Q*bert

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"Q-bert" redirects here. For the DJ, see DJ Qbert.
Q*bert
Image:Q-bert Poster.png
An advertisement flyer for Q*bert, which depicts the arcade cabinet, the orange titular protagonist, the purple enemy Coily, and the green character Slick.
Developer(s) Gottlieb
Publisher(s) Gottlieb
Designer(s) Warren Davis and Jeff Lee
Platform(s) Arcade
Release date(s) 1982
Genre(s) Puzzle platformer
Mode(s) Up to 2 players, alternating turns
Input methods Joystick
Cabinet Upright and table
CPU Intel 8086
Display Vertical, Raster, standard resolution (Used: 256 x 240), 19 inch

Q*bert (pronounced /kjuː bɜrt/) is an arcade video game developed and published by Gottlieb in 1982. It is a platform game that features two-dimensional (2D) graphics. The object is to change the color of every cube in a pyramid by having the on-screen character jump on top them while avoiding obstacles and enemies. Players control the character using a joystick.

The game was designed by Warren Davis using characters created by Jeff Lee, who contributed to the design. Sounds were developed by David Thiel. Lee designed the titular character based on childhood influences and gave Q*bert a large nose to shoot projectiles. Davis chose not to implement the shooting game mechanic, however, so as to simplify gameplay. Q*bert was developed under the project name Cubes. Jokingly, it was referred to by some as Snots And Boogers and some cabinets went out during the testing phase with just @!#?@!?.

Q*bert was well received in arcades and by critics, who praised the graphics, gameplay and main character. The success resulted in sequels and the character's likeness used in merchandising including lunch boxes, toys, and an animated television show. The game has since been ported to numerous platforms and formats.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

The titular character Q*bert hops down the pyramid to avoid Coily.

Q*bert is an isometric platform game with puzzle elements where the player controls the titular protagonist from a third-person perspective. The player traverses a pyramid by moving Q*bert diagonally from cube to cube. Landing on a cube causes it to change color, and changing every cube to the same color allows the player to progress to the next stage. Later stages require the player to change the color multiple times. Jumping off the pyramid results in the character dying.[1][2][3]

The player is impeded by several enemies: Coily, a purple snake that chases after Q*bert; Ugg and Wrong-Way, purple creatures that run along the sides of the cubes; and Slick and Sam, green, non-lethal gremlins that revert the color changes that have occurred. Other in-game objects include colored balls that bounce down the pyramid; red balls are lethal to Q*bert, while green ones immobilize the on-screen enemies. Contact with purple enemies and red balls results in Q*bert swearing and dying.[Note 1] A multi-colored disc on either side of the pyramid serves as an escape device from danger, particularly Coily.[1][2][3]

[edit] Development

Q*bert is Gottlieb's fourth video game.[4] The game was designed by Warren Davis, Jeff Lee created the characters and contributed to the design, and Dave Thiel designed the sounds. The initial concept began when Warren Davis saw that fellow programmer Kan Yabumoto had filled a screen with M. C. Escher-like cubes.[5] At the time, he wanted to teach himself how to program gravity and randomness, and imagined the cubes as a pyramid. A ball could fall in one of two directions at each step, and so one byte of data would represent a ball's path. Once that was done, he needed a player character to hop around the pyramid. Lee had developed an orange, armless character for his own game concept, and Davis asked if he could use that. Lee had designed the character to shoot projectiles from a tubular nose, but Davis chose not to implement that. [6] He felt games with complex control schemes were frustrating and wanted something that could be played with one hand.

The game still had no objective however. One night while Davis was working late, Vice president of Engineering Ron Waxman suggested that the character change the color of the cubes after landing on them.[5][7][8] Davis decided to implement a unique control scheme; a four-way joystick was rotated 45° to match the directions of Q*bert's jumping. Staff members felt a more contemporary orientation used in other games would be better, but Davis reasoned that a standard orientation did not make sense.[5][7]

Enemies included a blue creature, later changed purple and named Wrong Way, and an orange creature, later changed green and named Sam.[5][7] Lee had drawn similar characters since childhood, based on comics, cartoons, and characters from Mad magazine and by artist Ed Roth.[8] Q*bert's design later included a speech balloon with a string nonsensical characters, "@!#?@!?".[Note 2] Lee came up with the idea, but originally presented it as joke.[7]

The Gottlieb staff had difficulty naming the game, and, aside from the project name "Cubes", it was untitled for most of the development process. The staff agreed the game should be named after the main character, but could not agree on a name.[7] Lee's title for the initial concept was Snots And Boogers, but was rejected.[2][5][7] A list of suggestions was compiled from company employees, all of which were later rejected. Vice president of marketing Howie Rubin favored @!#?@!?, though the rest of the staff felt it was not viable. Staff members argued it was silly and would be impossible to pronounce.[7] A few early test models, however, were produced with @!#?@!? as the title on the units' artwork.[1][2][7] During a meeting, "Hubert" was suggested, and a staff member thought of combining "Cubes" and "Hubert" into "Cubert".[2][7] Art director Richard Tracy changed the name to "Q-bert", and the dash was changed to an asterisk. Years after the fact, Davis mused jokingly that he wished the asterisk was changed to a different character since it is a wildcard character for search engines.[6][7]

As development neared the production stage, test models were built and placed in local arcades to gauge player responses. In addition to seeing how much the game earned, the designers would hang around the arcade to see how players would respond to it. Gottlieb also conducted focus groups, with the designers observing players through a two-way mirror.[7] The control scheme received a mixed reaction during play testing; some players adapted quickly while others found it frustrating.[7][8] Initially, Davis was worried players would not adjust to the different controls; some players would unintentionally jump off the pyramid several times, reaching a game over in about ten seconds. After practicing, however, players eventually acclimated.[7] The different responses prompted Davis to reduce the game's level of difficulty—something he regretted afterward.[8]

"We wanted the game to say, 'You have gotten 10,000 bonus points', and the closest I came to it after an entire day would be 'bogus points'. Being very frustrated with this, I said, 'Well, screw it. What if I just stick random numbers in the chip instead of all this highly authored stuff, what happens?'"
—David Thiel[5]

The game features amplified monaural sound and pixel graphics on a 19 inch CRT monitor. It uses an Intel 8086 central processing unit that operates at 5MHz. A MOS Technology 6502 chip that operates at 894kHz and a speech synthesizer generates the sound effects and Q*bert's incoherent expressions respectively.[1] Audio engineer David Thiel was tasked with using the synthesizer to produce English phrases for the game. However, he was unable to create coherent phrases and chose to string together random phonemes. Theil also felt the incoherent speech was a good fit for the "@!#?@!?" in Q*bert's speech balloon. Following a suggestion from technician Rick Tighe, pinball hardware was included to make a loud sound when a character falls off the pyramid.[5][7] The sound is generated by an internal coil that hits the interior of a cabinet wall. Foam padding was added to the area of contact on the cabinet; the developers felt the softer sound better matched a fall rather than a loud knocking sound. The cost of installing foam, however, was too expensive and the padding was omitted.[8]

[edit] Reception

Q*bert was commercially successful, selling around 25,000 arcade cabinets, and cabaret and cocktail versions were later produced.[5][9] It was Gottlieb's only highly successful video game.[5] The arcade cabinets have since become collector's items, with the cocktail versions being the rarest.[9] The game has been well received by critics. Author Steve Kent and GameSpy's William Cassidy considered Q*bert one of the more memorable games of its time.[10][11] Author David Ellis echoed similar statements, calling it a "classic favorite".[12] 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish included Q*bert among the higher-profile classic games.[13] In 2008, Guinness World Records listed it as the number seventeen arcade game in technical, creative and cultural impact.[14]

Video game critics focused on the gameplay and visuals. Kim Wild of Retro Gamer magazine described the game as difficult yet addictive.[7] Author John Sellers also called Q*bert addictive, and praised the sound effects and three-dimensional appearance of the graphics.[2] Computer and Video Games magazine praised the game's graphics and colors.[3] Cassidy called the game unique and challenging; he attributed the challenge in part to the control scheme.[11] IGN's Jeremy Dunham felt the controls were poorly designed, describing them as "unresponsive" and "a struggle". He commented that despite the controls, the game is addictive.[15] William Brohaugh of Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games described the game as an "all-round winner" that had many strong points. He praised the variety of sound effects and the graphics, calling the colors vibrant. Brohaugh lauded Q*bert's inventiveness and appeal, stating that the objective was interesting and unique.[4]

The main character also received positive press coverage. Edge magazine attributed the success of the game to the titular character. They stated that players could easily relate to Q*bert, particularly because he swore.[8] Computer and Video Games, however, considered the swearing a negative, but still felt the character was appealing.[3] Brohaugh felt the main character was cuter than Pac-Man.[4] Cassidy believed the game's appeal lied in the main character, whom he described as cute and having personality. He further commented that Q*bert's personality made him stand out in comparison to other popular video game characters at the time that lacked personality.[11]

[edit] Legacy

Q*bert became one of the most merchandised arcade games behind Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.[2][7] The character's likeness appears on various items including coloring books, sleeping bags, frisbees, board games, wind-up toys, and stuffed animals.[2][7][11] In 1983, Q*bert was adapted into an animated cartoon as part of CBS's Saturday Supercade, which featured segments based on video game characters from the golden age of video arcade games. Saturday Supercade was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, and the Q*bert segments aired from 1983–1986.[2][16] The show is set in a United States, 1950s era town called "Q-Burg", and stars Q*bert as a high school student. It also includes the game's other characters and new characters, similar in appearance to Q*bert.[11][17] In the cartoon, Q*bert's design was altered to include arms and hands, as well as the ability to shoot black projectiles from his nose. Characters frequently say puns that add the letter "Q" to words.[17]

Because of its popularity, Q*bert has been referenced in episodes of the television series Futurama and The Simpsons.[18][19][20] Creators Davis and Lee expressed pride at the longevity of the game's legacy; Davis is also surprised people still positively remember the game.[7] In describing Q*bert's legacy, Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot referred to the game as a "rare arcade success".[21] Players have also competed to obtain the highest score at the game. One previous record holder, Doris Self, is also credited as the "oldest competitive female gamer" for continually attempting to regain the Q*bert record.[7][22] Despite its success, the two creators did not receive royalties as Gottlieb had no such program in place at the time.[7] The North American video game crash of 1983, however, depressed the market, and, by 1984, the game's popularity began to decline.[7][11]

[edit] Remakes and sequels

Q*bert has inspired other games and been remade on different platforms. Several home console games like Boingo, Mr. Cool, and Pogo Joe copied Q*bert's gameplay, while others like Flip Flop built upon it.[23][24][25][26] Following its 1982 release, the game was ported to several platforms including the Magnavox Odyssey², Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, Commodore VIC-20, and several Atari consoles.[27] The different ports received mixed receptions. Many home versions poorly replicated the controls on game controllers.[28] Davis considered the ColecoVision home version the most accurate arcade port.[7] Upon its release, the Atari 2600 port of Q*bert was well received. Antic magazine's Brian Fung complimented the adaptation from the arcade to home format.[29] Arthur Leyenberger of Creative Computing praised the gameplay and audio-visuals, and listed it as the second best arcade adaptation for the console.[30] In 2008, however, IGN's Levi Buchanan rated it the fourth worst Atari 2600 arcade port, citing poor visuals and a technical problem that makes the game excessively difficult; a lack of animations for enemies while jumping between cubes made it impossible to know which direction they travel until they land.[31]

A remake with three-dimensional (3D) graphics was released by Hasbro Interactive on the PlayStation in 1999 and on the Dreamcast the following year. In addition to 3D graphics, it features three modes of play: classic, adventure, and competitive multiplayer.[32][33] Allgame's Brett Weiss praised all aspects of the game, while Parish called it a poor adaptation.[13][32] Kevin Rice of Next Generation Magazine praised the game's graphics, but criticized the new level designs. He further commented that adventure mode was not enjoyable.[33] In February 2007, Q*bert was released on the Playstation 3's PlayStation Network, the first classic arcade game to do so. It features updated graphics, high-scores posted online, and Sixaxis motion controls. The game received a mild reception. Dunham and Gerstmann did not enjoy the motion controls and felt it was a title only for nostalgic players.[15][21] In contrast, Parish considered the title worth purchasing, citing its addictive gameplay.[13]

The sequel Q*bert's Qubes involves matching the color of cubes in a row. The player must match the cubes on the field to the cube in the top left corner.

Sequels were released, but did not reach the same level of success as the original.[7][11] The first, titled Q*bert's Qubes, was released in 1983.[2][34] It was manufactured by Mylstar Electronics,[Note 3] and used the same hardware as the original.[34] The game features Q*bert, but introduces new enemies: Meltniks, Soobops, and Rat-A-Tat-Tat.[35][36] The player navigates the protagonist around a plane of cubes while avoiding enemies. Jumping on a cube causes it to rotate, changing the color of the visible sides of the cube.[34][35] The goal is to match the cubes in a row; later levels require multiple rows to match.[36] In 1984, Q*Bert's Qubes was ported to home consoles like the Colecovision and Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers.[35][37][38] Another sequel, Q*bert 3, was released in the early 1990s for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It features gameplay similar to the original, but has larger levels of varying shapes. In addition to new enemies (Frogg, Top Hat, and Derby), enemies from the first game attempt to impede the player from changing the cubes' colors.[39][40]

Gottlieb also released a pinball game, Q*bert's Quest, based on the arcade version. It features two pairs of flippers in an "X" formation and audio from the arcade.[7][41] Gottlieb produced less than 900 units.[41] Parker Brothers released a tabletop, electronic game adaptation. It uses a VFD screen to emulate the arcade's gameplay, and has since become a rare collector's item.[42] Displeased with the original's level of difficulty, Davis decided to develop a more challenging version in 1983 titled Faster Harder More Challenging Q*bert (also known as FHMC Q*bert).[8][43] The project, however, was canceled and the game never entered production.[7][43] Davis later released FHMC Q*bert's ROM image for fans to play via MAME, an arcade emulator.[7]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ When Q*bert swears, the game emits an incoherent phrase and a speech balloon of nonsensical characters appears over his head.
  2. ^ The original artwork displays the first and fifth character as spirals. The at sign ("@") is used in its place in the text of the sources.
  3. ^ The Coca-Cola Company acquired Columbia Pictures, Gottlieb's owner, in 1982, and transferred assets to a new subsidiary, Mylstar Electronics in 1983.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Q*bert Videogame by Gottlieb (1982)". Killer List of Videogames. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9182. Retrieved on 2009-05-31. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sellers, John (August 2001). Arcade Fever: The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games. Running Press. pp. 108–109. ISBN 0762409371. 
  3. ^ a b c d "'Q' Up for this One". Computer and Video Games (EMAP) (18): p. 31. April 1983. 
  4. ^ a b c Brohaugh, William (Fall 1983). "Q*bert: A Player's Guide". Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games 1 (2): p. 28. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kent, Steven (2001). "The Fall". Ultimate History of Video Games. Three Rivers Press. pp. 222–224. ISBN 0761536434. 
  6. ^ a b "The Creation of Q*Bert". http://coinop.org/features/qbstory.aspx. 
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Wild, Kim (September 2008). "The Making of Q*bert". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (54): pp. 70–73. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "The Making of Q*bert". Edge (132): pp. 114–117. January 2003. 
  9. ^ a b Ellis, David (2004). "Arcade Classics". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. p. 402. ISBN 0375720383. 
  10. ^ Kent, Steven (2001). "The Golden Age (Part 2: 1981–1983)". Ultimate History of Video Games. Three Rivers Press. p. 177. ISBN 0761536434. 
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Cassidy, William (2002-06-23). "Hall of Fame: Q*bert". GameSpy. http://www.gamespy.com/articles/491/491607p1.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-31. 
  12. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "A Brief History of Video Games". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. p. 7. ISBN 0375720383. 
  13. ^ a b c Parish, Jeremy (2007-02-26). "Retro Roundup 2/26: Ocarina of Time, Q*Bert, Chew Man Fu". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157518. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  14. ^ Craig Glenday, ed (2008-03-11). "Top 100 Arcade Games: Top 20–6". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-904994-21-3. 
  15. ^ a b Dunham, Jeremy (2007-02-23). "Q*Bert Review". IGN. http://ps3.ign.com/articles/767/767124p1.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  16. ^ "Ruby-Spears Productions - About Us". Ruby-Spears Productions. http://www.rubyspears.com/film.shtml. Retrieved on 2009-05-31. 
  17. ^ a b Sharkey, Scott. "Top 5 Classic Videogame Cartoons". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3173400. Retrieved on 2009-05-31. 
  18. ^ "Anthology of Interest II". Futurama (Fox Broadcasting Company). 2002-01-06. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthology+of+Interest+II. No. 18, season 3. 
  19. ^ Canning, Robert (2009-03-23). "The Simpsons: "In the Name of the Grandfather" Review". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/965/965105p1.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-30. 
  20. ^ "In the Name of the Grandfather". The Simpsons (Fox Broadcasting Company). 2009-03-22. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In+the+Name+of+the+Grandfather. No. 14, season 20. 
  21. ^ a b Gerstmann, Jeff (2007-02-27). "Q*bert Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/qbert/review.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  22. ^ Craig Glenday, ed (2008-03-11). "About Twin Galaxies". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-904994-21-3. 
  23. ^ Cohen, Frank (October 1989). "Boigo: Bounce to the Beat with an Old Friend". STart Magazine 4 (3): p. 88. 
  24. ^ Leyenberger, Arthur (January 1984). "A baker's half dozen games for the Atari Computer". Creative Computing 10 (1): p. 114. 
  25. ^ "Oliver's Museum: Pogo Joe". Oliver Steele. http://osteele.com/museum/pogo_joe.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  26. ^ Murley, Mark S. (March 1984). "Reviews: Flip Flop". Hi-Res Magazine 1 (3): p. 7. 
  27. ^ "MobyGames Quick Search: Q*bert". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/search/quick?q=Q*bert&p=-1&search=Go. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  28. ^ Weiss, Brett A.. "Q*bert - Overview". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17511. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  29. ^ Fung, Brian H. (December 1983). "Product Reviews". Antic 2 (9): p. 123. 
  30. ^ Leyenberger, Arthur (January 1984). "The 1983 Outpost: Atari Computer Game Awards". Creative Computing 10 (1): p. 242. 
  31. ^ Buchanan, Levi (2008-03-17). "Top 10 Worst Atari 2600 Arcade Ports". IGN. http://retro.ign.com/articles/860/860116p1.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-01. 
  32. ^ a b Weiss, Brett A.. "Q*bert - Review". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20403&tab=review. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  33. ^ a b Rice, Kevin (May 2001). "Q*bert Review". Next Generation Magazine (Imagine Media): p. 82. 
  34. ^ a b c "Q*bert's Qubes Videogame by Mylstar (1983)". Killer List of Videogames. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9183. Retrieved on 2009-06-01. 
  35. ^ a b c Ahl, David H. (April 1985). "1985 Winter Consumer Electronic Show". Creative Computing 11 (4): p. 50. 
  36. ^ a b "Q*bert's Qubes - Overview". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=4433. Retrieved on 2009-06-01. 
  37. ^ "Q*bert's Qubes for Colecovision - Technical Information". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/colecovision/action/qbertsqubes/tech_info.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-01. 
  38. ^ "Q*bert's Qubes for Atari 2600 - Technical Information". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/atari2600/action/qbertsqubes/tech_info.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-01. 
  39. ^ Weiss, Brett A.. "Q*bert 3 - Overview". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=30285. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  40. ^ "IGN: Q*bert 3". IGN. http://cheats.ign.com/objects/007/007865.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 
  41. ^ a b Campbell, Stuart (January 2008). "A Whole Different Ball Game". Retro Gamer (Imagine Publishing) (45): p. 49. 
  42. ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Classics Handheld and Tabletop Games". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. p. 237. ISBN 0375720383. 
  43. ^ a b "Faster Harder More Challenging Q*bert Videogame by Mylstar (1983)". Killer List of Videogames. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7763. Retrieved on 2009-06-02. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q*bert"
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