History VideoGame / Pitfall

''Pitfall!'' has also left its mark on television. In its first season, the Ruby-Spears ''SaturdaySupercade'' cartoon featured segments based on the game, and a 1982 commercial for ''Pitfall!'' starred a young JackBlack.

* DungeonBypass: It's very possible in ''Mayan Adventure'' to jump your way through the arenas where the second and third bosses are fought and get to the exit without triggering the boss fight (though this was removed in at least the Sega CD version.)

A classic {{Activision}} franchise created by David Crane. The original ''Pitfall!'' was released on the {{Atari 2600}} in 1982 and established the foundations of the multi-screen {{Platformer}} genre: running and jumping over obstacles as you travel from left to right. The only real sequel followed in 1984, also for the 2600; ''Pitfall II: Lost Caverns'' introduced elements like exploration, true scrolling, and an [[MickeyMousing interactive soundtrack]] that reflects how well you're doing. It also recieved an arcade adaptation by Sega in 1985, which was a hybrid of the first two games with two completely new areas added.

''Super Pitfall'' occurred in 1987. It was on the NES and terrible. [[FanonDiscontinuity Let us speak no more of it.]] Besides, ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' has said it all in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJEXpsDB2XQ video]] on the game already.

** Also in the original game, when you lose a life, the [[{{Dragnet}} "Danger Ahead"]] theme plays.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/{{Pitfall}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pitfall.jpg]]]]

''Super Pitfall'' occurred in 1987. It was on the NES and terrible. [[FanonDiscontinuity Let us speak no more of it.]] Besides, ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' has said it all in his [[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/54664 video]] on the game already.

[[quoteright:350:[[{{Pitfall}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pitfall.jpg]]]]

* ContinuityReboot: ''The Lost Expedition''.

The series was revived on the SNES and Sega Genesis in 1994's ''Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure,'' a fun if sloppy platformer in the same vein as ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' and ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim''. Two more revivals came later, this time in 3D: 1998's ''VideoGame/Pitfall3DBeyondTheJungle'' on the PlayStation, and 2004's ''Pitfall: The Lost Expedition'' on the PS2, {{Xbox}}, and GameCube (and ported to the {{Wii}} in 2008 as ''Pitfall: The Big Adventure''). All of these games include the original ''Pitfall!'' as an EasterEgg; ''Lost Expedition'' and ''Big Adventure'' contain ''Pitfall II'' as well.

* ActionPrologue: ''The Lost Expedition'' begins with Pitfall Harry fighting for his life against a demonic fiery jaguar while supercharged with powerful magic. After he exchanges a few blows with the beast, it pins him to the ground, and Harry has a flashback to how he got into this mess in the first place which makes up most of the rest of the game.

* BagOfHolding: By the end of ''The Lost Expedition'' Harry is carrying around a canteen, sling, raft, torch, shield, gasmask, large book, a pair of pickaxes, unlimited amounts of TNT, various idols and four round artifacts twice the size of his head...in a backpack that's that's smaller than his head.

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Quickclaw fights the fire-jaguar-demon off of Harry at the last second near the end of ''The Lost Expedition'' and wins.]]

* BookEnds: ''The Lost Expedition'' begins with a HopelessBossFight against the Demon Jaguar, in which Harry is pinned down and about to be killed, then it flashes back to how he got there. Near the end of the game, you fight the Jaguar again, and he pins Harry down like before, but Quickclaw steps in and saves him.

* TheChiefsDaughter: Micay in ''The Lost Expedition''.
* ChivalrousPervert: Harry in ''The Lost Expedition''.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Nicole in ''The Lost Expedition''.

* DistressedDamsel: Nicole, again, in ''The Lost Expedition''. She even refers to herself as one while stuck in a tree.
* DragonAscendant: Pusca in ''The Lost Expedition''.
** DragonWithAnAgenda

* EmbeddedPrecursor: Ever since the 16-bit days, it's traditional for ''Pitfall'' games to include the original 2600 game buried in there somewhere. In ''The Lost Expedition'', you are required to play it to a certain point to get an idol.

* FauxActionGirl: Nicole in ''The Lost Expedition'', who's said to be a competent explorer, but always ends up getting captured.

* FourFingeredHands: Everyone in ''The Lost Expedition''.
* FreakyFridayFlip: The spirit animal levels in ''Lost Expedition''.
* FrenchJerk: St. Claire.
* GameWithinAGame: ''The Lost Expedition'' had both the original ''Pitfall'' and ''Pitfall II'' as bonuses.
* HowWeGotHere: ''The Lost Expedition'' opens up with you fighting against the demon jaguar, the semifinal boss, only to wind up pinned and about to get your head bitten off, which is when the movie pauses. Harry then says "They say that when a giant demon jaguar is about to terminate your existence, your life flashes before your eyes..." The game then flashes back to twenty-four hours previous, and the game up until you reach the demon jaguar is buildup to that point.
* IdiotHero: Harry in ''The Lost Expedition''. [[InformedAbility he's said to have several PhDs]] but acts like a complete moron.
* {{ILLKILLYOU}}: One guard in the native village in ''Lost Expedition'' is a ''tad'' obsessed with killing. PlayedForLaughs though, as he never does make due on this threat.
* ItemGet: In ''The Lost Expedition'', each time Harry picks up the artifact [[spoiler:in the first three temples]], he makes sings his own personal ItemGet theme, lifts it above his head... and falls over from the weight.

* [[spoiler:LastMinuteHookUp: Harry and Nicole in ''The Lost Expedition''.]]
* MadnessMantra: The explorers you rescue whistle, hum, giggle to themselves, and ramble about the guard at the village (see {{ILLKILLYOU}} above).
* MamaBear: The monkey-mothers in ''The Lost Expedition'' really don't like Harry holding their kids. Later, when he swaps places with a monkey baby in the monkey temple, the player has to take advantage of this to beat the challenge.

* TheNameIsBondJamesBond: From ''The Lost Expedition'': "Harry. Some people call me, heh, ''Pitfall'' Harry".

* ShoutOut: "Great, so now I'm a monkey. I bet this never happened to [[Franchise.IndianaJones that Jones guy]]."
** In the original game, Harry yodels like {{Tarzan}} when swinging on a vine.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: In ''The Lost Expedition'', enemies constantly assault you by throwing TNT. You pass by ''crates'' of the stuff throughout the game but can't use any yourself until a friendly character hands you some in a late-game cutscene.
* UpliftedAnimal: Quickclaw in ''Lost Expedition''.

* YouCanTalk: Harry's reaction to Quickclaw in ''The Lost Expedition'', when they first meet.
** Nicole [[IronicEcho repeats this line]] at the end of the game.

* CaptainErsatz: To ''IndianaJones''.

* ShoutOut: "Great, so now I'm a monkey. I bet this never happened to [[Film.IndianaJones that Jones guy]]."

* ThemeMusicPowerUp: In ''Pitfall II'' every time you grab a treasure or rescue someone a galvanizing, heroic, upbeat theme vaguely reminiscent of the IndianaJones anthem plays. One of the oldest ones in the book, as it was the first console game to feature PSG music, in fact the only 2600 game to have a custom sound chip.

* MadnessMantra: The explorers you rescue whistle, hum, giggle to themselves, and ramble about the guard at the village (see {{ILLKILLYOU}} above0.

* ShoutOut: "Great, so now I'm a monkey. I bet this never happened to [[IndianaJones that Jones guy]]."

* {{ILLKILLYOU}}: One guard in the native village in ''Lost Expedition'' is a ''tad'' obsessed with killing. PlayedForLaughs though, as he never does make due on this threat.

* MadnessMantra: The explorers you rescue whistle, hum, giggle to themselves, and ramble about the guard at the village.

''Super Pitfall'' occurred in 1987. It was on the NES and terrible. [[{{Discontinuity}} Let us speak no more of it.]] Besides, ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' has said it all in his [[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/54664 video]] on the game already.

A classic {{Activision}} franchise created by David Crane. The original ''Pitfall!'' was released on the {{Atari 2600}} in 1982 and established the foundations of the multi-screen {{Platformer}} genre: running and jumping over obstacles as you travel from left to right. The only real sequel followed in 1984, also for the 2600; ''Pitfall II: Lost Caverns'' introduced elements like exploration, true scrolling, and an [[MickeyMousing interactive soundtrack]] that reflects how well you're doing.

* {{Balloonacy}}: Harry uses a balloon to traverse a large open area in ''Pitfall II''.

A classic {{Activision}} franchise created by David Crane. The original ''Pitfall!'' was released on the [=~Atari 2600~=] in 1982 and established the foundations of the multi-screen {{Platformer}} genre: running and jumping over obstacles as you travel from left to right. The only real sequel followed in 1984, also for the 2600; ''Pitfall II: Lost Caverns'' introduced elements like exploration, true scrolling, and an [[MickeyMousing interactive soundtrack]] that reflects how well you're doing.

* BagOfHolding: By the end of ''The Lost Expedition" Harry is carrying around a canteen, sling, raft, torch, shield, gasmask, large book, a pair of pickaxes, unlimited amounts of TNT, various idols and four round artifacts twice the size of his head...in a backpack that's that's smaller than his head.

The series was revived on the SNES and Sega Genesis in 1994's ''Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure,'' a fun if sloppy platformer in the same vein as ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' and ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim''. Two more revivals came later, this time in 3D: 1998's ''Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle'' on the PlayStation, and 2004's ''Pitfall: The Lost Expedition'' on the PS2, {{Xbox}}, and GameCube (and ported to the {{Wii}} in 2008 as ''Pitfall: The Big Adventure''). All of these games include the original ''Pitfall!'' as an EasterEgg; ''Lost Expedition'' and ''Big Adventure'' contain ''Pitfall II'' as well.

* EdgeGravity: Harry Jr. in ''Pitfall 3D'' won't willingly walk off a cliff...once. If the player tries again, though, he'll happily fall off the edge (sometimes this takes several tries, though). Unfortunately, Harry won't 'bump back' from the edge if he's walking on a container or box.

''Super Pitfall'' occurred in 1987. It was on the NES and terrible. [[{{Discontinuity}} Let us speak no more of it.]] Besides, ''WebOriginal/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' has said it all in his [[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/54664 video]] on the game already.