View Full Version : Recommend games like Spelunker and Pitfall II
vintagegamecrazy
08-05-2010, 01:35 PM
I wanted to make a thread like this for a while now. I gotta come to admit that these kind of games are probably my favorite sub genre of 2D platforming games. I really love Spelunker and Pitfall II, I love the abstract visuals to them and the open exploration that they require. I want to make a thread not just for recommendations but just to talk about some of the memories of these kind of games. I love Spelunker so much and can finish it pretty easily now, Pitfall II is no different especially the Atari 5200 port with the second quest. Others that I like are Montezuma's Revenge though I'm not great at it and don't get me started on Montezuma's Return for GBC, that's probably the best game on the system. Highly recommended. I like Castlequest and Goonies for NES too even despite CQ getting so much hate. I have just downloaded Derek Yu's Spelunky for PC but have to get some time to try it. I wish I could download the new Spelunker Remake for PSN but I don't have the system.
What are some other recommendations for any system.
Also why does it seem that this sub genre is so universally panned by the general gaming populace aside from classic gamers like us? Is it due to the difficulty and the lack of patience to get into the game? Really bums me that these don't get more recommendation.
jb143
08-05-2010, 02:15 PM
Spelunky is indeed a great game but watch out...it's really addictive. Hard but addictive.
Steve W
08-05-2010, 03:29 PM
Pitfall 2 on the NES is the first thing that leapt to mind. I rented it a couple of times back in the day, but I never got too far into it. It just seemed so vast that it was almost overwhelming. I never understood why people hated that game so much. Although to be honest, I haven't played it since 1988.
Graham Mitchell
08-05-2010, 03:36 PM
Pitfall 2 on the NES is the first thing that leapt to mind. I rented it a couple of times back in the day, but I never got too far into it. It just seemed so vast that it was almost overwhelming. I never understood why people hated that game so much. Although to be honest, I haven't played it since 1988.
You mean Super Pitfall, right?
That game is an abortion. Avoid it like the plague.
A Boy and His Blob for the NES is developed by David Crane, I believe, who also developed Pitfall 2. ABAHB has obvious influence from Pifall 2, both in gameplay structure and visual style. If you haven't played it, you must.
buzz_n64
08-05-2010, 05:31 PM
You mean Super Pitfall, right?
That game is an abortion. Avoid it like the plague.
A Boy and His Blob for the NES is developed by David Crane, I believe, who also developed Pitfall 2. ABAHB has obvious influence from Pifall 2, both in gameplay structure and visual style. If you haven't played it, you must.
There is a Super Pitfall II that came out in Japan for the Famicom "Atlantis no Nazo - Super Pitfall II" Better than the first Super Pitfall, but not as good as Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns in my opinion. One of the reasons to own a 5200.
vintagegamecrazy
08-05-2010, 06:25 PM
I stated that the Atari 5200 version was my favorite meaning not the NES sequel Super Pitfall.
NeoZeedeater
08-05-2010, 07:55 PM
Pharaoh's Curse (C64 and 800 versions) has held up nicely.
BetaWolf47
08-05-2010, 07:58 PM
Montezuma's Revenge
Flack
08-05-2010, 08:01 PM
H.e.r.o. ?
TheClash603
08-05-2010, 08:20 PM
Spelunker and Pitfall 2 are two of my favorite games of all time. I actually earlier today had my often spoken, seldom listened to, talk of how Pitfall II on the 5200 is a better game than Super Mario Bros.
...but back on topic. Not sure if you have a Famicom, but you should pick up Goonies 1 for that system, as only part 2 came out in the US. I prefer Goonies 1 to Goonies 2 as well, because it is more straight forward platforming than part 2.
Also, there is a Spelunker 2 that only came out for the famicom. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll like it as much as Spelunker 1, because the game is not very similar. Worth a buy for a true Spelunker fan though!
heybtbm
08-05-2010, 08:24 PM
I'm going to go out on a limb here but PLATFORMANCE: Castle Pain (XBLA - Indie Games) reminds me so much of Pitfall II. Obviously it's a different setting, but the core gameplay is almost identical. It's only $0.99 BTW...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DMembtjfjI
Jorpho
08-05-2010, 08:52 PM
How about La-Mulana?
I would also like to give a hearty recommendation of Aquaria. Alas, it very rarely goes on sale and has a rather exhorbitant price tag - though it is very much worth every penny. It's not a platformer (mostly), but it's a kickass exploration game.
I suppose Derek Yu's even earlier game Eternal Daughter might qualify too.
vintagegamecrazy
08-05-2010, 08:52 PM
Platformance looks great but too bad I don't have a 360! I'm going to try Pharaoh's Curse when I get a chance. I also remembered Downland for TRS80 and Cave Lord for Atari XL looks pretty good too!
Holger Czukay
08-05-2010, 09:02 PM
Japan got an awesome remake of Spelunker on Playstation Network, "Minna de Spelunker" and "Minna de Spelunker Black"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKPiv4ElXaA
Digger T. Rock is pretty similar and probably one of my favorite games for the NES.
vintagegamecrazy
08-06-2010, 01:04 AM
I've been playing a lot of Downland tonight, that game is maddeningly addictive and frustrating all at the same time! Anyone ever finish that game before or know how many chambers are in it?
rbudrick
08-22-2010, 09:00 PM
The NES Spelunker was horrible, but only because of the play control. Jumping from ropes was the worst thing ever. It was just difficult to do for no reason. If just that was fixed, I probably would have loved the game.
I made this thread a while back:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130737&highlight=spelunker
If anyone knows how this hack was done, I'd love to know.
-Rob
Graham Mitchell
08-22-2010, 09:35 PM
The NES Spelunker was horrible, but only because of the play control. Jumping from ropes was the worst thing ever. It was just difficult to do for no reason. If just that was fixed, I probably would have loved the game.
I made this thread a while back:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130737&highlight=spelunker
If anyone knows how this hack was done, I'd love to know.
-Rob
The ropes are a pain, but are not too difficult to master with practice, and are by no means game-breaking. I've beaten the game dozens of times, and have completed enough loops in one game to get to the parts where all items and keys are invisible. I'm not a particularly skillful gamer, so it's pretty doable.
You should practice, Rob! :) It's a fantastic platformer once you get the hang of it.
Rick 2007
08-22-2010, 10:06 PM
One of my favorites is "Golgo 13" for the NES.
It is a really fun 2D Platform game.
diskoboy
08-22-2010, 10:21 PM
H.e.r.o. ?
Montezuma's Revenge
These.
And I'll throw in my own - Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle on the Mac classic.
rbudrick
08-23-2010, 01:03 AM
The ropes are a pain, but are not too difficult to master with practice, and are by no means game-breaking. I've beaten the game dozens of times, and have completed enough loops in one game to get to the parts where all items and keys are invisible. I'm not a particularly skillful gamer, so it's pretty doable.
You should practice, Rob! :) It's a fantastic platformer once you get the hang of it.
Hmm, I dunno. I tried for hours and could never get it down. It always seemed random to me whether the jump from a ladder or rope worked or not.
What could I be doing wrong?
-Rob
tpugmire
08-23-2010, 09:20 AM
Lode Runner is sort of similar, and quite fun as well.
Graham Mitchell
08-23-2010, 01:54 PM
Hmm, I dunno. I tried for hours and could never get it down. It always seemed random to me whether the jump from a ladder or rope worked or not.
What could I be doing wrong?
-Rob
You have to tap the A button and left/right on the d-pad at precisely the same moment. It requires a lot of precision, and you'll still fall occasionally even after mastering it, (which is really the biggest flaw in the game, admittedly.) Don't use an NES advantage as your button presses won't be as accurate. Next time you pop the game in, give it a shot.
rbudrick
08-24-2010, 10:34 PM
You have to tap the A button and left/right on the d-pad at precisely the same moment. It requires a lot of precision, and you'll still fall occasionally even after mastering it, (which is really the biggest flaw in the game, admittedly.) Don't use an NES advantage as your button presses won't be as accurate. Next time you pop the game in, give it a shot.
OK. Cool. For some reason I had a memory of a left/right press a very short split second before the jump, which was a bitch to time. Maybe my memory is a bit fuzzy, though it would seem a simultaneous press would be the logical thing to do, and I seem to remember simultaneous pressing got me owned every time. Hmmm...
-Rob
dra600n
08-24-2010, 10:42 PM
words words words Others that I like are Montezuma's Revenge words words words
Now that game brings back memories of when I was in 4th grade, playing this game on an Apple LE II computer with this psuedo Atari like joystick with a button on top of the stick as well as a square button on the top left corner. Much of my 4th grade education went into this game, and me and my friends never beat it.
Going back to that made me think of 4 games I played a lot back then - Duck Tales, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Arkista's Ring, and Final Fantasy 1. Back then, in 1992, every day after school was the Disney Afternoon on TV which had both of the first games mentioned, so me and my friends would pop those games in afterward and see if we could finally beat them. Good times. On snow days from school, we would either get rides to one of our friends houses (we alternated each snow day) and we'd play the longer games - Final Fantasy and Arkista's ring. FF is a common game, and I'm sure everyone has played it by now, but Arkista's Ring - you should definitely play it if you haven't. The other 2 are just fun scrollers that I was fond of back then.