E.T Atari 2600

I bought this item complete (box, manual, cart) because of the intense history behind it. Although it has been regarded as the worst video game of all time, I don't believe so. To reinforce my belief, take the programming skill. Atari wanted the game ready in time for the 1982 holiday. This meant the programmer would have about 5 months to complete the game for the Christmas deadline. When the game came out, however, the critical response wasn't good. People didn't like the dull graphics, boring gameplay, and short game span. Millions sent the game back for a refund. Atari had believed it would have been the biggest game hit since pong, although this proved to not be so. In the end, Atari corporation ended up with over 5 million unsold E.T. cartridges. What were they going to do with these? They crushed them all and buried them deep in a New Mexico landfill. That was the end of E.T. Because of this historical interpretation of what was believed as such a horrible game, I hailed at the moment I saw this auction. And what a great price too! That is why I bought this game.

It's not that bad!  I really like it!

ET is often cited as being one of the worst video games of all time, I on the other hand do not agree with this assessment.  This is actually one of my favorite 2600 games.  It's actually very challenging and a lot of fun.  It has a certain charm to it.  It's a very interesting concept.  This game is like a puzzle and I love puzzles.  It's very fun to try and find the various telephone pieces as well as the different power zones.  I recommend getting the manual as well, it will vastly help your understanding of the game.

This game is very unique and pretty complex for a 2600 game.  It is challenging and a lot of fun.  Sure falling in the holes can be very annoying, but if you're willing to look past that one flaw, you might end up really enjoying this game.

I recommend getting this game even if you aren't going to play it, simple because it is a piece of video game history!

The WORST video game ever made, that every gamer should play at least once!

I'm not sure who wrote the first review on the list, but the author seems to be unable to tell the difference between an alien who wants to phone home, and a plumber that is trying to save a princess. The character, and game, named in that review just doesn't fit the game being described. Nor does the game being described appear on the Atari 2600. Instead of a review of the game "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial", for the Atari 2600, the author wrote a really good review of "Super Mario Brothers", for the Nintendo Entertainment System, where E.T. was used as the main character. It's rather confusing to me why E.T. appears in a S.M.B. review, and why S.M.B. is even reviewed here to begin with. Don't try to figure it out or you might have an anurism if you think about it for too long.

Now, because I am one of the suckers who actually purchased this so called game when it was released in 1982. Here is my review of the game "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" for the Atari 2600 video game system. If you spend any amount of time playing this game, you will easily understand why there are 10 to 20 semi-truck loads of this game buried in a New Mexico landfill. I was 6 years old in 1982. Much like everyone else at that time, I was new to the whole home video game thing. But even then I knew that this was a horrible game. In it you earn points by collecting blue square bits that are supposed to be Reeces Pieces candies. Levels are completed by collecting 3 pieces of E.T.'s home made intersteller telephone.  During your search you must avoid F.B.I. agents and scientists who are trying to catch E.T., and that happen to run at nearly twice his speed. If caught you are thrown into what seems to be a jail or something. Where you lose a considerable amount of points during your escape. This so called "escape" really isn't much of an escape considering you basically just walk away. While searching for the required objects, and trying to avoid capture, you also have to beware not to fall into one of the many pits that are all over the place. E.T. will float out of the pit, and you can continue your search, but only if you have enough points for the flight. Anytime you make E.T. fly your points drain as he rises. Objects you are searching for are located at the bottom of some of the pits also. You must be careful though. Because if you don't have enough points for E.T. to fly high enough to escape the pit, you are basically stuck forever.  There is no music during game play either. The only music played in the game is at the title screen.

From what I have read about the game's creation. It took an awe inspiring grand total of FIVE WHOLE WEEKS, from start to finish, to create this monstrosity. Atari paid Steven Spielberg quite a few million dollars for the use of his copyrighted characters. Only to release a finished product that some programmer threw together in 5 weeks. This wasn't a smart business decision. Because the game didn't sell nearly enough copies to recooperate the funds paid to Spielberg, and wound up being one of the causes of Atari's downfall. All of this happened at about the same time a little company called Nintendo released their new entertainment system. Which had games that took a little more effort than just 5 weeks to be created, and it showed in sales. Because the N.E.S. became the hottest thing on the planet. While the 2600 failed, and Atari was forever relegated to just making games instead of making and selling their own consoles.

Not the worst Atari 2600 game by a long shot

Okay, if you are collecting games for your Atari 2600 you may have heard a lot of talk about this game being the worst ever. Not even close as there are many other games (Golf for one) for Atari 2600 that are just pitiful. When I first played this game I was a pre-teen and kept falling in the pits which took me days to figure out how to finally get out and move around. That was very frustrating and obviously why so many parents returned this game to Wally World for a refund. Remember, this was before YouTube and the internet which offers lots of information about how to play this game the way it was intended. Do look that information up as it will be more helpful than the original instructions. If you are in market for a simple no-brainer shooter Atari 8-bit game this is not the one for you. If you don't like rough 8-bit graphics than this game isn't for you and what Atari 2600 game is really? If you like '80's nostalgia (and really, how can you not) which I assume you are since you are buying this for an Atari 2600 than I would consider this a must-have for your game library for the granddaddy of home video games. It's a part of Atari history.

Noobs and Casualism

In recent years there has been a dramatic and unprecedented shift in Veteran and and Noob relations. Throughout the nearly half decade of Veteran decline, Noobs have tended to characterize Elitism as a failed ideology or at best a ideology that prepared the way for, and is completed in, Casualism. In the years since Fatesawakening, however, Casualism has changed dramatically. An increasing number of official Casualism bodies, both 4Chan and Reddit, have made public statements of their remorse about Noobs mistreatment of Veterans and Elitism. These statements have declared, furthermore, that Casualism teaching and preaching can and must be reformed so that they acknowledge I$’s former works with the Veterans and celebrate the contribution of Elitism to the fanbase and to Fire Emblem itself. We believe these changes merit a thoughtful Veteran response. Speaking only for ourselves - an humble gathering of Veteran scribes - we believe it is time for Veterans to learn about the efforts of Noobs to honor Elitism. We believe it is time for Veterans to reflect on what Elitism may now say about Casualism. As a first step, we offer five brief statements about how Veterans and Noobs May relate to one another.

Veterans and Noobs like the same Franchise

Before the rise of Casualism, Veterans were the only players of Fire Emblem. But Noobs also play Fire Emblem. While Noobs play style is not a viable choice for Veterans, as Veteran fans we rejoice that, through Casualism, hundreds of millions of people have entered into the Fire Emblem fanbase.

Noobs can respect the claim of the Veterans upon the Franchise of Fire Emblem.
The most important event for Veterans since the rise of Fatesawakening has been the reestablishment of a Veteran state in FEH. As players of a Japanese originated franchise, Noobs appreciate that FEH was promised and given to Veterans as the virtual center of the old games between them and I$. Many Noobs support the state of FEH for reasons far more profound than mere nostalgia. As Veterans, we applaud this support. We also recognize that Veteran tradition mandates enjoyment for all non-Veterans who play FEH.

Trolling was not a Noob phenomenon.

Without the long history of Noob anti-Elitism and noob aggression against Veterans, Troll ideology could not have taken hold nor could it have been carried out. Too many Noobs participated in, or were sympathetic to, Troll atrocities against Veterans. Other Noobs did not protest sufficiently against these atrocities. But trolling itself was not an inevitable outcome of Casualism. If the troll attacks upon the Veterans had been fully successful, it would have turned its toxic rage more directly to Noobs. We recognize with gratitude those Noobs who risked or sacrificed their own sanity to save Veterans during the Troll attacks. With that in mind, we encourage the continuation of recent efforts in Noob ideology to repudiate unequivocally contempt of Elitism and the Veterans. We applaud those Noobs who reject those filthy casuals, and do not blame them for the mistakes of the past.

The humanly irreconcilable difference between Veterans and Noobs will not be settled until I$ redeems the entire Franchise. 

Noobs play fire emblem simple and easy through the tradition of Casualism. Veterans play fire emblem slow and steady. The difference will not be settled by one community insisting that it has interpreted the right method to play more accurately than the other. Neither Veteran nor Noob should be pressed into affirming the play style of the other community.

Veterans and Noobs must work together for justice and peace.

Veterans and Noobs, each in their own way, recognize the unredeemed state of the fanbase as reflected in the persistence of persecution, trolling, and human degradation, and misery. Although the destiny of the franchise is in I$’s hands, we must coexist

Fornaeus