After Ed got a chance to play Pitfall the Mayan Adventures at Majesco's Editor Day and reported that he wasn't overly impressed, I felt it was necessary to step up and write a preview on the game. Sure, the preview could have and should have been done earlier but there's always something keeping us busy in PGC land (more than half the time it's Louie)...

The world met Pitfall Harry in Activision's Pitfall, a game that took home systems by storm in the early 80's, making Harry a video game star.

There was even a Pitfall cartoon as part of CBS' Starcade cartoon series, which introduced Pitfall Harry's niece and a cowardly cougar named Quickclaw. Looking for lost treasure - jump over scorpions - swing across vines like Tarzan. The game was very simple, though for its time there was nothing like it. The series literally spawned side-scrolling platforming games.

Although there was a Pitfall II, it didn't get the attention of the first title. A Pitfall game called Super Pitfall was produced for the NES it seemed like a big departure from the original games. Music was weak, enemies were cartoony and goofy (Pitfall Harry even looked like Mario!) and objectives were anything but clear. Seanbaby justifiably refers to Super Pitfall as the #18 worst NES game ever. It was one of those NES games both too terrible and impossible to even bother with. Thanks to this sucky game, Pitfall Harry became relegated to inhabit the fond memories of gamers everywhere…

Several years later, the hero returned once again in a 16-bit makeover known as the Mayan Adventures, a game Majesco plans to bring to GBA. Unlike Super Pitfall, the game brought Pitfall Harry faithfully to the current generation of gaming. It was released on Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and Atari Jaguar.

In many ways, Mayan Adventures set the standard for retro-remakes. At the time of the 16-bit version's release, Pitfall: the Mayan Adventures got national attention from the press simply for being a remake of the classic game. Not only did it boast (what was at the time considered to be) fantastic graphics and sound, it included the original Pitfall in its entirety as a hidden feature to unlock.

Mayan Adventures features the son of Pitfall Harry, Harry Jr. After being away for years (maybe in hiding, because of the atrocious Super Pitfall?) father and son depart on a new adventure. After waking up one morning, Harry finds his father missing and sets out into the jungle. Now, Harry Jr. must travel through 10 levels to rescue his missing father, find the secret Mayan treasure and escape with his life. It won't be easy.

Pitfall: the Mayan Adventures is a 2D side-scrolling platformer with various mini-games packed in. The game was pretty hard, continues are limited and the action is pretty intense. Sling to throw rocks and belt to whip certain enemies. Swing on the vines … or slide down them using your belt. Other highlights include a mine cart level, bungee jumping off rubber plants. Levels are anything but linear and often include a good mix of exploration, platforming/action and solving puzzles to progress.

However challenging, Mayan Adventure conveys the struggle of man vs. nature well yet in the frame of a fun game. Harry Jr. looks frantic as he jumps or attacks, conveying how scared he is and reflecting the severity of the situation. The first jungle level has quick sand, giant wild boars rushing out of nowhere to surprise you and namesake pitfalls opening beneath you if you're not watching where you're going. Will this be as impressive as it was a few years ago? Probably not, though it will certainly be an enjoyable handheld romp.

Majesco have done well in selecting this title for re-release on the GBA. If you missed this in the 16-bit era, it's certainly a game you'll want to look for. Majesco will release Pitfall: the Mayan Adventures on June 11th, the same day the GBA will hit North America.