Play E.T. : Escape From Planet Earth Online

E.T.: Escape From Planet Earth was a Game Boy Color release from NewKidCo, arriving late in the system's life. It's a game based on the film, but it doesn't try to reinvent anything for the handheld; it fits right in with other licensed platformers of that era.

You control E.T. as he moves through suburban environments, avoiding government agents and collecting pieces to assemble a communication device. The gameplay involves careful screen-by-screen exploration, picking up scattered items like cans and electronic parts, while staying out of the cones of light from pursuing scientists. The pacing is deliberate, almost cautious, as you memorize patrol routes and plan each movement. It feels like a quiet game of hide and seek, where one mistake sends you back to the start.