Editor's note: These strategy tips were developed for Jungle Hunt on the 2600. However, most of them will work on the XE version as well.
Jungle Hunt is an action adventure game in which you, playing the role of the dashing Sir Dudley Dashley, negotiate the dangers of treetop, river, rock-strewn plain, and—last but not least—overcome the menace of that most dangerous of animals: man, in an attempt to prevent your dear wife from becoming a very, very odd life-insurance claim ("Cause of death: Eaten"). You will find unique and intriguing challenges in each phase of the game.
The Vines In the first scenario, Sir Dashley must swing from vine to vine (the word is "brachiate," look it up), mighty like a chimp. The vines themselves swing back and forth independently of one another, and there is nothing Sir Dashley can do to change this rhythm or broaden the swing of to the vine he's hanging on. You have to wait until the right moment, therefore, before pressing the joystick button to make him jump. Otherwise, you end up watching Sir Dashley sinking into the underbrush—where, we assume, he is consumed by army ants or something equally loathsome.
2600 version.
Just making the jump is only half the battle, moreover, since ideally, each jump should set you up for the one that follows so that you waste minimum time crossing the whole series of 11 vines. Because the vines swing back and forth independently, catching the right sequence for rapid traversal is difficult.
The general rule is as follows: wait for the vine you're hanging on to swing as far forward (to the left of the screen) as possible, and for the vine you're jumping towards to begin swinging right (i.e., back towards you). This way, when you jump, Sir Dudley will have maximum loft and get better distance, and while he's in the air, the vine he's jumping towards will swing back in his direction, making it easier to grab.
If you time things just right, you can make a single traverse of the first six or seven vines without pausing: the swing of the first carries you to the second, which swings forward, carrying you to the third, etc. There is a fast-swinging vine around number seven, however, that throws off the sequence, so you'll usually have to pause at least once before completing the vines scenario.
Two more warnings may be helpful. First, it's important to remember that these aren't real vines, and that Sir Dudley's weight doesn't affect the way they swing! If you have to pause and observe the way a vine is swinging before jumping towards it, you can assume that it will continue to swing in the same arc, at the same speed, once you've landed on it (this may save you some time in setting up for your next jump). Second, it is important not to be tempted to grab the very end of a vine, but stay somewhat above it. That way, you can profit from most of its swing without dropping down too low to catch the next vine along. A few of those vines are shorter than others!
The River Dudley faces two dangers in the river: crocodiles and drowning. His vertical movement is limited to the area between the surface of the water and the river bottom, and though he can remain submerged for a fairly long time, he must return periodically to the surface in order to breathe.
Crocodiles enter the screen from the left, and move towards the swimming figure of Dudley, moving from right to left. Normal crocs travel singly, or in groups of two or (usually) three, moving up and down in a gentle, random pattern. Touching a croc means death, so your first impulse (and the correct one, until you've practiced maneuvering for a while) is to avoid them.
XE version.
Your only real problem here is to make sure you have enough air to swim around the crocs, underwater. Some underwater swimming is unavoidable, since certain of the crocodiles hog the surface.
Then, there are rogue crocs, which travel singly, but move up and down in a much more random pattern. These should definitely be given a wide berth—the technique I use is to push right on the joystick, slowing Sir Dudley down until the rogue reaches mid-stream, then quickly submerge and push the joystick left, giving Dudley maximum speed and space to maneuver. It is fairly easy to avoid even the rogues in this way.
Of course, if you enjoy living dangerously, have no respect for animals, and want to rack up extra points, you can try stabbing a few crocodiles with your belt knife (line up vertically with your victim and press the joystick button just before you touch him). This is dangerous, of course, since if you blow the timing, you'll touch the croc you're trying to stab and lose a life as a result. Also, when a crocodile has his mouth fully open (this occurs at random, also), he's impossible to stab.
In general, the best technique to use when trying to stab a crocodile is to go a bit lower than he is, press the joystick button to extend your knife, then rise up so that the knife intersects the first third of his body. Normal crocs—particularly those swimming along at the surface—are easiest to hit, since they're a cinch to get below and line up with. Second hardest are normal crocs, underwater, since they're free to move up and down, and because you also have to watch your air as you're lining up for a stab. Hardest of all are rogue crocs, which move more erratically than the other kind, and tend to travel with their mouths permanently open.
Rock Field Next comes an open field that you have to run across while avoiding little rocks and big boulders, thundering along in the opposite direction. The small rocks, which tend to hug the ground, can be jumped over by pressing the joystick button. They're fairly easy to avoid if you jump early enough. Give yourself about two and a half body-lengths
before jumping, and success is almost assured.
XE version.
More difficult are the large boulders, which you can duck under (by pressing down on the joystick—this is easiest) or jump over. Set up for your duck or jump by running as fast as you can towards the left side of the screen (pressing the joystick left). Then, when a big rock appears, give a little ground and watch its bounce pattern before deciding on your move. Also, remember that pressing up on the joystick when you jump will increase your loft and distance, though this usually isn't necessary to clear the small boulders, and is rarely necessary with the big ones.
Cannibal Guards
XE version.
In the last scenario, Sir Dudley has to jump over the poison-tipped spears of cannibal guards—difficult, since they are about as tall as he is. The trick here is to watch the cannibals, who jump up and down and move left and right in a particular pattern, trying to time your jump so that you reach maximum altitude at the exact moment that the cannibal is closest to you, and coming down from his own jump. Remem ber to press up on the joystick as you jump, to increase your height and distance. That way, you soar over the spear point with inches to spare—but it's not easy.
Finally, with some luck, the tearful reunion takes place, after which everything starts over again at a higher level of difficulty. The ultimate object, of course, is points, points, points, which you can start going for once you've mastered the four basic scenarios. Till then, keep on swinging, and watch out for those rogue crocodiles!
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.