Atari 2600 Game
Produced by: Atari
Model Number: CX2674
Rarity: 1
common
Year of Release: 1982
This game was created in 5 weeks by programmer Howard Scott Warshaw and designer Jerome Domurat. This time table was obviously way too short because the game was a major flop. It was over produced due to the popularity of the movie ET at the time, which gives insight to its worthlessness today.
Atari lost $21 million just in licensing fees. It managed to sell over a million copies but several more million were destroyed or dumped on the market for next to nothing. This game is often attributed to starting the market down turn which led to the video game crash of 1984.
The graphics were mediocre and the sound left something to be desired, in fact the best thing that this game had going for it was its storyline. (tongue in cheek)
Game story found in the manual:
HELP E.T. GET HOME!
What kind of crazy planet is this, anyway? We came here to conduct a simple study of primitive planets, and look what happened! These...things...came and scared away my friends. Before I knew it, all my friends boarded our lightship and flew home.
What do I do now? The only one I can trust is that nice little alien-- Ellleeott. He gives me those tasty energy pills (What did he call them? Reeessseess Peeesssesss?) But these other aliens! Every time I get ready to assemble my transgalactic communicator, they come and take me away. The one with the white coat sticks that temperature measuring device in my mouth (I wonder why he was so upset when it melted?), and the other one in the trench coat keeps muttering those strange sounds (Naaashaaannaall Seeeccuuuureeetteee?) I just want to go home! I hope Elllleeott and I can assemble all the pieces of my communicator before my energy runs out.
Oh, oh. Here come those crazy aliens again. Help me, Elllleeott! Help me get home!
Description of game play found in the manual:
Your mission is to help E.T. find the three pieces of his interplanetary telephone, call his ship, and guide him to the landing pad in time to be rescued. Do this before E.T.'s energy runs out, and you'll win the round and score points! E.T. transverses six sites on Planet Earth. Four of these are full of pitfalls--they are dotted with deep wells (Figure 1) into which E.T. can fall (Figure 2). A fifth site (Figure 3) shows Elliott's house, the Institute of Science, and the FBI building. Here, E.T. is taken by the scientist to be studied. The sixth site (Figure 4) is a forest setting where E.T. first lands and where the ship will land to pick him up.
A round ends when E.T. boards the spaceship. At the end of each round, all your bonus points are displayed. If you want to play another round, simply press the controller button. E.T.'s telephone pieces and the Candy will be redistributed for him to find again. You can play as many rounds as you like, since your bonus points will accumulate.
A game ends when E.T. runs out of energy or when you decide to quit playing.
On each site E.T. moves through various power zones. While in a power zone, E.T. can execute only one of his extraordinary powers. For example, if E.T. is ready to call his spaceship, he must be in a "call ship" zone. As E.T. stands in a power zone, the symbol for that zone appears at the top center of the screen (Figure 4). At the beginning of each new round, the power zones are redistributed on each site.
This game is valued at around $1 USD. Game with box and manual may be worth more.