E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial for Atari 2600 is a one-player adventure cartridge based on the 1982 film. The player guides E.T. across a small set of linked Earth locations, with the forest serving as both his starting point and the place where the rescue ship can return. Its central task is a direct game version of the film's goal: help E.T. get home.

To complete a round, E.T. must locate the three pieces of an interplanetary telephone, assemble the device, use a call-ship power zone, and reach the forest landing zone before the rescue window closes. The world contains six sites. Four contain deep wells, while another shows Elliott's house alongside the Institute of Science and FBI building. Power zones change from round to round and determine the special action E.T. can perform where he stands.

The wells hold much of the search. A find-phone-piece power reveals whether a needed part is on the current screen, after which E.T. can collect it. Falling into a well is also a hazard, and getting back out requires holding the controller button while pushing the joystick forward. Reaching the surface is not always enough: a quick move sideways helps keep E.T. from dropping straight back in.

Energy is the game's main resource. E.T. spends it while seeking phone pieces, using powers, and moving quickly to escape trouble. Candy restores energy when used from its matching power zone, but it is limited and also contributes to end-of-round bonuses. With nine pieces of candy, a call to Elliott can send him after a missing phone piece while driving away dangerous humans.

The scientist and FBI agent make the journey less predictable. The scientist takes E.T. for study, while the FBI agent takes a phone piece and hides it in a well if E.T. has one; otherwise the agent takes E.T.'s candy. A send-humans-back power can return characters to their buildings. Wells can also provide temporary shelter because the pursuing humans cannot enter them.

Atari's joystick controls movement in eight directions, with the button used for special powers, faster movement, and levitation. Three game variations change which humans appear: all of them in Game 1, Elliott and the FBI agent in Game 2, and Elliott alone in Game 3. The console difficulty switches separately affect human speed and whether Elliott may be present when the rescue ship arrives.

The game was developed and published by Atari for its Atari 2600 cartridge library during the film's 1982 release period. Its design turns the movie's telephone-home premise into a navigation and resource-management challenge, asking players to learn the map, recognize the active power zones, protect collected parts, and time the final trip to the landing field.