Episode 54: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

In the early eighties, Steven Spielberg brought to life a pop culture phenomenon with a few simple ingredients...namely, a Speak & Spell, a saw blade, some Reese's Pieces, and a yearning for home. However, if you blend a bit of Roll & Move into the mix, you get the E.T. board game by Parker Brothers. This blockbuster tie-in pits players against each-other in an epic duel of helpfulness as they compete to assist E.T. in building his communicator device and fleeing Earth's horrible, smog-filled atmosphere. It's a co-petitive title which requires significant blind-luck skills, and a dash of ESP...but does the experience take us to the sky on its magic bike, or does it deserve to be buried in the desert?