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All Games

This dialog box allows you to set your preferences for all Action Pack games. The settings presented here are:

Keyboard Setup

You can customize the keyboard so that you can control the game with whatever keys you select. Three different keyboard setups are allowed. The defaults are:

Key Setup 1: up, down, left and right arrow keys, and spacebar

Key Setup 2: W, S, A, D, Tab

Key Setup 3: (all keypad keys) 8, 5, 4, 6, Enter

PCM Volume and FM Volume

Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) regulates white noise and is the equivalent of waveform or VOC on the Sound Blaster card; its default is 50%. Frequency Modulation (FM) is the equivalent of the MIDI device on the Sound Blaster card; its default is 100%. If a game’s sound effects (such as explosions) are too loud or soft, adjust PCM. If the sound in general is too loud or soft, adjust FM and your external amplifier to the desired volume.

Mute Sound (F7)

When the box next to Mute Sound is checked, all games will play without sound. The default is unchecked (sound is on).

Mom On/Off (F8)

Toggles your mom’s voice on and off.  When the Mom Active box is checked, Mom's voice will periodically interrupt the game sounds to put her two cents in.  The default is checked (Mom is On). The Nag Factor slide bar lets you decide how much nagging you want to hear from Mom (something you weren't able to do as a kid!)  The bar can be set anywhere from "Rarely" (every 10 minutes) to "Constantly" (every 30 seconds).


Commands

Shortcut Keys

F1   = Help

F2   = New Game/Restart

F3   = Pause/Resume

F4   = Select Game Option (default Game Option 1)

F5   = Difficulty Switch #1 A/B (default varies for each game)

F6   = Difficulty Switch #2 A/B (default varies for each game)

F7   = Sound On/Off (default On)

F8   = Mom On/Off (default On)

F12 = Boss Alert On/Off (default Off)

Description of Shortcut Keys

F1 = Help
Press F1 to see Contents of the Help menu.

F2 = New Game/Restart
Press F2 every time you wish to start or restart a game.

F3 = Pause/Resume
Press F3 when you wish to pause the game (the menu bar will become accessible), and press F3 again when you wish to resume the game where you left off.

F4 = Select Game Option
Press F4 repeatedly until the number of the game option you wish to play appears on the screen. See “Basics” under “How to Play” for a description of various game options. Note: This key can only be used while a game is running.

F5 = Difficulty Switch #1 A/B
Press F5 when you wish to change Difficulty Switch #1; it will toggle between settings A and B.

F6 = Difficulty Switch #2 A/B
Press F6 when you wish to change Difficulty Switch #2; it will toggle between settings A and B.

F7 = Sound On/Off
Press F7 to toggle the sound on and off.

F8 = Mom On/Off
Press F8 when you want to hear your mom calling (or to shut her up!)

F12 = Boss Alert On/Off
Press F12 when your boss walks by and you want to hide the game.

Menu Options

Play

New Game (F2)

Starts or restarts a new game.

Pause (F3)

Toggles between pausing the game and resuming where you left off.

Top Scores

Lists the highest scores for every game, which you must record manually. You can also enter timed scores.

Exit

Exits you out of the game.

Settings

All Games

This dialog box allows you to set your preferences for all Action Pack games. The settings presented here are:

Keyboard Setup

You can customize the keyboard so that you can control the game with whatever keys you select. Three different keyboard setups are allowed. The defaults are:

Key Setup 1: up, down, left and right arrow keys, and spacebar

Key Setup 2: W, S, A, D, Tab

Key Setup 3: (all keypad keys) 8, 5, 4, 6, Enter

PCM Volume and FM Volume

Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) regulates white noise and is the equivalent of waveform or VOC on the Sound Blaster card; its default is 50%. Frequency Modulation (FM) is the equivalent of the MIDI device on the Sound Blaster card; its default is 100%. If a game’s sound effects (such as explosions) are too loud or soft, adjust PCM. If the sound in general is too loud or soft, adjust FM and your external amplifier to the desired volume.

Mute Sound (F7)

When the box next to Mute Sound is checked, all games will play without sound. The default is unchecked (sound is on).

Mom On/Off (F8)

Toggles your mom’s voice on and off.  When the Mom Active box is checked, Mom's voice will periodically interrupt the game sounds to put her two cents in.  The default is checked (Mom is On). The Nag Factor slide bar lets you decide how much nagging you want to hear from Mom (something you weren't able to do as a kid!)  The bar can be set anywhere from "Rarely" (every 10 minutes) to "Constantly" (every 30 seconds).

This Game

This dialog box allows you to select various settings for the game you are currently running (the game title appears at the top of the dialog box). The settings presented here are:

Difficulty Switches

Select either A or B for both switches (some games only use Switch #1). The default varies with each game, as does the indicator of difficulty (sometimes A is more difficult; sometimes B). See “Basics” under “How to Play” for more detailed information.

Monitor Type

You can choose between Color and Black & White display; the default is Color. Note: Some games will not display in B&W because this feature was not offered in the original cartridge game.

Controllers

Using the pull-down menu, select the controller(s) you wish to use. If you’re using the keyboard, select the appropriate keyset(s). The defaults are Keyset 1 for Player #1, and Keyset 2 for Player #2.

Animation

As you move the bar to the left, the picture on your monitor gets smoother; as you move it to the right, the game speed increases. The number of frames per second (fps) is indicated. The default is 15 fps.

Sound Options

Click on one of the three ways that PCM sounds can be emulated:

Most accurate: Allows for the best sound quality, but can also slow gameplay.

Fastest: Allows for a less accurate sound emulation, but faster gameplay.

Disabled: Turns off PCM sounds completely for the fastest gameplay possible. Note: FM sounds will still be heard.


Contents

Commands

Shortcut Keys

Description of Shortcut Keys

Menu Options

How To Play

Basics

Keyboard

Joystick

Scoring

Hints

Game History


Hints

The Hazards of Pitfall!

Pitfall Harry’s Jungle Adventure is fraught with danger. Some hazards will slow him down and rob you of points, while others will stop him cold in his tracks. The lesser hazards are the open holes in the ground and rolling logs. The catastrophic hazards are the scorpions, fires, cobra rattlers, crocodiles, swamps, quicksand and tar pits. These obstacles will not cost you points, but they will cost one of Harry’s three lives.

Getting the Feel of Pitfall!

You cannot excel at Pitfall! without acquiring a variety of skills. The most important is jumping. You’ll need to press both the spacebar and an arrow key (or press the joystick button and move the joystick) at the same time in order to make Harry jump up to a swinging vine.

Jumping is also important when you leap atop crocodile heads while crossing the swamp or when you hurdle over logs, holes, scorpions, fires and snakes. Special care should be taken when you jump scorpions; the margin for error is less.

To practice your skills, try running to the right. Learn to jump the rolling logs and the holes in the ground first, then tackle the tougher skills of swinging on the vine and jumping over the crocodile pits. Whenever Harry is lost, you’ll get another chance to try the hazard again, since the replacement Harry appears on the left side of the screen.

Original Tips from David Crane, Designer of Pitfall!

“As you set off on your first adventure with Harry, you’ll notice two important features: that the logs always roll from right to left, and that the replacement Harrys (after Harry loses a life) drop from the trees on the left side of the screen. So, to minimize the number of rolling logs to be jumped and the catastrophic hazards to be re-tried, simply run to the left.

“Pitfall Harry’s trip must be made through a maze of surface and underground passages through the jungle. To capture all 32 treasures in under 20 minutes, Harry will have to use some of the underground passages. I’d suggest that you make a map of the terrain each time you play. Knowing the jungle and planning the best route to all treasures is the only way to insure success time after time.

“Until you get really skilled at making Harry jump from croc to croc, you might wait until the crocodiles’ jaws are closed, jump to the top of the first croc’s head, then wait for the jaws to open and close again before jumping to the next one. Soon, you’ll be skipping across crocs like they were stepping stones in a stream.”


History

David Crane on "Pitfall!"

David Crane is known as the video game industry's first superstar.  He is a pioneer and an innovator of video game technology and is also one of the founders of Activision.  His games have a dimension of enthusiasm to them that hooked the majority of the earliest game players.  If Academy Awards were given to the creative talent behind video games, then Crane would not only have won his award a long time ago, but he also would have already received his award for lifetime achievement.

David Crane's Pitfall! is one of the few games that represents a milestone in game-playing history.  Released in 1982, it only took up less than 4K of memory, but it sold more than 4 million copies, making it the hottest-selling Atari 2600 game.  It was a shot of adrenaline for the Atari 2600 market and it helped to spawn the game-playing fever of the early 1980's.

Crane noted, "When I designed Pitfall!, I knew that there was great potential in 'run, jump, and climb' adventure games, but the result was beyond any expectations.  It sold millions of copies, established a new genre of adventure games and spawned hundreds of similar products. There are now more sideview platform video games than any other category."

"The origin of Pitfall! was that I wanted to do a game with a running man.  I had designed one and I liked the effect, but I had  to make a game out of it.  So, I thought, 'Well, he has to be running somewhere...'  so I drew a path.  And then I had to put it into a place -- so I picked a jungle.  The idea took all of ten minutes.  It was a simple idea -- a man running in a jungle.  But, it spawned a genre of side-scrolling games.  It was the beginning of a genre.  Also, I guess people just remembered it as being neat."

"But I never said 'It's a jungle in there' [an early Pitfall! slogan] -- marketing came up with that.  But that was part of our secret.  Four of us, and then five, worked in this open lab environment where we all shared our two cents on everything.  We had a very good synergy and we played on that."

After 18 years in the business, David Crane is still designing video games.  He left Activision in 1987 and is now the Vice President of Advanced Technology for Absolute Entertainment, a video game company founded by former Activision alumni Alex DeMeo, John "H.E.RO." Van Ryzin, Dan "Crackpots" Kitchen, and Garry "Keystone Kapers" Kitchen.  Besides Fishing Derby, his game credits include Dragster, Freeway, Laser Blast, Grand Prix, Pitfall!, Pitfall II, The Activision Decathalon, Ghostbusters, Little Computer People, Transformers, Skateboardin', A Boy and His Blob, Super Skateboardin', Amazing Tennis, Home Improvement, and a game specifically designed and scripted for the movie Toys that he co-designed with Alex DeMeo.


How To Play

Picture this: you are deep in the recesses of a forbidden jungle, an unforgiving place few explorers ever survive. But you’ve got courage, because you’re with Pitfall Harry, the world famous jungle explorer and fortune hunter extraordinaire. The lure of hidden treasures draws you and Harry deeper and deeper into the bush. But, being a great explorer, you wouldn’t think of starting such a difficult journey without reading these instructions first — very carefully.

PITFALL! BASICS

The object of this game is to guide Harry through a maze of jungle scenes, jumping over or avoiding many deadly dangers, and helping Harry grab the most treasures in the shortest possible time.

1.	Designate your controller type by going to the Settings menu and selecting This Game; then choose a controller option for Player #1. Note: This is a one-player game.

Note: Difficulty switches are not used in this game.

2.	To begin play or restart, press F2 or click on New Game in the Play menu. Then press an arrow key (or move the joystick) and the action begins.

3.	There are 255 jungle scenes through which Harry can travel. Each scene covered underground is equivalent to three on the surface. Pitfall! is a circular maze, which means that if Harry safely goes through all 255 different scenes, he will come back to the starting point. In the course of that journey, Harry will also encounter all 32 treasures.

4.	You have 20 minutes to complete each adventure. Harry has three lives in each game. The game is over when Harry is lost for the third time or when time runs out.

5.	To access the menu bar, exit the game by pressing the Escape key; or pause the game by pressing F3. You can resume the game by pressing F3 again.

Using the Keyboard

•	To run left or right, press the left or right arrow key.

•	To jump over dangers, press the spacebar while running to the left or right.

•	To climb up or down ladders, press the up or down arrow key.

•	To grab a swinging vine, press the spacebar while running to the left or right.

•	To let go of the vine, press the down arrow key at the end of a swing.

•	To collect a treasure, just run right over it.

Using the Joystick Controller

•	To run left or right, move the joystick left or right.

•	To jump over dangers, press the joystick button while running to the left or right.

•	To climb up or down ladders, push the joystick forward or back.

•	To grab a swinging vine, press the joystick button while running to the left or right.

•	To let go of the vine, pull the joystick back toward you at the end of a swing.

•	To collect a treasure, just run right over it.


Scoring

You start each adventure with 2,000 points. Some misfortunes will cause a deduction of points. Should you fall down a hole by accident, you will lose 100 points. Rolling logs will also cause point loss depending on how long contact is made with them.

Each treasure you find will add points to your score. There are eight of each type of treasure in the entire game, 32 in all, for a total of 112,000 points. A perfect score is 114,000 points (reached by collecting all treasures, without losing any points for falling down holes or tripping on logs).

Money Bag	2,000 points

Silver Bar	3,000 points

Gold Bar	4,000 points

Diamond Ring	5,000 points


This Game

This dialog box allows you to select various settings for the game you are currently running (the game title appears at the top of the dialog box). The settings presented here are:

Difficulty Switches

Select either A or B for both switches (some games only use Switch #1). The default varies with each game, as does the indicator of difficulty (sometimes A is more difficult; sometimes B). See “Basics” under “How to Play” for more detailed information.

Monitor Type

You can choose between Color and Black & White display; the default is Color. Note: Some games will not display in B&W because this feature was not offered in the original cartridge game.

Controllers

Using the pull-down menu, select the controller(s) you wish to use. If you’re using the keyboard, select the appropriate keyset(s). The defaults are Keyset 1 for Player #1, and Keyset 2 for Player #2.

Animation

As you move the bar to the left, the picture on your monitor gets smoother; as you move it to the right, the game speed increases. The number of frames per second (fps) is indicated. The default is 15 fps.

Sound Options

Click on one of the three ways that PCM sounds can be emulated:

Most accurate: Allows for the best sound quality, but can also slow gameplay.

Fastest: Allows for a less accurate sound emulation, but faster gameplay.

Disabled: Turns off PCM sounds completely for the fastest gameplay possible. Note: FM sounds will still be heard.


Top Score

This dialog box lists the highest scores for each game, which you must record manually.  You can also enter timed scores.