Jungle Hunt

Jungle Hunt is a one- or two-player side-scrolling arcade platform game produced and released by Taito in 1982. Originally known as Jungle King in early arcade releases, it follows a jungle explorer wearing a pith helmet and safari suit as he attempts to rescue a woman from cannibals.

Gameplay

The adventure is divided into four scenes, each with a distinct challenge:

• Jungle traversal: Swing from vine to vine—or ropes in the Jungle Hunt version—while avoiding falls and gorillas.
• River crossing: Swim through crocodile-infested water, attacking crocodiles with a knife when possible and resurfacing for air.
• Volcano climb: Dodge rolling and bouncing boulders of different sizes and speeds.
• Rescue: Evade cannibals and reach the woman before she is lowered into a flaming cauldron.

After the rescue, the game displays congratulatory messages and the adventure repeats with increased difficulty. Jungle Hunt is also notable as one of the first video games to use parallax scrolling.

Versions and Changes

The game developed from prototypes called Jungle Boy and Jungle King. Following a copyright dispute over the earlier Tarzan-like character, Taito changed the hero to a jungle explorer, replaced vines with ropes in the opening scene, and removed the Tarzan yell. A Brazilian version retained the bare-chested character and Tarzan yell. Another variant, Pirate Pete, used the same gameplay with a pirate protagonist and pirate-themed levels.