Pitfall on the Atari 2600 is a bit of a landmark in gaming history, being one of the first games to really define the “platformer” concept, and being one of the first developed by a third party. It’s had many sequels over the years, most of which have faded into obscurity. One such sequel is The Mayan Adventure, a game released in the mid-90s for SNES, Genesis, and PC. Harry Pitfall Jr.’s dad, the original Harry Pitfall, gets captured by a Mayan warrior spirit, and it’s up to his son to venture through the jungles and ancient ruins to rescue him.

“Xibalba” loosely means “place of fear” and is the Mayan term for the underworld. Well, this giant waterfall is quite fearsome, even if it’s only the second stage.You start at the bottom of the falls and have to work your way up to the top.

Some platforms have slippery moss on the end, which will make you fall off if you touch it. Thankfully, since the stage is vertical, you don’t lose that much if you fall. Unfortunately, you’ll probably be falling a lot, and the stage tends to wear you down slowly. The local wildlife isn’t helping either, with killer wasps and monkeys out for your blood.

Persistence pays off, though. Try enough times, and you’re sure to make it to the summit and reach the next stage. The music in the Genesis version is pretty unremarkable, but this stage’s theme from the PC version is really good.