When thinking of ice and snow, most people might conjure up images in their mind of the Yeti, Christmas, and Deborah Meaden from the Dragons' Den TV programme.
Turn the same attention to the phrase Pitfall Glacier and you could easily come up with deadly icy crevasses and ruthless killer penguins. And you'd be mostly right, provided you replace the dark connotations of such images with something a little brighter – despite the content, this is a platform game overflowing with cuteness and comic value.
For the most part, it's also simple. You get to walk, jump, climb, and jump a bit more. No fiddling around looking at maps, or changing weapons and unlocking doors – Pitfall Glacier appears so easy you'd think your pet could give it a go.
If that were the case, however, there are times you'd need to call the vet. Because when the game occasionally steps out of its comfort zone and introduces hazards such as sinking platforms and exceptionally harsh enemies to shoot before they do, frustration levels can skyrocket. The suddenly delicate and intricate moves necessary to successfully negotiate such sections on your phone's small screen and tiny buttons can prove infuriating to perform.
You can therefore expect to have to repeat levels, which is hardly the sort of thing someone with the nervous disposition of a rabbit should be dealing with. Place it before your pets at your peril!
Still, back to fluffier things. The game offers two zones – Frozen Lake and Mountainside – each with their own set of challenges. They're not the largest levels in the history of gaming but, the odd aforementioned irritating segment aside, they do provide a reasonable amount of enjoyment.
In truth, Pitfall Glacier is little more than a typical 2D scrolling platform game, albeit one that is technically accomplished – the scenery scrolls by smoothly, the homicidal penguins float on the ice with great style, and the music is pretty effective in giving the game an Indiana Jones feel. Which is never a bad thing.
Whether that's something you can say of a title that simply repackages what has gone before with a new title and graphical coat will depend on you, really. The classic, formulaic nature is likely to antagonise the older, more jaded players, but a younger demographic could be expected to be far more receptive (as well as not mind the tricky sections as much) of what is a mostly decent example of a tried-and-tested game genre.
Pitfall Glacier
Nothing new, sadly, but a competent – if occasionally tricky – platform game nevertheless
