5200 HSC Season 16 Round 5 - Pitfall II : Lost Caverns

[+DamonicFury]

Welcome to the fifth round of the 16th 5200 HSC season. Pitfall II won the poll by a single vote.  Play using the default settings.  Emulation is fine, as are custom controls. Pics preferred, but not required except for HSC wins and records.

 

The high score was set by bohoki with a score of 275,430 points.  Beat this if you can for a bonus point! 

 

The ROM can be found here:

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-5200-pitfall-ii-lost-caverns_s11777.html

 

Round ends Sunday, September 4th, 2022 @11pm EST

 

Standings:

Northcoastgamer - 382,487 - RECORD BREAKER

jeremiahjt - 206,414

Cafeman - 205,240

rubeon -  204,331

jblenkle - 133,823

 

[Northcoastgamer]

Greetings everyone, an interesting choice. I might jump in on this one, been awhile.

[+DamonicFury]

Just now, Northcoastgamer said:

Greetings everyone, an interesting choice. I might jump in on this one, been awhile.

Welcome back!!!

[+Cafeman]

3 minutes ago, Northcoastgamer said:

Greetings everyone, an interesting choice. I might jump in on this one, been awhile.

Oh no, the unbeatable one! 

[Northcoastgamer]

Thank you! I would also like to thank all the HSC Moderators for all the consoles and computers that take the time to post the rounds, do the math, edit things and keep these wonderful games still fun to play after 40 years or so. THANK YOU!

Edited August 22, 2022 by Northcoastgamer

[+jeremiahjt]

I had 183,802 after the first adventure.  The highest score I took a picture of during the second adventure was 206,414.

[jblenkle]

Are we allowed to quit after the first round? I've never been able to make it very far in the second round and my score just starts immediately dropping.

[Northcoastgamer]

163,433. First stab at it. There is an ending to the second part of the game. In this section you must find the Swami, Rope, Basket & Flute. After you have collected the 3 items and the Swami, you must make your way to a high chamber on the right side near the top. Here the Swami will charm the rope allowing Harry, Quickclaw, Rhonda and the ring to escape the caverns. The final score is the on the right. 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Northcoastgamer

[Northcoastgamer]

Here is a map of the second section.  

[+DamonicFury]

15 hours ago, jblenkle said:

Are we allowed to quit after the first round? I've never been able to make it very far in the second round and my score just starts immediately dropping.

Sure, for this one, feel free to snap the pic whenever you want within the game.  Very few are going to be able to successfully conquer that second round, and it's not like you can just burn through your lives in this game like you can with most others.

 

I'm right there with you, by the way.  The first round is fun, but the second is way beyond my meager platforming skills.

[Northcoastgamer]

263,383. First pic shows the chamber where the Swami charms the Golden Rope so Harry and the gang can make their escape. You get another 25,000 points for doing so. Second pic is my final score.

[Northcoastgamer]

382,487. The second section is one tuff SOB.

 

 

[+Cafeman]

153,596.  

 

I had a fun time even getting this far. Evidently I missed something (I saw a diamond ring but couldn't get it, and wasn't going to backtrack at that point).  I did get Rhonda, Quickclaw, and (to my surprise that its a pick-up with points), the rat.    It has been so many years that I've played this, that I had forgotten where the balloon appears, and spent half an hour trying to figure out how to make progress.  

[+Cafeman]

Got a 205,240 on level 2.  I played beyond that but could not beat a number of timing challenges.   

 

Getting to the rope looks really rough.  Get a checkpoint, then jump the fast bug, jump 2 frogs , head back to the left avoiding first a crazy bat and a series of stepping stone jumps all the while avoiding rising/sinking condors. yeesh.   Will try again after my frayed nerves settle down. 

[Northcoastgamer]

Getting the Golden Rope probably is the toughest challenge in that section. Keep in mind that after you clear all four ledge screens, there is a bug guarding the Golden Rope. So be ready to jump once you appear running left into the rope screen or it's, well you know by now. Once you do get the rope keep going left into the next screen. There is a ledge there in a big chamber. Simply fall off going straight down, don't jump. Avoid this fish at the bottom and quickly get up on the ledge to the right. Head into that area and get the red cross there. Now you can get the Swami/Fluteplayer next, he's in that area. After that make your way down to the Golden Flute. If you can get those three items, the rest is still challenging but not as difficult. Now make your way down to the bottom left area. That's where the basket is. After that you can get more gold bars to beef up the score and then head to a big chamber in the top right area. I always go for the rope, swami, flute and basket in that order. In the big chamber the fluteplayer will do his thing and you can enjoy and watch a well deserved ending.

[jblenkle]

Pitfall II - 133,823

[+Cafeman]

Oh, I didn't realize the blue door would appear on any screen where you grabbed the final item.  That looks like where the diamond ring is hidden, but I've never grabbed it last.

[+Cafeman]

On 8/26/2022 at 4:36 PM, Northcoastgamer said:

Keep in mind that after you clear all four ledge screens, there is a bug guarding the Golden Rope. So be ready to jump once you appear running left into the rope screen or it's, well you know by now

 

Yep. The bug got me.  I learned to closely follow the condors, skipping over the ledges/steps. Then I finally got to the rope screen and that bug got me. I quit for the night.

[+DamonicFury]

New poll is up:

 

 

[rubeon]

204,331

 

I've pulled off a perfect first cavern on this game, but I just kept on pulling bonehead moves!

 

I can't remember if we ever made it out of the second cavern as kids, but it's absolutely brutal 

 

[+DamonicFury]

Does anyone want to break this tie? 

[+DamonicFury]

Congratulations to returning champion Northcoastgamer on taking the most treasures!  A very impressive run!

 

Moon Patrol is up next!  Thanks to the voter who broke the tie.
 

Final standings:

Northcoastgamer - 382,487 - RECORD BREAKER - +11 +1 = +12

jeremiahjt - 206,414 - +10

Cafeman - 205,240 +9

rubeon -  204,331 +8

jblenkle - 133,823 +7

  

[+Cafeman]

Excellent playing NorthCoastgamer!

The first adventure really doesn’t seem that huge once you know what to do. I got much better understanding the timing of the bats and condors and learning how to get the diamond ring which is the one sort of hidden prize. I think 199,000 is the perfect score, I got really close to that a couple times.

 

This is the farthest I’ve ever gotten on the second adventure. I feel I understand it a lot more now, even though I don’t yet have the skills to complete it. The bugs must be jumped very quickly as they approach you, and even the frogs are difficult for me to jump over at times, I often graze a pixel of them because I’m too close when I jump. The crazy bats are fear inspiring but I’ve gotten a lot better at jumping over them at the right time.