E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Atari

E.T. probably would not have been such a frustrating game had it not been for those dang pits. Falling into pits to find pieces of a phone so the hairless-sloth-looking alien we all love can go home is one thing. Floating out of the pit only to fall right back in...Over and over and over and over and over and over again...Well, that's a whole 'nother story. Though, seeing E.T. die and watching Elliot insert himself into E.T. to revive him did make me chuckle more than once. I’m not sure if Elliot revives E.T. in that way or if Elliot is now who you’re controlling and the kid is wearing E.T.’s skin like the maniac that the child is. He’s probably just reviving E.T….the boring option is usually the correct one. Anyway, apparently there's a ton of these buried in some landfill somewhere. One has to wonder if the games fell in a pit, and after multiple attempts to float out, were unable to exit, and there was no Elliot in sight to revive them…if that’s the case, seems like a fitting end for this domino that helped send everything tumbling down for the crash that nearly killed video games back in the early 80s.

Review added: 07/21/2019

The Earth Dies Screaming

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Sirius Software

The Earth Dies Screaming is a little-known, movie-based video game. Yes, it’s based off of a movie. The Earth Dies Screaming is a game published in 1983 based off of a film that was hit theatres in 1964…it’s one of the rare video games based off of a movie that was released a few decades prior. And honestly, it’s not too bad. Basically, the game has you in the cockpit of some spacecraft, with a first-person viewpoint, as you try to shoot down enemy ships while also avoiding their fire. It's not perfect by any means, but back in '83, this was actually fairly well done for its genre. If you’re absolutely obsessed with the 1964 film, then you may enjoy the novelty of this game. Likewise, if you're into cockpit-perspective, first-person shooters, then the Earth Dies Screaming might be worth checking out. If the movie and the genre aren’t your cup of tea, then while the Earth Dies Screaming, you may be running away from the television while screaming.

Review added: 09/24/2019

Enduro

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Activision

When it comes to racing games on the 2600, Enduro is probably the best overall game of the bunch. Like other racing games of the time where the perspective is behind the rear of the car, your goal in Enduro is to stay on the road as the course twists and turns while also avoiding any and all traffic that comes your way. What makes Enduro so enjoyable is that this game, like the title suggests, is an endurance race. Each portion of the race takes place over the course of an entire day, with little touches tossed in like weather effects and only being able to see tail lights at night time. If you pass enough cars over the course of the day, then the game continues and you get to race your way through another day. If you manage to make it through five or more days, an on-screen trophy appears. Back when this game was released, if you sent a photo of that trophy to Activision, they’d mail you an “Activision Roadbuster” patch as a reward. If you’re into early video games and haven’t given Enduro a chance yet, I highly recommend doing so. It’s a very solid, early racing game with a lot of good ideas.

Review added: 09/25/2021