Pitfall - that great game we all remember playing for hours straight on our Atari 2600 systems when we were kids. Yep, the game's star, Harry, has come a long way, moving through various platforms, Jaguar, SNES, Playstation, even PC. Sure, we'd all like to forget all about Super Pitfall for the NES, and maybe this incarnation will help...
When you first fire up this game, you are thrust into the middle of a battle with a demon tiger - a glimpse of the future, it seems. I don't know about you, but I have this thing where if a game starts off anywhere but the beginning or with a different character than the star, it automatically gains a few points in my books. Take for example, Neutopia II for the Turbo Grafx 16, where you start off fighting a giant squid-like creature as your father... I don't know what it is, but I just like it. I think it helps me keep my interest; appeals to my curiosity, perhaps. Whatever it is, it works.
So, with a game like this, you do need camera control, so what did they do with it? Well, they narrowed it down to rotation using the left and right triggers, as well as using the white button to allow you to enter a free-look mode (not unlike the one found in The Hobbit while in rock-throwing mode). It works well though.
Further into the cool factor of this game are the simple combos that you continually learn. Press one button, then another, and you'll do a different move. Sweep-kicks, jump-kicks, and so forth add much-needed variety to this game's combat system. There isn't tons of fighting in Pitfall, but these extra moves make it enjoyable.
If you don't like the standard running and crawling that you find in pretty much every game like this, then you will be amused at the ability to curl into a ball and roll your way through the jungle. Except, of course, when you need to swim, jump, climb, and swing from vines. All of these activities are easily accomplished due to the highly intuitive controls. Another nice touch is that the faster you press the swimming button, the faster Harry flails his arms. It's also cool to be able to slide down vines and swing on them back and forth. I also like how I can fall down nearly unlimited heights and not lose health. Sure, it's not realistic, but it means I don't have to worry about all the jumping puzzles as much (well, unless there is no bottom below).
Jumping over rolling logs and onto crocodile backs are elements that have translated well from the older games to this fully-3D environment. The enemies that you encounter will be sleeping (in which case you can tip-toe around them), throwing things at you, and so forth. A nice variety, and all in all, this game is a welcomed great new take on an old classic concept.
The in-game animations are good, and lots of little details are there, including lots of butterflies in the air, leaves and grass, as well as water ripples. Really, this game is a visual pleasure, and the graphical details don't detract from the superb gameplay.
The only bad thing about the graphics is that text is hard to read, at least for my bad eyes, in the menus. Luckily, you don't need to spend much time in there.
The character sounds are good too. Not too much repetition, and no major issues that I noticed with clipping or sounds cutting out abruptly. You can hear everything from the splashing of your arms in the water to the jaws of pit traps chewing on you. Harry's voices won't even get on your nerves because they aren't overused, which is definitely nice to see (or hear as the case may be).
The voice acting is great, and did I mention humorous? I loved the opening clip with the narration part. Quite a nice touch.
Overall, the sound works well with the gameplay, and I found that it is quite easy to immerse yourself in the game. If you were a fan of this series, the original game in particular, you would probably love this 3D adaptation.
Will Xbox One allow players to play used games or not? Will there be fees to do so, and how much? While not having all the answers, Microsoft’s Major Nelson made an official statement on his blog that at least provides hope of a reasonable solution.
Unfortunately, while your Gold Membership will carry over to Xbox One, your Xbox 360 Headsets, including your fancy surround sound Turtle Beach or Tritton cans, won’t, at least not without some sort of adapter.
It’s now been clarified that Xbox Live Gold Memberships will not only transfer back and forth seamlessly between Xbox 360 and Xbox One, they will also allow multiple users on the same Xbox One to share one account -- perfect for family scenarios.
15 games are coming to Xbox One in its first year, and 8 of them are exclusive to the Xbox One platform. Of course, there are many more in the works.
Come one, come all (unless you are Friend #1001)!
While it’s unlikely that most people will be able to afford TWO Xbox One consoles at launch, the possibility of starting a game on one console, pausing and then moving to another console to continue playing it will be possible, thanks to "The Cloud".
It also can read your heart rate and your emotions, see your body in high definition (even your fingers) and even recognize you based on voice alone, among other cool things. The potential of Kinect-enhanced gaming just got real.
