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Challenge 8: Pitfall II (1984, Atari 2600)

Pitfall II’s 2D open ended world feels absolutely massive compared to its horizontal predecessor, even though the map may be smaller in a literal sense. It’s one of the most advanced and beloved Atari 2600 games, and joins a troupe of highly ambitious games in 1984 that pushed the genre forward with large 2D maps, non-linear exploration, and added puzzle elements. With infinite lives, checkpoints, and no timer, Pitfall II remains one of the most uniquely approachable games of the era, truly focused on letting the player explore at leisure.

How to Play

Find the three key items (your niece Rhonda who looks like a person, The Raj Diamond which is a ring, and Quickclaw the cat which is the monkey looking thing right below you at the start). The game ends when you find all three. Running over pluses gives you a checkpoint. You lose points when you die, but otherwise you can’t lose!

Waiting briefly a ledge near a checkpoint in one of the chasms will spawn a balloon that allows you to travel upwards. Note that the game requires blind jumps off ledges while exploring, although not many.

The Atari 8-Bit version has a very hard “second quest” after you finish the first cave! Find the Basket, Charmer, Flute, and Rope to complete this one.

Control Action
Joystick Move
Button Jump
Up / Down Control speed of the balloon

Atari 2600 Emulator: Stella
ROM: pitfall_ii.zip (atarimania.com)

The difficulty switch is irrelevant. Reset to begin the game.

Atari 8-Bit Emulator: Altirra
ROM: Pitfall-II-Lost-Caverns.zip (atarimania.com)

Press Start (F2) to begin the game.

Objectives