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The Worst Video Game Ever?

Season 4
December 25, 2019
Atari console.

Deep within the National Museum of American History’s vaults is a battered Atari case containing what’s known as “the worst video game of all time.” The game is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it was so bad that not even the might of Steven Spielberg could save it. It was so loathsome that all remaining copies were buried deep in the desert. And it was so horrible that it’s blamed for the collapse of the American home video game industry in the early 1980s. This time on Sidedoor, we tell the story of just what went SO wrong with E.T.

Episode originally aired June 26, 2019.

Transcript

Electronic Gaming in the Collections

Unisonic 21-P1 Handheld Electronic Calculator and Electronic Game

Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time computer game for Macintosh

The Art of Video Games: "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" Exhibition Video

The Maxell Two-Minute Warning Edition of John Madden Football computer game for IBM PC/XT/AT, PS/2 30, Tandy 4000.3000.1000 and Compaq

Flower

Radio Shack EC-21 Handheld Electronic Calculator, Blackjack

Coleco Electronic Quarterback Electronic Game

The Sims

Computer Game, The Bard's Tale II, The Destiny Knight

SIM Town

Software, Fritz 7 Chess Playing Program

Jacmar Big League Electronic baseball game

Clifford Spin & Play Electronic Memory Game

Tamagotchi

Computer Game on Cartridge for the VIC-20, Number Nabber/Shape Grabber

Ta-Ta Puppy

Kasparov Electronic Chess Travel Companion

Computer Game on Cartridge, Sargon II Chess

SIM Safari

Super Mario Bros. & Duck Hunt -cartridge for the Nintendo Entertainment System

SIM Safari

Sim City 3000

Computer Game on Cartridge, Mission Impossible Adventure

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards

Computer Game on Cartridge for the VIC-20, Super Alien

Computer Game on Cartridge, Pinball Spectacular

Jeopardy! Official T.V. Game Show

Computer Game on Cartridge, Jupiter Lander

Computer Game on Cartridge, Super Expander

Tetris for Game Boy; video game cartridge

Magnavox Odyssey; video game console

Magnavox Odyssey; video game console

Game Boy; video game console

Odyssey; video game system

Brown Box; video game system


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