Completely dumbfounded at how this is one of the first rogue games ever made? Beneath Apple Manor and, uh, Rogue both predated E.T. by a few years each, but for many, this was surely their exposure to the genre - I know it was for me, anyway. Assuming you don’t manipulate your RNG and lock in the positions of the phone pieces (and presumably the zones, I’m not sure) in advance by holding the fire button on startup, each reset should essentially result in a completely unique playthrough. For a time where most games didn’t even have an ending, let alone such variable factors to consider in each run, this is a pretty impressive piece of shit, I gotta say. It’s not all glamorous of course, people have torn this game apart for years (and repeatedly recited the same factoids about its history to a more exhausting degree than even the development of Super Mario Bros. 2) and I’m obviously not blind to its faults. Still, I think people can be pretty uncharitable towards it all the same.

First, if you’ve ever belabored that the game is too confusing or doesn’t make sense or whatever, you have to consider that all the game’s mechanics were actually broken down in the manual. No stone is left unturned, it even explains how the scoring system works (or how it’s supposed to work, apparently the way your point total gets tallied during the ending is kinda fucked up). Pits are the mechanic that have seen the most criticism at this point, and while they can certainly be frustrating, they’re not glitched or broken or whatever. People have even pointed towards the collision being the culprit, which isn’t true either. In fact, they work completely perfectly. The real problem is that the collision is too good. E.T. and his sprite is so accurate that it’s incredibly easy to clip the pits while navigating, on top of easily falling back in once you get out. While this can be alleviating beforehand by improving your steering, or afterward by leaving the bottom part of the pit rather than the top, it’s still a mechanic that could have seen some brushing up with some hindsight - shrinking your hurtbox slightly should theoretically fix the issue entirely.

Once you have a grasp of world navigation, finding the phone parts and scraping the map for zones is actually pretty fun. And I hate to say it, but scrambling for and getting to the “go the fuck away” zone icons in-between scuffles with the government agents can actually provide very small bursts of excitement during the game. Getting grabbed by an agent sucks, but since the game is over in three minutes and a fresh start is a reset away, the pace is genuinely kind of electric. Where it does fall apart for me is actually in the home stretch of the game - while placing the Phone Home zone on one single unique spot of the map is a natural evolution of the preexisting rogue mechanics, it’s pretty obnoxious blindly running around each of the game’s five major screens looking for the correct spot while avoiding the rest of the hazards. Oftentimes I’d get all the phone parts, fumble around for the last zone, get caught, and then just reroll the system for better odds. Again, while the game can get away with these weird bumps due to its length, this one in particular feels the most cheap to me - it’s not enough to ruin the game, but definitely holds it back from being something I’ll want to replay often.

If you’re not 5 years old and refuse to read an instruction manual, there’s really no reason to be so vehemently against this one I feel, especially on a system like the Atari 2600 which, in retrospect, wasn’t pumping out the finest of the medium. It’s not high art, and surely there’s a lesson to be gained from how its launch window was handled (not just for this game, but other games launching around the same time), but gimme a break lmao. With 40 years of hindsight, I think it’s fair to say this is easily the 2nd best piece of E.T material that’s ever been made.

Is it worth the joke? Did I need to spend 45 minutes deciphering and maneuvering through this game's absolute nothingness of an experience just because I shared my username with it? To experience the E.T. video game?

Fuck it, yeah. Sometimes I pull myself into poor decisions, sometimes I irony my way into doing dumb shit for a bit, but in the end, it's an experience to have. There's a huge difference between taking someone's word on a game being bad and giving the word.

actually, sorry, no, i'm not going into detail on this game. it sucks, but not for very long, and it's very funny being able to say that i've finally played and beaten E.T., especially while having parents who played the game on official hardware back then and couldn't.

i promise i won't do it again.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is a fantastic movie. The story may be simple, but it is elevated and carried with the heart throughout its runtime, the characters, the humor that still holds up, and the effects for E.T., which are very impressive for the time that it came out. Even for being 40 years old, it is still a classic to watch to this day.

The video game, on the other hand... HOO BOY, that is an ENTIRELY different story. I'm sure anyone who has been into video games for a long time has at least heard of this game at one point. It is one of the most infamous licensed game ever made, it is one of the main contributors to the video game crash of 1983, and it is considered to be one of the worst games of all time.

As for me, yeah, I can't lie, it is pretty god awful, and I don't blame anyone for thinking that it is one of the worst of all time. The story is pretty much the same as the film, except incredibly abridged, the graphics are Atari graphics, so nothing else to say there, the music, or I guess sound effects in this case, are terrible, the control is actually kind of tough to get a grip on, and this is just a joystick and a button we are talking about, and the gameplay is extremely annoying to execute.

I think the main problem with this game is that even trying to maneuver around the world and make progress is both extremely confusing and a fucking chore. You will just randomly fall into holes all the time, even if it seems like you are far enough away from them, and the placement of the items you collect isn't quite clearly laid out, so you can't properly make progress without going through a bunch of bullshit.

Now, with all that being said, would I consider this one of, if not, THE worst game in the world? No, not at all. Yes, it is terrible, but for what we have here, it is pretty impressive, given how little time the developer was given to make it, and ever since this, there have been MANY other games that are considerably worse than this for a multitude of reasons.

Overall, while I wouldn't consider it the worst game ever made, it is still absolutely abysmal, and without a doubt one of the worst licensed games of all time.

Game #52

I know that there are plenty of things to say and not say about ET and how utterly horrible of a game it is. but honestly I'd rather talk about the things surrounding the game, such as the urban legend turned true about how this game, among other infamous Atari 2600 games, were buried in a New Mexico landfill as they couldn't move units in stores. or how this game was rushed out in SIX WEEKS to hit store shelves. even the most rushed of modern games had more time put into them than six weeks

this game wasn't the prime reason for the video game crash of 1983 - it just makes for an incredibly easy and very visible scapegoat. I think this is a game every self-professed gamer should play at least once, even if it's absolutely horrible. it's important to get a little perspective into finding out why the video game ecosystem is the way it is, and especially why early Nintendo was the way it was. and, yknow, how capitalism ends up requiring the mass manufacturing of bad art in order to prop up entire industries for the sake of profit, no matter how much the customer hates it in the end, or something. it's 2:30 AM where I live

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠛⠛⠛⠋⠉⠈⠉⠉⠉⠉⠛⠻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣤⣤⣤⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⢏⣴⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣟⣾⣿⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⢢⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⠀⡴⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿
⣿⣿⣿⠟⠻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠶⢴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿
⣿⣁⡀⠀⠀⢰⢠⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⣴⣶⣿⡄⣿
⣿⡋⠀⠀⠀⠎⢸⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠗⢘⣿⣟⠛⠿⣼
⣿⣿⠋⢀⡌⢰⣿⡿⢿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⢸⣿⣿⣧⢀⣼
⣿⣿⣷⢻⠄⠘⠛⠋⠛⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣧⠈⠉⠙⠛⠋⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣧⠀⠈⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⢃⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⡿⠀⠴⢗⣠⣤⣴⡶⠶⠖⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⡸⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⡀⢠⣾⣿⠏⠀⠠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠛⠉⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣧⠈⢹⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠈⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣴⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣄⣀⣀⣀⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠙⣿⣿⡟⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠀⠁⠀⠀⠹⣿⠃⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢐⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⠉⠁⠀⢻⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠈⣿⣿⡿⠉⠛⠛⠛⠉⠉
⣿⡿⠋⠁⠀⠀⢀⣀⣠⡴⣸⣿⣇⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡿⠄⠙⠛⠀⣀⣠⣤⣤⠄

The fact that an average arcade-like game that was made in five weeks by one guy in order to meet a holiday deadline due to an expiring license contract was made into a martyr for what was an overall problem with the industry at the time goes to show that time is truly a flat circle, not helping are legitimate problems (exact pixels on ET causes him to get hit with holes when leaving, creating loops that're hard to get out of, areas that are hard to pinpoint where each action you can press can become available, the AI either being janky or extremely hostile with no in-between, navigation being kind of a mess) getting buried by people Not Reading The Manual.

At the absolute, absolute worst, you're playing a game with really annoying collision detection and dealing with a maze of like, five or six rooms because pathway navigation isn't the brightest and cause one AI in particular homes in and steals your objective items like it's nothin.

To be a player, to be a gamer, have you ever wondered what it is to be a gamer? Have you ever wondered what video games taught you to take into your life? Or have you never stopped to think about it? After all, there are hours and hours we dedicate to them, many hours of our days and our lives. If you are good observers, you will notice that they have a lot to teach us, to inspire us. Angry, what did games teach you? What is it to be a gamer? I tell you. Games have taught me that when you encounter enemies along the way it means you are heading in the right direction. If you really want a happy ending, you're going to have to fight a lot to get it. As much as you are stressed, worried, full of problems, you need to stop and listen, because a wise person is the one who listens more and speaks less, because he learns what is heard and transmits these teachings in his eyes. There is no such thing as a weaker sex. Games have taught me that we can make mistakes several times and that problems will pile up, but if we have the patience and don't give up, the right ones make them disappear like magic. Be proud of the things you make, the things you build, even if people say it doesn't look so good, looks aren't everything. Games taught me that war... war never changes. That all choices have consequences, not just for you, but for the world and everyone around you. That villains are usually villains for a reason and that in the eyes of some they are right and are the real heroes. Games have taught me that pain is terrible, but it is a guide for us to become stronger and stronger. That dying is sad, but if it's for the right reasons and protecting the people you love, that's fine. Everybody needs love. Even if love is a pain. Betrayal only exists because it comes from those we least expect. Games have even taught me the definition of insanity. That you don't have to be of the same blood, race or species to be of the same family. Don't make a promise to a woman if you can't keep it. Rivalry does not mean enmity. If you really love a person, you just want to see them happy, even if they take full credit for something you helped. The obstacle can be gigantic, and seem impossible, we can try and fail several times, but with each attempt comes learning, with learning comes improvement, and with improvement comes overcoming, and that bogeyman will not exist more. That the journey in many cases is worth more than the ultimate reward. There are people who think that video games isolate people, make them anti-social, in 2009 I was just a kid with an xbox 360, with 300 stories to tell, that I shared with half a dozen friends, when I went online, I was just one, and today we are 3 million! 3 million talking about games, all games. And you come to tell me that video games don't bring people together? Video games bring people together. Teach. Entertain. De-stress. And it offers temporary joy to many people who can't get it out of the virtual world, because the world itself just pushes them down. Video games are not responsible for murders, they are not responsible for low grades in school, and they are not a waste of time. If you think like that, you're wrong! Being a gamer is about living many lives instead of just one. Being a gamer is like enjoying your moments alone or even squandering your competitive side. I'm a gamer. I've always been. Always will be. Sit down, get comfortable, press start go. Big hug, to all of you young people All the best, always Thank you so much for everything, heh, we are 3 million.

You know you can start hovering out of the holes the moment you fall in right? You don't actually need to wait to hit the bottom.

A super ambitious title hampered by a soul crushing timeline passed down from on high by the Powers That Be, and then dragged through the mud for decades by nerds looking for a cheap laugh, ET has some cool ideas (context sensitive abilities that force you to pay attention to your position in an open-world environment) that may not all come together elegantly, but I'm happy they tried.

You can honestly do far, far worse. E.T.'s biggest issue is its lack of conveyance, something that was a potential issue with every video game of that era if you lost the manual. If you fall in a pit, hit left or right as soon as you switch screens. If you're struggling with the FBI Agents/Scientists, switch to Game 3 to get rid of them. Don't sweat the timer of doom.

E.T. is a bad game, of course, but it's not really the cause of the 1983 Video Game Crash. It's more emblematic of Atari's hubris at the time. Right before Atari went all-in on E.T.'s success, they produced 15 million copies of the 2600 port of Pac-Man when only 5 million Atari 2600s had been sold. To hope any single game would move ten million consoles was foolhardy; to put that hope into one of the all-time worst video game ports was just inviting disaster. E.T. needed to be an overwhelming success; to that end, they got the best possible talent they could in developer Howard Scott Warsaw, gave him five weeks, and set him at it. Warsaw did the best he could, but there was no escaping the hole Atari dug for themselves.

I always hated the fact everyone says E.T. is the reason why the Videogame crash happened in 1983. It's not the worst Atari game at all, but of course, they decided to rush its development because E.T. was a thing back in 1982, and they released a poor game with a large amount of merchandise. It will always be known as the game that almost killed the videogame industry. :(

(When anyone says 'shovelware' it reminds you of Nintendo Wii, right? Don't forget shovelware was a thing back in 1982 lmao)

O game que vai ficar pra sempre lembrado como o jogo que causou o crash dos videogames de 83, mas na realidade ele nem é tãaaao ruim assim. Enfim, nos proporcionou séries legais de pessoas tentando desvendar o mito de terem enterrado várias cópias do jogo no deserto do Novo México.