The game was released in 1982 and was based on the Steven Spielberg film of the same name.
Attempting to cash in on the film’s wild success, E.T. was developed in only five months and released just six months after the film, in time for the holiday shopping season.
Atari paid a whopping US$25 million (B759 million) for the game licensing rights to the film, as well as spending an additional US$100 million (B30 billion) on production costs.
Though the film was a smash success, notable for its emotional storyline and special effects, executives at Atari decided to make a very forgettable title with a terrible plot.
Gamers control the cuddly alien as he looks for three pieces of a telephone that will let him “phone home”, as well as a nine piece candy bar that gives him energy on his quest.
The gamer must look for these scattered prizes, return to a certain level in the game to phone home, and then watch as E.T. is transported.
The game then starts all over again at the same difficulty level but with the pieces in different places, with the gamer wandering aimlessly through easy levels with little to no resistance.
Atari decided to skip audience testing for the game since it was crunched for time, but despite its errors, the game still sold 1.5 million units and became the best-selling title for the Atari 2600.
Still, it is consistently ranked on the “top worst games of all-time” lists, and was panned around the world for its boring gameplay and complete lack of narrative.