Yeah, the internet parroting has always been a pet peeve of mine. People get so jaded and think that they know everything. Even here, how often do you see people post that there's nothing left to say about classic games that hasn't been said, yet on dozens of the GOTD posts, I see replies along the lines of, "Oh, I've never seen that" or "I always heard that that game sucked, but it looks interesting." People watch a few videos, read a Wikipedia article, and assume that all facts are present. Nothing replaces experience.

I still just don't get what people ripping ET want from it other than to jump on the bandwagon. I mean, even with modern tech, what kind of game makes for a good ET game? Telltale adventure, maybe? In the early '80s, I didn't want ET. I was only ok with the movie anyway, but I just couldn't imagine what I'd be doing in the game... so I played Pitfall, Warlords, Maze Craze, and Air Sea Battle a lot.

I guess what I'm saying is that if these folks, especially the YouTube crowd, want to rag on the game, where is the obvious way it could have been better?

Edmond-I want to like Hydlide, but its sluggish pace has always been what holds me back. I keep thinking that one day, I'm gonna be in a really patient mood and "get it," but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe I should spend a little more time with Super Hydlide on Genesis. I've had it for decades, but it's one I've never given a proper go due to not enjoying the NES game much. Maybe playing that one might open my mind to the NES game better.