puzzle video game
Puzzle video games make up a broad genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, Sequence, sequence solving, Spatial ability, spatial recognition, ...
developed by husband and wife team Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer and published in arcades by Taito America. ''Qix'' is one of a handful of games made by
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, Toy, toys, arcade cabinets, and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, Vending machine, vending machines, and Juk ...
's American division (another is '' Zoo Keeper''). At the start of each level, the playing field is a large, empty rectangle, containing the ''Qix'', an abstract stick-like entity that performs graceful but unpredictable motions within the confines of the rectangle. The objective is to draw lines that close off parts of the rectangle to fill in a set amount of the playfield.
''Qix'' was ported to the contemporary
Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to Atari 2600 at the time of the 5200' ...
(1982),
Atari 8-bit computers
The Atari 8-bit computers, formally launched as the Atari Home Computer System, are a series of home computers introduced by Atari, Inc., in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The architecture is designed around the 8-bit MOS Technology 650 ...
(1983), and
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...
(1983), then was brought to a wide variety of systems in the late 1980s and early 1990s:
MS-DOS
MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few op ...
(1989),
Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...
(1989), another version for the C64 (1989),
Apple IIGS
The Apple IIGS (styled as II) is a 16-bit personal computer produced by Apple Inc., Apple Computer beginning in September 1986. It is the fifth and most powerful model of the Apple II family. The "GS" in the name stands for "Graphics and Sound" ...
(1990),
Game Boy
The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
(1990),
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
(1991), and
Atari Lynx
The Atari Lynx is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth-generation handheld game console, hand-held game console released by Atari Corporation in September 1989 in North America and 1990 in Europe and Japan. It was the first handhe ...
(1991).
Multiple home and arcade sequels followed and the concept was widely
cloned
Cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical genomes, either by natural or artificial means. In nature, some organisms produce clones through asexual reproduction; this reproduction of an organism by itself without ...
. In the ''
Gals Panic
is a series of Japanese eroge (adult video games) by Kaneko for the Arcade game, arcades. The gameplay in the ''Gals Panic'' series is similar to Taito's classic puzzle game ''Qix''; the objective is to control a marker on a board and uncover ba ...
joystick
A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...
and two buttons: "Slow Draw" and "Fast Draw".
The player controls a diamond-shaped marker that initially moves along the edges of the playfield. Holding down one of the draw buttons allows the marker to draw a line (''Stix'') in unclaimed territory in an attempt to create a closed shape. Once an area is captured, it is filled with color and points are awarded based on the area claimed and drawing speed. Areas captured entirely with Slow Draw (orange-red in the screenshot) are worth double. The titular ''Qix'' is a colorful geometric figure in constant and random motion. The Qix will not actively seek out the marker, and it will not harm the marker if it collides with it while the marker is traversing the edge of the playfield or of any captured area. However, if the Qix collides with the marker as it is drawing a Stix before a new area is captured (or it touches the exposed Stix), one life is lost.
The marker cannot cross or backtrack along the line being drawn. If the marker stops while drawing, a fuse appears and burns along the line toward the marker; if it reaches the marker, the player loses one life. The fuse disappears once the marker is moved. If the player draws into a position where it cannot proceed any further, the fuse is triggered. The
attract mode
Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms.
0–9
A
...
calls this a "Spiral Death Trap".
''Sparx'' are enemies that traverse all playfield edges except unfinished Stix. A life is lost if one hits the marker. A meter at the top of the screen counts down to the release of additional Sparx and the mutation of all Sparx into Super Sparx, which can chase the marker along uncompleted Stix.
To complete a level, the player must claim a 75% percentage of the playfield (adjustable to be between 50% and 90%). If a level is completed by exceeding the minimum area percentage, a bonus is awarded for every 1% beyond the threshold.
Starting in level three, the player faces two Qixes. Splitting the playfield into two regions, each containing one Qix, ends the level. No immediate bonus is awarded for this, but a bonus multiplier is applied to the scoring in all subsequent levels. This multiplier starts at one before the first time that the Qix are split and increases by one for every additional splitting of the Qix, to a maximum of nine. Levels also add additional Sparx and the eventual appearance of only Super Sparx.
Reception
Upon release, ''Qix'' was a commercial hit. In 1983, ''
Electronic Games
''Electronic Games'' was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz.
History
The h ...
'' reported that the game exceeded Taito's expectations, quickly rising to being one of the most popular titles of the year. The magazine attributes the game's success to it being unlike any other game at the time, specifically for its unique premise and gameplay mechanics. A year after its debut, its popularity declined and the game became largely forgotten. Keith Egging, Taito's "Director of Creativity", told ''Electronic Games'': "''Qix'' was conceptually too mystifying for gamers. ..It was impossible to master and once the novelty wore off, the game faded". In Japan, it was the fifth highest-grossing arcade game of 1981. The game has since been dubbed a
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...
.
''Qix'' and its home conversions have received largely positive reviews. The game was praised for its original concept and ideas, and has been described as a
cultural phenomenon
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
. ''
Video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
'', who reviewed the
Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to Atari 2600 at the time of the 5200' ...
release, applauded its gameplay and bizarre yet interesting premise. They reported similar reactions from players, who enjoyed its mechanics and gameplay. ''Video'' staff described the game as being a " cult phenomenon loved by a few and ignored by" more hardcore gamers. The home computer versions of ''Qix'' were praised by Russel Sipe of ''
Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...
'' for its fascinating gameplay and for welcoming newcomers. In ''How to Beat the Video Games'' Michael Blanchet said that Qix'' is probably the most complicated video game to emerge in years, yet its simplicity is beautiful. I think of it as electronic real estate. ..''Qix'' is a state of the art "
Etch a Sketch
Etch A Sketch is a mechanical drawing toy invented by André Cassagnes of France and subsequently manufactured by the Ohio Art Company. It is now owned by Spin Master of Canada.
An Etch A Sketch has a thick, flat gray screen in a red plastic fra ...
."'
Retrospective coverage of ''Qix'' has also been positive. ''
AllGame
RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel.
Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the Alternative Investment Market, ...
''s Brett Alan Weiss commended ''Qix'' for its addictive gameplay, technological accomplishments, and responsive controls. While he believed the graphics and sound effects were overly simplistic and crude, he said the game as a whole is "abstract minimalism at its videogame best". ''
Retro Gamer
''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering Retrogaming, retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' ...
'' staff enjoyed ''Qix'' particularly for its addictive nature. They also compared its concept to that of the Etch A Sketch, a mechanical toy that allowed its user to draw straight lines across a small screen. The staff believed the game's simplicity was also one of its strong points, alongside its sound effects for being satisfying to hear.
Accolades
At the 5th annual
Arkie Awards
''Electronic Games'' was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz.
History
The h ...
in 1984, ''Qix'' received the Certificate of Merit in the category of "1984 Best Videogame Audio-Visual Effects (16K or more ROM)". In 1995, ''
Flux
Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications in physics. For transport phe ...
'' ranked the game 94th on their "Top 100 Video Games." In 1997, the staff at ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The magazine was fou ...
'' listed the Nintendo Entertainment System version at #100 on their "100 Best Games of All Time" for its risk-versus-reward system and scoring. The
Killer List of Videogames
Museum of the Game, which includes the Killer List of Videogames (KLOV), is a website featuring an online encyclopedia devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. It is the video game department of the International Arcade Museum, and h ...
listed it as #27 in their "Top 100 Video Games" list.
Legacy
Sequels
''Qix II: Tournament'' (1982) is a version of the original ''Qix'' with a new color scheme and which awards an extra life when 90% or more of the screen is enclosed. ''Super Qix'' was released in 1987. The 1989 arcade video game '' Volfied'', also known as ''Ultimate Qix'' (Genesis) or ''Qix Neo'' (PlayStation), was also released on several
mobile phone
A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...
s. Another sequel, ''Twin Qix'', reached a prototype stage in 1995, but was never commercially released.
A port to the
Game Boy
The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
developed by
Minakuchi Engineering
was a Japanese video game developer based in Kōka District, Shiga, Kōka, Shiga Prefecture, Shiga. Founded in May 1984, it had worked on approximately 40 titles for arcade game, arcade, computer and home consoles, a large number of which went un ...
and published by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
was released in 1990, with intermissions in which
Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
,
Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
and
Princess Peach
is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as Princess Toadstool. She is the Queen regnant, princess regnant and hea ...
have cameo appearances. In one, he is seen in a desert wearing Mexican clothing and playing a guitar with a vulture looking on. The outfit later appears as a costume that Mario can wear in ''
Super Mario Odyssey
is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An installment in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat—as they journey across various kingdoms to save Prince ...
''. The Game Boy port was released as a
Nintendo 3DS
The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
Virtual Console
The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
title in Japan on June 15, 2011, and in North America and Europe on July 7.
In 1999, a remake for the
Game Boy Color
The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
was released called ''
Qix Adventure
''Qix Adventure'' is a 1999 video game developed by Coconuts Japan Entertainment and published by Taito for the Game Boy Color. An English port of the game was developed by Evolution Entertainment for the United Kingdom in 2000. The game is a puz ...
''. The player travels on a map screen, taking on opponents which appear on the playing field. Although optional, enclosing an opponent in the box opens a treasure chest, which can also be enclosed, giving the player an item. ''Battle Qix'' was released for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
in 2002 by
Success
Success is the state or condition of meeting a defined range of expectations. It may be viewed as the opposite of failure. The criteria for success depend on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. One person mi ...
, under their ''Super 1500 Lite'' budget title series. It includes a remake of the original ''Qix'' alongside a competitive multiplayer mode. Taito released a new version of ''Qix'' for the
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade (or XBLA) was a video game Digital distribution in video games, digital distribution service that was available for the Xbox (console), Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles. It focused on smaller downloadable games from both major publisher ...
and
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
ANALOG Computing
''ANALOG Computing'' was an American computer magazine devoted to Atari 8-bit computers. It was published from 1981 until 1989. In addition to reviews and tutorials, ''ANALOG'' printed multiple programs in each issue for users to type in. Almo ...
'')
* ''Stix'' (1983, Commodore 64)
* ''
Styx
In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...
'' (1983, IBM PC,
Windmill Software
Windmill Software is a Canadian software company. Windmill Software today publishes property management software and management information system software, but the company is more notable for its past role as a video game developer, developer, ...
)
* '' Frenzy'' (1984, Acorn Electron and BBC Micro,
Micro Power
Micro Power was a British company established in the early 1980s by former accountant Bob Simpson. The company was best known as a video game publisher, originally under the name Program Power. It also sold many types of computer hardware and s ...
)
* '' Xonix'' (1984, MS-DOS)
* ''Qiks'' (1984, Tandy Color Computer, Spectral Associates)
* ''Quix'' (1984, Tandy Color Computer, Tom Mix Software)
* ''Torch 2081'' (1986, Amiga, Digital Concepts)
* ''Zolyx'' (1987, Commodore 64, C16/Plus-4, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum,
Firebird
Firebird and fire bird may refer to:
Mythical birds
* Phoenix (mythology), sacred firebird found in the mythologies of many cultures
** Fenghuang, sometimes called Chinese phoenix
* Vermilion bird, one of the four symbols of the Chinese constella ...
Gals Panic
is a series of Japanese eroge (adult video games) by Kaneko for the Arcade game, arcades. The gameplay in the ''Gals Panic'' series is similar to Taito's classic puzzle game ''Qix''; the objective is to control a marker on a board and uncover ba ...
adult-themed "uncover the image" games.
* '' Cacoma Knight in Bizyland'' (1992-1993, Super NES/Famicom, Datam Polystar/Seta USA)
* ''Super Xonix'' (1996, IBM PC), a 2 player version
* '' Dancing Eyes'' (1996, arcade,
Namco
was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...
), a 3D version of the eroge subgenre, similar to ''Gals Panic''
* ''Prometheus/Qrax'' (1997, Mac, Quarter Note Software)
* ''AirXonix'' (2000-2001, Windows, AxySoft)
* ''Qyx'' (2022, Atari 2600, Champ Games)
In 2011, ''Den of Geek'' included ''Qix'' on a list of the top 10 most cloned video games.