E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Difference between revisions

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{{All_Game_Nav|game=E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial|num=0}}
{{All_Game_Nav|game=E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial|onepage=1|num=0}}
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{{Infobox| title = E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
{{Infobox| title = E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
|image =
|boxart=[[Image:Atari_2600_ET_boxscan.jpg]]
|developer = [[Atari]]
|developer=[[Atari]]
|publisher = [[Atari]]
|publisher=[[Atari]]
|releasedates= December [[1982]]
|releasedates=December [[1982]]
|genre = [[Adventure]]
|genre=[[Adventure]]
|modes = [[Single player]]
|modes=[[Single player]]
|ratings = N/A
|ratings=N/A
|systems = [[Atari 2600]]
|systems=[[Atari 2600]]
|input = Joystick
|input=Joystick
}}
}}


==History==
'''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''' was a game developed by Howard Scott Warshaw based on the film of the same name and released by [[Atari]] for the [[Atari 2600]] video game system in [[1982]]. It was widely considered a poorly produced and rushed game that Atari thought would sell purely based on brand loyalty to the names of Atari and ''E.T.'' Instead, the game fared horribly and cost Atari millions of US dollars. ''E.T.'' is seen by many as the death knell for Atari and is widely regarded as one of the worst video games ever produced as well as one of the biggest commercial failures in video gaming history. A major contributing factor to Atari's demise, the game's failure epitomizes the video game crash of 1983. Over 2 million excess cartridges were dumped in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico.<br />
The game to end all games.


E.T. is widely recognized as one of worst games ever made. E.T., along with many other terrible [[Atari]] games released in late 82 and 83, caused the Atari system, and the video game industry, to die. One of the best examples of the quality of a movie game, and was also the very first one.
==Gameplay==
The gameplay of E.T. consists of maneuvering the fictional alien character E.T. through several screens to obtain the three pieces necessary to assemble a device to "phone home". The phone pieces can be obtained by finding them scattered randomly in various wells (pits) or the player can collect nine Reese's Pieces and then "call Elliot," who will then bring him a phone piece. Additionally, the player must avoid an FBI agent and scientist in pursuit. If either enemy catches E.T., the player is carried to the Washington D.C. screen. If the FBI agent catches E.T. he also will lose all collected phone pieces (or Reese's Pieces if no phone pieces have been collected). The difficulty setting can be changed with the game select and left and right difficulty switches located on the console. This will either change the number of humans present, the speed of movement of the humans, or the conditions needed to call the spaceship.


It's only because the later release of the [[NES]] that commercially produced video games are still around today.
E.T. is also given a limited supply of energy and starts the game with 9999 points. Any action, including movement, depletes the energy. E.T. can use Reese's Pieces at an "eat candy" spot and press the button to replenish energy. If E.T. reaches zero energy he will turn white and die. Three times per game, Elliot will then appear to revive E.T. by "merging" with him, letting the player continue with 1500 points. Locating and reviving a wilted flower adds an extra revival from Elliot. If E.T. dies more times than Elliot can revive him, the game ends.


It was really, really, bad. It was so bad, the millions of unsold copies that were sent back to Atari by the retailers were [http://www.snopes.com/business/market/atari.asp buried in a New Mexico landfill], along with the millions of unsold [[Pac-Man]] ports.
Four of the six screens are riddled with wells of varying size that E.T. falls into if he gets too close, causing him to lose some energy. In order to get out, the player must levitate E.T. by pressing the controller button and tilting the joystick forward. Since phone pieces and wilted flowers are found at the bottom of wells, this often leads to the majority of the game consisting of players intentionally falling into wells in order to complete the round.


==Gameplay==
Once E.T. has all three phone pieces, the player may press the controller button at a "call ship zone." This causes a timer to appear and count down the time E.T. has to arrive at the landing zone. In most cases, E.T. cannot call his ship when a human is present (lower difficulty levels will allow it). Once the player finds the landing zone they may press the controller button again to call the ship. If no humans are present when the timer has run out, the ship will appear and pick E.T. up. This will end that round of play. The player is then given bonus points based on how many Reese's Pieces he has left and may continue playing for another round. Aside from bonus points earned, all rounds are functionally identical and do not increase in difficulty with play.
You move E.T. around, and he kind of falls into these hole things, but you have no way of knowing what will trigger this falling into holes. There are also men who capture you and bring you back to the town-like screen. When E.T. is in a hole he has to stretch his neck up slowly to get out. If he moves too fast he'll break his neck and die, and have to start back in town. The goal in the game is to walk around and randomly fall into thousands of holes looking for pieces of a telephone. The pieces are randomly placed in the otherwise identical holes. When all the pieces are connected, the player wins the game, but loses his soul.
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