Qix
| Qix | |
|---|---|
Arcade flyer
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| Developer(s) |
Taito (original): Alien Technology (AMI) Atari (Home computers) Knight Technologies (Lynx) Nintendo R&D1 (GB) Takara (FM-7) |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Designer(s) | Randy Pfeiffer Sandy Pfeiffer |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
| Cabinet | Standard and cocktail |
| Arcade system | Qix Hardware |
| Display | Vertical orientation, Raster, standard resolution: 256x240 |
Qix (pronounced "kicks") is an arcade game released by Taito America Corporation in 1981. The objective of Qix is to fence off, or claim, a supermajority of the playfield. At the start of each level, the playing field is a large, empty rectangle, containing the Qix—a stick-like entity that performs graceful but unpredictable motions within the confines of the rectangle.
Qix was ported to the contemporary Atari 5200 and Atari 8-bit computers, then was brought to a wide variety of systems in the late 1980s and early 1990s: Commodore 64 (1983 and 1989), DOS (1989), Amiga (1989) (graphically enhanced), Apple IIgs (1990), Game Boy (1990) (available on 3DS Virtual Console), Nintendo Entertainment System (1991), and Atari Lynx (1991).
The player controls a marker that can move around the edges of the rectangle. Holding down one of the draw buttons allows the marker to move into unclaimed territory and draw lines ("Stix") in an attempt to create a closed shape. If completed, the captured area (defined as the side opposite of where the Qix is) becomes filled in with a solid color and points are awarded. To complete a level, the player must claim 75% of the playfield (adjustable by the arcade operator to be between 50% and 90%).
The player's marker can move at two different speeds; areas drawn exclusively at the slower speed (orange-red on the screenshot shown) are worth double points. It cannot cross or backtrack along any Stix in progress.
A life is lost if the Qix touches any uncompleted Stix or if the marker is touched by any of the Sparx – enemies that traverse all playfield edges except uncompleted Stix. In addition, if the marker stops while drawing, a fuse will appear and burn along the uncompleted Stix toward the marker; if it reaches the marker, the player loses one life. The fuse disappears once the player moves the marker again. The player has no defenses against the enemies and must out-maneuver them in order to survive.
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