DESCRIPTION

In The Pit, one must delve into the underworld — a place filled with valuable diamonds and deadly enemies! As the game begins, a tank enters on the right side of the screen and unleashes enemies into the underworld. On the left side of the screen appears a flying vessel that holds the lone adventuring hero. The vessel lands and he too is released into the subterranean tunnels.

The adventurer must dig through the underworld and collect all of the diamonds before the tank above can blast through a mountainous barrier and threaten the hero's vessel on the other side of the screen. There are a few hazards below ground that make collecting all the diamonds more difficult, however. The enemies roam the various corridors in search of the adventurer and if these baddies find him, it's all over.

Hazards also come in the form of falling rocks and another large, ominous caged creature. While the creature is confined to a small portion of the level, there are times when enemies chase the adventurer and he must roam dangerously near this abomination. In order to complete the level, the character must shovel out various corridors to reach all of the diamonds and there are times when he must shovel underneath massive rocks, causing them to fall.

When an enemy or falling rock touches the adventurer, he loses a life. He has only a few chances to collect all of the diamonds and escape in time. Each time a diamond is collected, a number of points are added to the overall total. The best point totals are placed on a high-score list. The Pit also offers an alternating two-player option. Whenever one player's adventurer dies in this mode, the other player gets a chance to recover the diamonds. ~ Matthew House, All Game Guide