How to play Jungle Hunt online
- Jump to the next vine, stab a crocodile or jump: Space bar
- Swim in any direction: arrow keys
- Run forward and back: left and right arrow keys
- Duck under a boulder: down arrow
- Jump higher: press the up arrow straight after jumping
- Start a new game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch) or Space
- Choose skill level 1 or 2: F11 (the consoleās Select switch)
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0ā9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0ā9 loads it
Gameplay
You have five lives, a bonus life at 10,000 points, and 500 seconds on the clock to reach Lady Penelope. The four scenes come in a fixed order:
- The Deadly Forest. Leap from one swinging vine to the next. Some vines swing faster than others, and a missed jump costs a life. At the end, press the button to dive into the river.
- Reptile River. Swim past crocodiles or stab them with your knife. A crocodile with its jaws wide open canāt be stabbed. Most swim in groups of three, but the odd ārogueā crocodile swims alone and moves unpredictably. An air meter shows how long you can stay underwater, so surface before it runs out.
- The Boulder Field. Small rocks roll along the ground and must be jumped. Big boulders bounce, so you can jump over them, run under them or duck.
- Cannibal Camp. Jump over the spear-carrying guards to reach Lady Penelope.
After the rescue you return to the forest for a harder round. The game ends when you run out of lives or the timer reaches zero.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Jump to a vine | 100 |
| Stab a crocodile (jaws closed) | 100 |
| Stab a crocodile (jaws partly open) | 200 |
| Stab a rogue crocodile | 300 |
| Run under a boulder | 50 |
| Duck under a boulder | 100 |
| Jump over a boulder or a cannibal | 200 |
| Leave a section of the jungle | 500 |
| Rescue Lady Penelope | 3 Ć the time left on the timer |
Skill level 1 is easy and level 2 is for experts.
Tips
- Donāt waste time in the forest. The rescue bonus is three times the time you have left, and the vines are where most seconds slip away.
- Attack crocodiles from below. Their bellies are the weak spot. Stay clear of any crocodile whose mouth is fully open.
- Jump the big boulders for points. A jump scores up to four times as much as ducking or running under, but big boulders bounce high, so time it carefully.
The story behind Jungle Hunt
Taito first released the arcade game in Japan in 1982 as Jungle King, with a Tarzan-like hero and jungle yell. After legal action by the estate of Tarzanās creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Taito renamed it Jungle Hunt, turned the hero into a pith-helmeted explorer and replaced the yell with music.
For its home versions, Atari named the characters Sir Dudley and Lady Penelope. According to AtariProtos, the 2600 handled diagonals poorly, so the uphill boulder run became flat ground with bouncing boulders. The two cannibals were split onto separate screens, and the arcade gameās river bubbles, vine monkeys and cooking pot were left out. Prototypes from February 1983 survive, including an early one with only two scenes. Atarisoft later released Jungle Hunt for several home computers and the ColecoVision.
