Pitfall: the Lost Expedition

If it wasn't for some blue-collar lout named Mario, Pitfall Harry would be the biggest action hero in videogames. Back in the day, Harry ran, Harry jumped, Harry swung on vines that tilted back and forth by themselves, and that was all Activision needed to sell 3 million copies of the first Pitfall in 1982. Twenty-two years later, Harry's over the drinking age, but despite adding a third dimension to his repertoire, the dude is mired in the 20th century.

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition cannot be accused of originality. You could try, but it wouldn't hold up in any court of law. You'll run into all the usual platform-game sidekicks (the demented rival explorer, the disinterested love interest, the jive-talkin' jaguar), all the usual moves (why hello there, Mr. Double Jump), and all the usual hopping and item grabbing. The only real jolt of innovation is the game's incessant use of the right analog stick, which corresponds directly to the hero's right hand—to drink from a canteen, you bring it to your mouth by pressing up on the stick, and so forth. Very cute.

It's a lucky thing this system provides some novelty, because Expedition is otherwise unremarkable. The game's well polished, yes, and it would have been hailed as revolutionary a few years ago. Now, though, it's just another decent, 10-hour-long hop-n-bop to add to the pile.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.