Qix (all games)
Qix
Manufacturer: Taito, 1981
Staff:
Design & program: Randy Pfeiffer, Sandy Pfeiffer
Description:
The objective of Qix is to claim a certain proportion of the playing
field as your own. At the start of each level, the playing field is
just a large, empty rectangle, containing the Qix - a stick-like
entity that performs peculiar, erratic motions within the confines
of the rectangle. The player controls a small marker that can move
around the edges of the rectangle. To claim an area of the screen,
the player must detach from an edge and draw Stix within the
rectangle. Stix are simply lines traced out by moving the marker.
When the marker traces out a closed shape, the area enclosed by the
shape becomes solid and has been claimed. The player may draw either
Fast Stix, which appear blue when solid, or Slow Stix, which appear
red. Slow Stix take longer to draw, but are worth twice as many
points. Once the player has claimed an area, the marker can safely
move along the border of that claimed area. To complete a level, the
player must claim 75% or more of the rectangle's area.
The author named the game 'QIX' (pronounced 'KICKS' and not 'QUIX')
because his car registration/number plate at the time was :
'JUS4QIX'.
Qix was the first 'drawing game', a truly original game. Also the
first totally Taito American game with American designers. Having a
smorgasboard of possible combinations, there was no singular pattern
to the gameplay.
Gameplay and scoring:
* When you start the game, your Marker will be at the bottom, middle
of the playing screen. It is now up to you to start creating boxes.
Keep in mind that you need to be constantly moving or the Sparx will
take out your Marker. In addition, when you are moving your Marker
around the perimeter, you can only move along the perimeter actually
touching the Playing Field.
* First of all, you must be constantly aware of two things. First,
you must know where the Qix is located at all times. It moves
randomly and can go anywhere on the Playing Field that your boxes
haven't blocked. Last, the Sparx are constantly moving around the
perimeter of the Playing Field. This can set up a dangerous
situation where one Sparx is coming at you from one way and another
from the other to make your Marker a 'Sparx Sandwich'.
* Once you have assessed the danger, it is time to start making
boxes. There are a few things to note when you are making boxes :
a) When you start to draw the line, the Sparx cannot travel along
the new perimeter you are creating until it is filled in.
b) The Qix, though, is your primary concern. If it touches any part
of a line before the box is filled in, you will lose your Marker.
c) The box must begin and end either at a filled box or on the side
of the Playing Field. You cannot connect the line to itself. If you
try to do this, you will go into what is called a 'Spiral Death
Trap' and a Fuse will follow your line to your Marker and destroy
it.
* After the fourth wave, the Qix will split in two. Now you have 2
Qix's bouncing around to deal with. You major goal is to actually
'split' the Qix's into their own areas. This means creating a series
of boxes so that each Qix will be in its own compartment.
* For maximum points, you must do two things :
a) First, use the slow button as much as possible since this is
where the points are.
b) Try to claim as much area in each box as possible. That
percentage multiplied by the speed value can yield some big point
values.
c) Constantly try to split the Qix's (if you can) to get that bonus
multiplier even higher.
d) When you are close to the Threshold, find an area in the Playing
Field that hasn't really been touched and try to make a big box.
That way, you will go over the 75% Threshold and claim a bonus.
* As the waves progress, everything gets faster and the game will
become less forgiving if you are less then committed to making a
box.
* Also, listen for sounds in this game. The only real sound you need
to be concerned with is what sounds like a fuse being lit. If you
are making a box and you hear this sound, that means you are taking
too long or you have unfortunately gotten yourself into a 'Spiral
Death Trap'. In the case of delay, once you move the fuse will go
out.
* To maximize points, draw narrow, tall boxes, like fingers, from
the bottom. When the Qix goes down between two fingers, go across
the top of the fingers at slow speed. This tactic permits
percentages of up to 99%.
* It is possible create a 'slide-box' to avoid the sparks. Starting
at a corner of a box, draw another box that connects only at that
corner. When a spark approaches, the player can slide the diamond
through the intersection, while the spark has to go around the
perimeter. After the spark passes the intersection, the player can
slide back across the intersection and be behind the spark.
There are a couple of ways you earn points in Qix. The first
involves actually claiming areas.
There are 2 buttons, slow and fast. These buttons determine how fast
your Marker goes. In essence, going slow increases the risk of
losing your Marker so it is obviously worth more points. Here's how
the points work out for making 'boxes':
1) Slow : It is a base 500 points multiplied by the percentage of
area covered by that box. For example, if you create a box that
claims 3% of the total area, then points scored would be 500 X 3 or
1500 points. This area fills in with brown.
2) Fast : It is a base 250 points multiplied by the percentage of
area covered by that box. For example, if you create a box that
claims 1% of the total area, then points scored would be 250 X 1 or
250 points. This area fills in with blue.
NOTE: The above points may not be exact since the game rounds off
the percentages to whole numbers for display but calculates them
using decimal percentages.
You also get bonus points for going above the 75% Threshold. Any
percentage above the 75% Threshold is multiplied by 1000 to
determine your bonus points.
During the split Qix screens, if you successfully split the Qix's
into their own compartments, you will get a multiplier bonus that is
applied to points scored when you are making boxes. For example, if
you had a 250 points and the multiplier was 3X, you now have 750
points. This multiplier increments by one every time you
successfully split the Qix's. Of course, when you do this, you don't
get the bonus points (if you had any).
Qix II Tournament
Manufacturer: Taito, 1982
Staff:
Design and program: Randy Pfeiffer, Sandy Pfeiffer
Description:
Qix II is an enhancement version of the first game:
* It supports a different color scheme than the original.
* There is a bonus feature that awards a free game if 90 percent or
more of the screen is enclosed.
Super Qix
Manufacturer: Taito, Kaneko, 1987
Description:
This time, you draw lines to reveal hidden pictures. It would serve
as a lead in to Kaneko's later Gals Panic.
Gameplay:
* Free Credits: Ever wonder why the attract mode says "Go for 98%"?
It's because if you cover at least 98% of the playing surface,
you're rewarded with a free credit. This is very possible if you get
the 'freeze' powerup.
Twin Qix
Manufacturer: Taito, 1995
Staff:
Project leader: Keppel Maekawa
Software designer: Harumi. K
Game designers: Tukasa Oshima, Takafumi Kaneko
Character designer: Izumi Takemoto
Graphic designer: Akiyoshi Takada, Lin Chinkai (Indy Chinkai),
Takashi Yamada, Takeshi Ninomiya, Shigeki Yamamoto, Masato Shinchi,
Kawamoyan
Sound: Nakayama Jotohei (Zuntata)
Printing designer: Kumi Mizobe
Hardware works: Takeshi Kinugasa
Description:
More uncovering amazing pictures behind the colored coverings. The
shadings look like the galaxy.
Battle Qix
Manufacturer: Taito, Success, 2002
Description:
This sequel features scary monsters in the foreground and anime
pictures to uncover in the background.
