‘Pitfall’ Enters a New Dimension

Gamers raised on classics like the Atari 2600 version of “Pitfall” are old enough to have kids of their own now. So perhaps it’s only fitting that the latest incarnation of the durable adventure franchise features the hip and handsome son of treasure hunter Pitfall Harry.

“Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle” takes players on a wild trip through another dimension as they guide Harry Jr. through a series of beautifully drawn caves, ruins and other creepy spots. Despite a few control problems, “Pitfall 3D” shows off how far Sony PlayStation games have come.

Clean graphics, crisp sounds and lots of action highlight “Pitfall 3D”--the perfect introduction for players who weren’t even born in the simple days of the Atari 2600. Anyone who remembers the blocky graphics and monotonous scenery of those days will hardly recognize the rich three-dimensional environments of this 32-bit update.

Throughout, though, are reminders of the game’s legacy. Rolling logs, sinkholes and scorpions all make appearances--along with a brood of new hazards and enemies. For purists, the original 2600 game is hidden in “Pitfall 3D,” and it remains surprisingly fun.

In Harry Jr.’s second adventure--his first was in “The Mayan Adventure” on 16-bit consoles--the adventurer jumps through a rift and lands in a dimension ruled by the evil Scourge. Mission: Free the Moku people.

“Pitfall 3D’s” large levels encourage exploration. Weapons and special powers are hidden throughout, and it takes some searching to find them all. Moving around is easy, thanks to some nice camera angles and tight control. The only glitch in the game is a tendency for Harry Jr. to get stuck near obstacles and to wobble too much at ledges. In tight spots under attack, this quirk becomes a real problem.

Otherwise, “Pitfall 3D” slides along gracefully.

Despite a Teen rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, “Pitfall 3D” is perfect for kids whose parents worry about too much violence. Harry Jr. fights off wild apes and scorpions, but the action is cartoonish. Most of the game involves exploring and jumping--not killing.

“STARCRAFT”

Like “Pitfall 3D,” “Starcraft” involves a lot of exploring. Unlike “Pitfall 3D,” though, “Starcraft” also involves an awful lot of very graphic killing.

Not that that’s a bad thing. But parents ought to know that the Mature rating means something.

Eagerly awaited by PC strategy fans, “Starcraft” takes off on Blizzard Entertainment’s popular “Warcraft” series with a space-based war game that demands long-term planning and quick battlefield reflexes. Fans of that series will instantly recognize the planning and attack interfaces. But it’s intuitive enough for novices to feel comfortable with after the introductory training missions.

Unlike the “Warcraft” titles--which pitted two similar armies against each other--”Starcraft” offers players three very different protagonist choices: Terran, Protoss and Zerg. Each has different strategies and strengths, making “Starcraft” three games in one box.

Missions get increasingly complex, and players will appreciate the variety of environments in which action unfolds. A built-in campaign editor lets true fans create their own missions with only a few hours’ work, allowing for original episodes to be played out over a network or the Internet.

“Starcraft” needs a Windows 95 PC running a Pentium 90 or better with at least 16 megabytes of RAM. Multi-player modes require either a network connection or access to the Internet. On the baseline machine, the game runs a little slow.

“RAMPAGE WORLD TOUR”

The goal of “Rampage World Tour” is simple: Smash everything in sight. But some may feel like smashing the game after just a few rounds.

Ports of this arcade fave landed on Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation late last year, but “Rampage” only recently debuted on Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 version is cleaner than its 32-bit cousins but still suffers from poor sound and sloppy control.

For kids who dig busting stuff up, “Rampage” offers a painless way to vent aggression. For everyone else, the fun wears thin after a few minutes.

Three technicians for Scumlabs International get stuck in a toxic explosion, which mutates them into a giant ape, a dinosaur and a towering wolfman. Bent on revenge, the three monsters embark on a worldwide tour of destruction.

Players guide characters through scenic British locales with the express purpose of smashing as many buildings, spanking down as many helicopters and devouring as many bystanders as possible.

That’s all there is to it.

Players looking for a demolition game with a little more depth ought to check out “Blast Corps” for Nintendo 64. It offers all the explosions of “Rampage” but with quite a bit more variety.

Times staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Monday in The Cutting Edge. To comment on a column or suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com

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Essentials

Title: PitFall 3D: Beyond the Jungle

Platform: Sony PlayStation

Publisher: Activision

ESRB* rating: Teen

Price: $49.95

Bottom line: Better than ever

Title: Starcraft

Platform: PC CD-ROM

Publisher: Blizzard

ESRB rating: Mature

Price: $39.95

Bottom line: Top-notch strategy in space

Title: Rampage World Tour

Platform: Nintendo 64/Sega Saturn/Sony PlayStation

Publisher: Midway

ESRB rating: Teen

Price: $39.99 to $59.99 depending on platform

Bottom line: Better off renting

* Entertainment Software ratings Board

Next week: Blasto, Battlezone, Shadow Master and Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templar

Times staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Monday in The Cutting Edge. To comment on a column or suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com