Can Pitfall 2 be hacked to have second level?

[7800fan]

Currently exclusive to 5200 and A800 version but here's the map: https://atariage.com/5200/archives/strategy_pitfall2_level2_map.html?SystemID=5200

 

On those console to access the second level, you needed to finish the first level rescuing 2 and finding diamond ring. Aside from snake charmer, rope, basket, fish, and ants it's pretty much all the same graphics. One room triggers a clue, you need to find other items while avoiding the usual hazards (plus the bat goes bat-crazy) and escape by climbing the rope.

 

Can 2600 Pitfall II be hacked to have second level, either separately or built in like 5200 version?

[4ever2600]

Sure why not?

[Video]

With or without the music? Also, stand alone or a complete set?

 

Standalone without the music(or different music) should be relatively easy, I don't think the extra level does anything outside of what the 2600 could do.

 

I'd think the awesome thing to do would be a game genie\ knuckles style cart. Plug pitfall 2 in and play the whole game, probably with a b/w toggle for the haters that don't like pitfall2's music. You know its awesome or play without the pitfall2 cart w/o music, or a unique soundtrack, just the expanded area. That would be the best of both worlds IMO. I think it would be doable, have the cart ping on power on, if it finds pitfall2 start with that, if not, start the extra area as its own game.

 

Yeah an all in one cart would be cool, but who doesn't like gimmicky gadgets..NO, YOU DON'T GET AN OPINION, SIT THE F#$% DOWN

 

I've played pitfall2 on other consoles a few times, even beating the initial area. First time was like "holy shit, a new area?!" But I've never actually played much of said area cause I mostly play the 2600 version. Most the time I get to the new area its like "oh yeah, I need to try that sometime" click.

 

(Edit) if someone makes a single cart variant with the full game, I'd make a minor change. As the second area is largely unplayed, on any system, I'd make a ladder spawn on the left on startup so you could go left and skip the first area. Or for the people who think this is blasphemy, if you go right, the ladder disappears. Or maybe if you leave the screen.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Video

[Supergun]

There's also a really cool eerie ending music tune that plays while the snake charmer rope elevates upward during the ending. Excellent music, just like the rest of the game, the 2600 version would have to have it.

 

I would just make a 2600 Explorer's Edition cartridge. Last thing we want is something dependent on an original cartridge, in any way shape or form. It's a highly desirable cart as it is, we don't want to encourage any hoarding or harvesting of it in any way.

 

And lastly, no, it's not so easy to program this as some may think. Pitfall II is a very complex game. Hacking it is not fast & easy.

[AW127]

Interesting. I didn`t knew that there was a second level in the VCS-5200 and Atari-800 versions of "Pitfall 2". I always played the game on the Atari VCS-2600. It`s one of my favorites there.

[hizzy]

I love Pitfall II on Atari & would support a hack & cart. That would be amazing. Pitfall II, the expanded edition!!!

[+DamonicFury]

Interesting. I didn`t knew that there was a second level in the VCS-5200 and Atari-800 versions of "Pitfall 2". I always played the game on the Atari VCS-2600. It`s one of my favorites there.

 

It's cool that it's there, but it's insanely hard, at least for those of us that aren't platform game wizards. Should this kind of hack happen, I would love to see a somewhat easier version of the bonus level be an option along with the original tough as nails version, of course.

[DrSidneyZweibel]

I would love to see this happen!

 

 

I'm surprised it hasn't already happened, actually. Especially since 2600 coding has advanced with things like easily accessible SD carts like Harmony, and DPC+ which is based on the DPC chip in the original Pitfall II.

 

I've never been able to properly play the second level fro the 5200 versions, because I don't own a 5200, and every 5200 emulator is complete crap that doesn't implement controller correctly.

Edited August 10, 2017 by DrSidneyZweibel

[CDS Games]

Can 2600 Pitfall II be hacked to have second level, either separately or built in like 5200 version?

 

Normally speaking you could just double the game to do this. Open Pitfall 2 as is. Hack the entire Level 1 into Level 2. Then you combine the original and your hack to get two levels, assuming you can find a bankswitching scheme that fits.

 

Whether you could get it to work right with the extra chips though I don't know.

 

And by the way, that would be a pretty involved hack. I don't think there's a disassembly, so it would involve lots of tracking down variables and graphics and then changing the values one by one.