PITFALL!
• The game's Tarzan "yelling", vine-swinging, and treasure-seeking was influenced by both old Tarzan movies as well as the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• The crocodile-skipping scenario was inspired by the intro from the Terrytoons cartoon show, Heckle and Jeckle.
• The 5-note tune that plays whenever you die is from the 1960s TV show Dragnet, who copied the melody (composed by Miklós Rózsa and called “Danger Ahead”) from the 1946 film The Killers.
• The 6-note tune that plays when you get a treasure is based on a German Army WWI bugle call called "No. 2 Battery". The tune was later popularized after WWII in the U.S. by USC Trojans drum major and football kicker Tommy Walker.
• Climb to the top of a ladder and push down on the top of joystick handle, so all four directions (LEFT+RIGHT+UP+DOWN) are pushed at once. Harry will jump straight up and fall back down.
• A perfect score of 114,000 points can be achieved. There are a total of 32 treasures – 8 of each type (money bag, silver, gold, diamond ring). The fastest perfect game possible (w/o losing any lives) is with 1:42 remaining on the clock, first achieved by Doug Korekach.
• Here is a list of all the valid underground shortcuts: 1-250, 12-246, 14-20, 16-34, 26-38, 39-63, 64-88, 91-100, 93-117, 134-185, 141-153, 180-186, 187-205, 210-225, 227-236, 245-251.
• The following path through the jungle is one possible solution (“U” – underground): 1-12, 12-246 (U), 246-236, 236-227 (U), 227-229, 229-225, 225-210 (U), 210-186, 186-180 (U), 180-117, 117-93 (U), 93-96, 96-38, 38-26 (U), 26-29
• FRYING: Creates a “ninja” Pitfall Harry! Frying can sometimes produce "ninja" Harry, dressed in black. Pressing the button makes him drop from trees, but you cannot leave the screen (see video). {Terence Micharoni}
