Fixing E.T.

[Howard_Casto]

Check it out:

http://www.neocomputer.org/projects/et/

[mgb]

Their fixing the ET game for the 2600?
  Now maybe if they can do something about the 2600 pacman,
Maybe we can reverse the video game crash of 83

[yotsuya]

Great read, Howard. I was one of those weird kids who liked E.T.

[Howard_Casto]

I wasn't... despite what the guy fixing it said, the hit detection in that game was TERRIBLE.  (He actually goes on to contradict himself by fixing the so-called "pixel-perfect" hit detection)

But with these changes I might give it a go again.  It was interesting to me how most of the issues with the game were caused not by legitimate bugs, but by poor programming choices.   

I don't think E.T. was nearly as bad as it's reputation though, because honestly 98% of the 260 library was just as terrible as E.T.  Thank Video Game Jesus (VGJ) for the arrival of the NES. 

[yotsuya]

I liked E.T. because it definitely was a puzzle-type game. Gathering the pieces, calling home, and finding the landing zone were enjoyable. I think most kids were disappointed E.T. wasn't some sort of action game.

[DaveMMR]

I have yet to play E.T. (hasn't appeared in my collection yet) but I've seen a lot of print on it. I've come to the conclusion that it was simply the whipping boy for Atari's major missteps and as time went on, the story got watered down, simplified and it turned into "heh heh E.T. is the worst game ever" rhetoric.

No one ever complains about Raiders of the Lost Ark and, based on gameplay footage and explanation, that game looks far more obtuse than E.T. (I also think more modern gamers forget that the early consoles' adventure titles needed manuals as they weren't powerful enough to explain things within the confines of a cart.)

I don't think I'll be hacking an E.T. rom anytime soon but there was some interesting reads found therein. Thanks Howard!

I wasn't... despite what the guy fixing it said, the hit detection in that game was TERRIBLE.  (He actually goes on to contradict himself by fixing the so-called "pixel-perfect" hit detection)

I don't think he was ever saying "pixel-perfect" as a good thing though. As in, it did it's job "too well". His "fix" limited the collision to E.T.'s feet which, I guess, made it imperfect (i.e. logical).

[Howard_Casto]

Well no, the guy's terminology is completely wrong.  If it was pixel perfect then it wouldn't need to be fixed.  The game is actually using sprite-based collision, which for anything other than a lightgun game is highly inaccurate.  There is a reason the bounding box was invented. 

Yotsuya: 

Again I think the reason kids didn't care for the game was because of it's broken state.  Falling into a pit that takes forever to get out of because your HEAD hit a hole is stupid and frustrating.  If people were expecting an action game based on E.T., possibly the most non-violent kids film ever... well I just don't know about them.   

[DaveMMR]

Well no, the guy's terminology is completely wrong.  If it was pixel perfect then it wouldn't need to be fixed.  The game is actually using sprite-based collision, which for anything other than a lightgun game is highly inaccurate.  There is a reason the bounding box was invented. 

Gotcha - I was thinking layman's terms without considering proper terminology.

[yotsuya]

Again I think the reason kids didn't care for the game was because of it's broken state.  Falling into a pit that takes forever to get out of because your HEAD hit a hole is stupid and frustrating.  If people were expecting an action game based on E.T., possibly the most non-violent kids film ever... well I just don't know about them.   

Yeah, I get the fustration with the gameplay. The things the author pointed out as being broken definitely were issues, I don't disagree. I just think there's more of a game there than people were willing take the time to learn.

And anyone who thinks E.T. is the worst Atari game ever never played the Swordquest games.

[ChadTower]

[size=78%]  Now maybe if they can do something about the 2600 pacman,[/size]

This has been fixed 20 times by now.  Head over to AtariAge.com and check out their homebrew/hack section of the store.  Pac Man Arcade for the 2600 is really good.

[DaveMMR]

And anyone who thinks E.T. is the worst Atari game ever never played the Swordquest games.

I don't think the Swordquest games aren't terrible by any means. It's just a pointless game to play nowadays without the accompanying booklet to solve the clues, and to a greater extent, the real-life contest to enter.

I think AVGN did a really good episode on the series: