Reviewed: June 7, 2002
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Ubisoft
Developer
Lexis Numérique
Released: March 19, 2002
Genre: Strategy
Players: 2
ESRB: Everyone
6
6
6
6
6.0
System Requirements
Recommended System
It seems that anniversary editions of classic movies is becoming increasingly popular and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is latest movie to get the anniversary treatment. Twenty years ago E.T. visited the theaters on our humble planet and spawned one of the first video games movie-spin-offs in gaming history. Those of you with an ATARI 2600 may have even played the E.T. game, and for those that did you will probably remember it being one of the worst games ever made. Rumors circulate even today about landfills full of unsold E.T. game cartridges.
Technology has come a long way in twenty years. Spielberg can now use computers to digitally remove guns and replace them with cell phones, and we can use computers to play several new Ubisoft games based on everyone’s favorite alien.
E.T. Away From Home is one of three new games based on E.T. and targeted for kids. I approached this game and the review a bit skeptical. While I am a walking example of a “kid who refuses to grow up” I still fall 30 years above the target age group for this game. Rather than find a 5-8 year old kid who can write a review I decided to put myself into some kindergarten-sized shoes and tackle this project.
E.T. Away From Home is part board game; part puzzle game. Your goal is to get E.T. to his spaceship by rolling [computer] dice and moving around the board. Along the way you will encounter various challenges; 13 in all, that will test your memory, dexterity and logic.
Challenges includes movie related things like connecting the stars, dressing E.T. in a Halloween disguise, and other assorted logic puzzles that are entertaining and often educational.
The graphics are a bit low-res at 640x480, but they feature 32bit color and look very good for a game targeted toward this age group and computer system. The game is easy to start and play and even the youngest of kids will be able to play this game unattended once they have played a few times. The puzzles are charming and quite clever and the mouse interface is easy to figure out.
The music and sound are quite good in this game. The background music is nice and the sound effects and speech samples will delight kids and adults alike.
A typical game can last 15-30 minutes and as with any board game the replay possibilities are endless. The challenges provide some extra motivation for replaying and will take quite awhile to master.
The game is designed for one or two players and you can choose either Elliott or Gertie. Play against each other or in a special cooperative team mode that will encourage and reward kids for working together.
With so few games out there for kids these days, E.T. Away From Home is a refreshing change that isn’t insulting for the 5-8 year old kids who are probably smarter than most of us suspect. Parents will enjoy playing this with their kids or they can get them started and the game practically runs itself.
At $9.99, this is a great gaming alternative that works on a modest system. With no playing pieces to lose or dice to swallow, you can't beat this great kid’s game with plenty of alien charm.