Pitfall 2: Too Easy?

[IntvGene]

Well, I recently started playing Pitfall II again. It's of course a great game, but I still think that the game is too easy. I reallly dislike the unlimited lives option, and really wish that David Crane had designed another way around it. At least when your score reaches zero, you could end the game. You could have also gotten a bonus life when getting a treasure (which would actually make me search for the gold). Something needed to be changed. I just feel that I am playing some sort of debug version or something. Why have almost no penalty for dying? The first Pitfall was very hard, and I can't understand why he made this one so easy.

[Dire 51]

Hmmm... maybe he made it too easy simply because the first was too hard? The "enhanced" version that came out for the Atari 400/800 more than made up for it though.

[chadtower]

Hindsight is wonderful, isn't it? Keep in mind that back then the concept of finishing a game was brand new. There's no way he could have anticipated how gamers would feel about it being difficult vs being easy...

[IntvGene]

Of course, it's easy to talk about a game and criticize it twenty years later, but to make the player have unlimited lives was even a strange concept then.

I just find it strange that there was no way the player could lose in the game, besides giving up. Perhaps his design was to allow it to be played by younger kids, it just seems to be a strange design decision, that's all. If we had a million monkeys playing Pitfall II, eventually one of them would beat it.

And, when you mention the extra level.. that was a spot where you needed the extra lives. All of a sudden, the monsters are much quicker, and it definitely takes some time (and lives) getting used to them. But, from what I understand, that was Mike Lorenzen who was responsible for that level, not David Crane.

[PongHit]

... Why have almost no penalty for dying? ...

To me, the penalty of being dragged back to the beginning is severe enough -- I'd play it more if I could just continue from where I'm hit...

-PongHit

[Sotenga]

It's a tough game, but if I can beat it, then the difficulty deserves a raise! LOL

But seriously, it doesn't seem like much to go back to a set point and lose lots of points if you're just trying to beat the game. IF you're shooting for a perfect score... well, then the game is difficult. Challenge aside, I love this game. :D

[Jorpho]

Sega's arcade game had very limited lives, did it not? I can hardly see how to get past the lightning screens without losing a life.

[IntvGene]

Yea... the Sega Pitfall II arcade game had the player start with anywhere from 3-5 lives. It was hard. I think it's the exact opposite end of the spectrum of the original Pitfall II. But, I think it's Sega's design to get you to pump in more credits continuing.

The home version of Sega's arcade game didn't allow you to continue either. 3 Lives and out. @_@