Pitfall 32X

Ten years later, Pitfall Harry is back, and what's more important, Harry Jr. is around, too. The son of that video game pioneer is starring in his own adventure, plunging deep into the jungles of South America to rescue his famous dad.

It's fitting somehow that there should be a CD-ROM version of this game -a classic comes back and takes advantage of all the latest technology. It's also fair to say that of the SNES, Genesis and Sega CD versions, this is easily the best.

The designers have added an additional Ruin, Temple, and Waterfall stage, so the game has thirteen stages instead of the original ten. It's also important to note that the music is excellent, and the sound effects have been replaced with live sounds that were recorded in the rain forests of Central America.

But possibly the most impressive feature is that the background sound effects have been recorded in an especially deep version of surround sound, if you've got a setup that can take advantage of it, the sound mix is nothing short of startling.

After days of traveling through the jungle, Harry Jr. and I have finally reached the heart of the ancient Mayan Empire. It's been a long journey, but the real danger lies ahead... For we are close to discovering the lost treasure of Vaxactun.

According to legend, the treasure is guarded by the spirit of an ancient Mayan warrior--Zakelua: Lord of Evil. Thousands of years ago, Zakelua attempted to conquer the Mayan lands so he could rule the Empire. After many battles, he was finally defeated, never to be seen again...

I have recorded my research on Mayan culture and legend in the following pages. If something should happen to me, it is my hope that Harry Jr. take my personal log and use it as a guide to continue our quest. I only hope that it will be enough help -- if ever it must be used...