I remember getting this game for Christmas as a very young kid and really trying to wrap my head around what TF you are supposed to do in it. We gave up pretty quickly because hell, without a tutorial, now-aged me can't wrap his head around what the hell is going on with ET.
I saw a documentary not long ago about them trying to dig up the famed New Mexico games and the doco ended in such a way that I kind of felt like they could have rigged the ending by planting some carts.
RE: Imagine You Are Atari in 1983 As You Play Burying E.T.