Activision’s Pitfall was a great release; it showed the Atari 2600 could do more than simple arcade ports. It also prominently showed many of the Atari 2600 weaknesses, but gamers didn’t care, for the most part. I was one that didn’t care, Pitfall was a fun game. It still is, just not as magical as it felt at first. Tomb Quest takes the idea of Pitfall and expands it in all directions with more content than Activision could have thought to add back in the day.
Not Tomb Raider but Still Interesting
Tomb Raider is probably the most popular exploration game of the 32-Bit era. Lara Croft transcended being the protagonist of that franchise, literally becoming bigger than the game that spawned her. With that popularity comes the fans that want more of that type of content. Most gamers do not care what console it is on as long as it is the one they own.
Obviously the Atari 2600 cannot even begin to duplicate what the original PlayStation console did. Atari’s console can let fans revisit the feeling they got from playing Tomb Raider and similar titles though.
That is exactly what you can expect with Tomb Quest.
Pitfall but More of Everything
I do not mean to harp on Pitfall but as far as the Atari 2600, it is the leading, at least most popular, exploration game available. It would be like comparing a new 2D action platform game and ignoring Super Mario Bros 3 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Aiming high, you may as well aim for number one.
From what I can glean from the video and other media available, I have not purchased the game, Tomb Quest is very expansive. Unlike Pitfall, which was very horizontally focused, Tomb Quest is like adding in more than a pinch of Metroid with rooms above and below you.
Avoid snakes and other traps to collect the priceless relics in the tomb. Can you complete your quest, or will you become another pile of bones for another adventurer to shake their head at as they progress beyond your capabilities?
Grab Tomb Quest on itch.io, it is $3 at the time of this writing. No demo is available at this time.
It adds a whole new experience with the addition of Metroid style adventures. I think it's an attempt to breathe new life into older hardware.
It is a great time to be a gamer.