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How do they get away with it? Anyone else so much as uttering the initials E.T. gets jumped on from an extreme height by you-know-who...

Anyway, assuming Macronics remain suitably unjumped-upon, E.T. is a worthy little game, or collection of games. It is in five sections, the first of which is an instruction program, using rather an endearing little figure to "bubble-speak" each screenful. This is clever the first time you see it, cute the second time... and boring thereafter.

In the firs stage of the game proper, you move the E.T. figure around a wooded maze collecting phone parts, while avoiding the inevitable mad scientist out to kill you. Once through that, stage two is similar, except that the maze is not visible - but the scientist is, as he advances to the kill once again.

Stage three involves running around ghosts and pumpkins (well it *is* Halloween) to get home - pursued by the mad scientist once again.

Stage four is totally irrelevant and boring. You move a spaceship from side to side at the top of the screen to avoid meteors coming up towards you. They move so slowly and apathetically that unless you fall asleep is well-nigh impossible to get hit!

Stages 1-3 are plable and good entertainment, if somewhat repetitive. The only tactic needed is to draw the scientist into a dead end, so that you can carry on collecting whatever bits you have to collect in peace.

You have the option of playing each stage individually, or combining all four into one long game. Good value.

R.M.