassembly from 2001, created a little hack of Pitfall!. This hack allows you to select one of 16 all new maze variations. Especially for those who have still fun in mapping screens and underground passages. Enjoy!

 

NTSC and PAL-60 (with some small color adjustments) versions included.

 

Update: The x256 version has 256 mazes and additional variety of the existing game elements. See this post for details.

 

 

Could you do the same to the A8/5200 versions?

 

I bet David Crane would like this...

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Could you do the same to the A8/5200 versions?

 

I bet David Crane would like this...

Maybe, but I am not interested. Sorry.

[macdlsa]

Tom ! ... and ......... what about a deep-hack of Pitfall II to create that masterpiece game that is the Sega coin-op ?

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by macdlsa

[Yosikuma]

This was some fantastic work! Thanks for this!

 

Though, is there an easier way to get to the level you'd like to play? Pressing select 100 times isn't too great. :: laugh ::

[Thomas Jentzsch]

You can keep SELECT pressed, then it will select faster.

 

Or try SELECT + RESET, maybe you get close to 100.

[Yosikuma]

Well I am dim. I have had this system since freakin' 1982, and it never dawned on me to just hold select down.

 

To be fair, I've never been in an instance where I needed to do that, but still ... !!

[Omegamatrix]

Very cool! Now lets see a map for each variation.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Very cool! Now lets see a map for each variation.

I had thought about a spreadsheet doing the work, but then I got lazy.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Thomas Jentzsch

[+Cafeman]

I finally found time to play a few rounds of this. I played on Difficulty A. I did pass the fast/treasure screen pits a few times, but it is difficult. Coupled with the new rule that you appear on the side you entered, a gamer could easily lose all his lives on one fast pit, which can spoil the fun. Maybe I'll get the timing down after some more tries, but I think the pits are too fast. So here is my suggestion: for option A, can you make the resurrection screen's side be randomly right or left? That way an element of chance is introduced. (hmm, but then again that conflicts with the nature of Pitfall's "its always the same" design). Well, it was just a thought.

 

The fast vines surprised me too, good thing there was a crocodile head to land on or I'd have hit the water!

 

The logs are more challenging too, I was constantly getting hit by them and having to carefully jump them and then making screen progress.

 

I doubt I will ever get past the first 16 new layouts, so although having 256 layouts is a neat feature, I'm afraid it's value is lost on me. Ask me again in 2027, maybe I'll find option #52 fascinating by then? I suppose it is still possible to map out shortcuts underground and get all the points in 20 minutes, but maybe not! There could be too many blocked paths underground in the levels.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

You can still play difficulty B and do the mapping there. A is only for the very brave.