History VideoGame / Pitfall

* MickeyMousing: The second game was the first example of a full soundtrack that also changed based on activity. The normally light-sounding background music changed to a heroic theme if an item was collected and a sad version of that same theme if Herry was injured.

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

* StockMoneyBag: In the original game, there are money bags with $ symbol on them, waiting to be collected.

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 received an arcade adaptation by Creator/{{Sega}} in 1985, which was a hybrid of the first two games with two completely new areas added. ''VideoGame/SuperPitfall'', a sequel/loose remake of ''Lost Caverns'', was released in 1986 for the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem. All that needs to be said about that game is that ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJEXpsDB2XQ has reviewed it.]]

** Also a stage in ''The Mayan Adventure''.

A classic Creator/{{Activision}} franchise created by David Crane. The original ''Pitfall!'' was released on the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} in 1982 and established the foundations of the multiscreen {{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 received an arcade adaptation by Creator/{{Sega}} in 1985, which was a hybrid of the first two games with two completely new areas added. ''VideoGame/SuperPitfall'', a sequel/loose remake of ''Lost Caverns'', was released in 1986 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem. All that needs to be said about that game is that ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJEXpsDB2XQ has reviewed it.]]

The series was revived on the UsefulNotes/{{SNES}} and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis in 1994's ''Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure,'' a platformer in the same vein as ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' and ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim''. Two more revivals came later, this time in 3D: 1998's ''VideoGame/Pitfall3DBeyondTheJungle'' on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, and 2004's ''VideoGame/PitfallTheLostExpedition'' on the UsefulNotes/{{PS2}}, UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube (and ported to the UsefulNotes/{{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.

* SoNearYetSoFar: Can happen in ''VideoGame/{{Pitfall}} 2''. You only need to pick up three things to finish the game: Quickclaw, Rhonda, and the diamond ring. The game automatically ends when you pick up the last one of these. Quickclaw is visible from the beginning of the game, right below your starting position, but you have to go around the long way to get to him, making Quickclaw the last thing most people pick up.

* CowardlySidekick: Quickclaw, though it was more of an InformedAttribute in ''Pitfall II'', since all he did was stand in one place.

* CorridorCubbyholeRun: ''Pitfall II'' has at least ten "floors" in a row which entirely consisted of walking across the screen as a bat flew towards Harry and having to run Harry under the bat ''only if the wings were flapping up''.

* DarkReprise: If Harry dies in ''Pitfall II'', a slower minor-key version of the ThemeMusicPowerUp plays.

* WhipItGood: In ''Mayan Adventure,'' Harry Jr. uses a sling like a whip.

* [[ExcitedShowTitle Excited Game Title!]]: The original game. (Standard for Activision games at the time, really)

[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pitfall.jpg]]

* RecursiveAdaptation: The Pitfall segments of ''Saturday Supercade'' were based on the original Pitfall, and then Pitfall II was based on the Pitfall segments of ''Saturday Supercade'' (importing Rhonda and Quickclaw, and even some of the incidental background music).

* PublicDOmainSoundtrack: In the second game, the background music would change to the generic carnival tune "Over the Waves" if the player collected a balloon.

* InteractiveSoundtrack: The second game was the first example of a full soundtrack that also changed based on activity. The normally light-sounding background music changed to a heroic theme if an item was collected and a sad version of that same theme if Herry was injured.