Gaming

In 1983 my best friend was the Atari 2600. What more could any entry-level gamer ask for. The marquee, top-of-the-line game was Pitfall! (Pitfall Harry’s Jungle Adventure). Nothing else had even come close to the game play, difficulty or pure fun of Pitfall. The apex of my career as gamer came very early. Activision had a contest where if you scored 20,000 points or more you would become a member of the Explorers Club, an elite group of gamers dedicated to all things Pitfall. My parents were surprisingly supportive of my gaming habits, so one day after a mammoth session my mom took a picture of my score and sent it in to Activision. A few weeks later we got in the mail an Explorers Club patch and this letter:

Dear Pitfall Harry adventurer:

Congratulations! You scored 20,000 or more points on Pitfall and have earned membership in Activision’s Explorers Club. I’m proud of you – not every soldier of fortune has the courage and skill to tame the wild jungle.
In permanent recognition of your special ability to find treasure despite snapping crocodiles and deadly scorpions, I’ve enclosed my official emblem.
Your name will be added to our mailing list and you’ll receive Activisions, the newsletter that reports on new Activision game cartridges, designers, special contests, and experiences of other video game fans around the country.
Thank you for sharing your accomplishment with me. I hope you will try for membership in all of our game clubs. Don’t hesitate to write to us about your experiences, we love to hear form you.

Yours truly,

Pitfall Harry,
Explorer



I never did get the newsletter.