Pitfall: Do you run to the right (forward) or left (backward)

[+cvga]

My 13 y.o. and I were playing Pitfall last night. I'm not sure he was buying into the hype associated with this game when it was released until I explained how the underground tunnels work. Now he's interested in mapping it. We played one game forward (running right) and one game backward (running left). Backward certainly seems much easier but also feels a touch like cheating. Which way do you run and why?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Running to the left saves time. And the game allows playing the screens in any order, so that's no cheating IMO.

 

But if you consider this cheating, maybe try my Pitfall!x256 hack. At advanced difficulty (left difficulty = A), the logs can roll into both directions.

[H.E.R.O.]

I remember buying the cartridge at Video Power in Merrick, Long Island, NY in 1982. Popped it into my heavy sixer and played a game going to the right. When I finished the first game I went 'I wonder if I can keep going left?'. Then I did and always ended up doing that.

[+cvga]

5 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

Running to the left saves time. And the game allows playing the screens in any order, so that's no cheating IMO.

 

But if you consider this cheating, maybe try my Pitfall!x256 hack. At advanced difficulty (left difficulty = A), the logs can roll into both directions.

 

I agree with you and don't consider it cheating but it "feels like cheating".

 

I've often thought that the logs should roll from the opposite side of the screen regardless of which way you are running. I'll have to try your version!

[Flojomojo]

If you go to the left, you get the big treasures earlier, too. 

 

Just because it's easier doesn't mean it's cheating, there's no need to crucify yourself when you're trying to have fun! Besides, it's in the instruction manual, in the personal notes from the designer. David Crane doesn't even couch it in terms like, "for an extra challenge, run to the right," he just puts it out there. 

 

 

Pay no attention to the fact that Mr. Crane tried to reboot the idea on Kickstarter, but only collected $30,000 of the $900,000 dollars he sought, but there's probably a lesson somewhere in there. 

 

I chose "backwards" in your poll, but not for the reason you state. It's not that I prefer running with the logs, I just prefer to have things easy, because I'm lazy and stupid. Let's call it "running to the left," as the creator does. 

[JeffVav]

I don't know of a way to get a perfect score without running to the left.  I run right briefly to pick up a treasure on the tail end, then left.

[lifegoingby]

NEED HELP DETERMINING THIS GAME I’M THINKING OF...

 

I think it was in the 80s maybe 90s, but I remember playing a game like pitfall, where you ran to the right and after those obstacles you made your way down through different levels of caverns.

 

Then once at the bottom you went left and eventually arrived to a wide open cavern where you worked your way back up by jumping on ledges, catching balloons and then once at the top.

 

At this point you were near finishing the game where I recall being able to see the beginning of the game. That’s when I wondered if I could do the entire game in reverse and I did. The graphics were better than pitfall and pitfall II but for the life of me I can’t determine the game console and if it was even the game pitfall or if it was just a similar style game. Thanks for any help!

[zzip]

18 hours ago, lifegoingby said:

NEED HELP DETERMINING THIS GAME I’M THINKING OF...

 

I think it was in the 80s maybe 90s, but I remember playing a game like pitfall, where you ran to the right and after those obstacles you made your way down through different levels of caverns.

 

Then once at the bottom you went left and eventually arrived to a wide open cavern where you worked your way back up by jumping on ledges, catching balloons and then once at the top.

 

At this point you were near finishing the game where I recall being able to see the beginning of the game. That’s when I wondered if I could do the entire game in reverse and I did. The graphics were better than pitfall and pitfall II but for the life of me I can’t determine the game console and if it was even the game pitfall or if it was just a similar style game. Thanks for any help!

Sounds like Pitfall II?  

[RWDPLZ]

I tried going left and pretty quickly got past 20,000 points. Who do I contact about getting my patch?

[zzip]

15 hours ago, RWDPLZ said:

I tried going left and pretty quickly got past 20,000 points. Who do I contact about getting my patch?

Ebay?