Video game:Xbox Pitfall: The Lost Expedition

Pitfall! Is considered one of the most influential video games ever invented. Publisher and developer Activision released the platform-action game Pitfall! for the Atari 2600 in 1982. Players assume the role of the treasure hunter Pitfall Harry. Harry was one of the first video game characters ever created and established the blueprint for future characters. He was a realistic looking human at a time when most video games featured abstract representations of characters. Players guide Harry on his quest through a dangerous jungle, searching for thirty two pieces of treasure scattered throughout the game's 256 screens. Harry may travel left or right and occasionally climb up or down ladders. The jungle presents challenging perils. Players run, jump and swing from vines as they avoid quicksand, pits, crocodiles, snakes and scorpions. A perfect score is only achieved if the player collects all 32 treasures and avoids getting hit by anything. A twenty minute time limit adds to the challenge and requires players to perfect their gameplay techniques. The style of gameplay featured in Pitfall! became an industry standard. Pitfall! influenced countless action-adventure titles including Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider and Metroid. Pitfall! was ported to a wide variety of platforms and inspired multiple sequels. The latest, Pitfall: The Lost Expedition, was released for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Xbox in 2004. For its groundbreaking influence on the action-adventure genre the Pitfall franchise holds an important place in the history of electronic games.