| Most of us remember Pitfall Harry as the very first platformer that came out during the Atari 2600 era. The game progressed through the years, appearing on many consoles, and Harry doing what he does best: running, swinging, jumping and climbing like Indiana Jones. Now that a new version of Pitfall Harry is here, it's obvious that the game has imported a few unique elements to keep things interesting. With colorful graphics, polished animation, and easy gameplay, Pitfall: The Lost Expedition can be described as the series best reproduction of Harry's incredible adventures to date.
The most noticeable change in the latest Pitfall game is the main character's physical attributes. Harry is no longer that same pixilated guy that we have become accustomed to. In fact, the new Harry is agile, intelligent, and perhaps the most sought-after eligible bachelor. The story begins in narration of the scripted events about Harry's attempts to rescue lost members of the jungle expedition who boarded the ill-fated plane. Along the way, he discovers several twisted paths leading to the sighting of ruin cities, existence of primordial tribes at war, revelation of ancient prophecies, and more.
You will find some of the dialogues a bit humorous as the story line tends to be on the whacky side. Though the comical aspect of the conversation doesn't quite reach laughing magnitude, you will definitely be entertained. Silliness aside, the game packs serious punch in terms of the arsenal of moves that Harry executes. He can double jump on situations when called for, swing like Tarzan, and turn ordinary jungle items to his advantage to which can be used as deadly weapons. In addition, Harry's moves can be upgraded by purchasing new attacks such as spin kicks from various shamans that appear through out the levels.
The controls of the game may take some getting used to, in that you use the right stick primarily as your action button. It's actually a great idea giving the right stick a new purpose. It gives today's platformers such this one a totally different experience and infinite creative possibilities to the gameplay. Most of the enemies you will encounter can be easily disposed of using basic combat moves and weapons; but the rest of them require a bit more work and you will definitely need to purchase new skills for your own sake. The only setback to the combat side of The Lost Expedition is the camera angles that begin to lose its focus when the action heats up and multiple enemies are attacking. At times, you feel as though your position has been compromised being that only half the enemies are visible onscreen and you don't know where the remaining troops are. Nevertheless, the combat system works just fine.
All the traditional Pitfall-style mechanics that we have grown to adapt are still here, everything from jumping across pits to battling the forces of nature. The way the exploration and puzzle-solving is presented very well. There are plenty of areas to poke around and you will come across hidden shortcuts if you know where to look. Figuring out how to advance to the next level by way of solving puzzles is the probably Pitfall greatest asset; but the greatest credit goes to the game's easy gameplay that made this action adventure more appealing than it is.
The graphics in The Lost Expedition are pretty impressive, though they consists of mostly goofy designs and comic-style characters. The environment features gorgeous landscapes filled with fine details such as cracks and foliage, and interactive objects. You will go through crystal frozen ice caves, bat-infested pathways, villages surrounded with lava, mountain tops inhabited by hostile natives, and more. Harry himself moves silky smooth and the cut-scenes are very well done. The game runs at a pretty solid frame rate and features very little pop-up. The sounds are incredible and with Dolby Pro Logic II support, you can hear the difference from all angles. You can hear the calls of the wild as if you were there. The game did an excellent job with the voice-acting and some of those one-liners are pretty hilarious.
Overall, Pitfall: The Lost Expedition is a well-crafted game despite the silly characteristics that surrounds it. The environments are large with lots to explore and the controls are tight and responsive. The graphics are nicely done with plenty of special touches such as icy reflections and transparencies to the background that makes it lifelike. The sounds fit the jungle theme perfectly. Pitfall: The Lost Expedition is perhaps one of the most engaging platformers for the Playstation 2. If you're a fan of action adventure, you might want to swing to the entertainment outlet near you. | 
