Super Pitfall

Super Pitfall is a side-scrolling platform game loosely based on Pitfall II: Lost Caverns, continuing the adventures of Pitfall Harry. Venturing into the Lost Caverns, Harry must recover the legendary Raj Diamond, rescue his niece Rhonda (turned to stone), and free his lion sidekick Quickclaw from a cage. The gameplay spans approximately 270 screens of non-linear exploration through caverns, underground rivers, and lava-filled pits. Harry is equipped with a gun (limited ammunition), can swing on ropes, and must collect card-suit keys (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) to open rock doors blocking progress. A Dark World exists beneath the main caverns with entirely different enemies. After completing all objectives, Harry must return to the starting point to finish the game.

NES

Released by Pony Canyon in Japan on September 5, 1986, and by Activision in North America in November 1987. Developed by Micronics, this version is infamous for its brutal, often nonsensical design. Nearly all essential items are invisible, requiring random jumps at empty air to reveal them. One secret warp is triggered by jumping into a bird enemy identical to all others. Contemporary critics criticized the slow, floaty controls, poor hit detection, and visuals too similar to Super Mario Bros., with Computer Gaming World calling it unremarkable. Rhonda's rescue requires a Flask of Medicine hidden invisibly, while Quickclaw needs a Key similarly concealed. The game appears on many "Worst NES Games" lists, though it retains a cult following as notorious kusoge. Harry's sprite notably resembles Mario in a miner's helmet.