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Qix 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 sticklike entity that performs graceful but unpredictable motions within the confines of the rectangle.
The player controls a small diamond-shaped marker that can move around the edges of the rectangle, with the goal to claim as much of the screen as possible via drawing lines. When the player completes a closed shape, the captured area (defined as the side of the Stix opposite to where the Qix is) becomes solid and points are awarded. To complete a level, the player must claim most of the playfield (the game was shipped at 75 percent for level completion, but the arcade operator could adjust the requirement between 50 percent and 90 percent).
The player's marker had the option of moving at two different speeds; areas drawn at the slower speed (red on the screenshot shown) were worth double points.
The player has a limited number of lives and can lose a life if the Qix touches a line as it is being drawn, or by being touched by spark – enemies that traverse all playfield edges except uncompleted lines. Additionally, a fuse appears if the marker stops moving while in the process of drawing Stix, disappearing when the player starts moving again. The player has no defenses thus all enemies must be outmaneuvered.
A time meter located at the top of the screen is responsible for the countdown of the entry of additional Sparx and the mutation of all sparks to Super-Sparks, which have the ability to chase the player even up an unfinished line.
After the player completes two levels, the difficulty increases. This includes multiple Qixes and sparks, speed increases, and the eventual appearance of only super sparks. In levels with two Qixes, the player can also complete the level by drawing a line that splits the playfield into two regions each containing a Qix, thereby increasing the multiplier and starting a new level.Released
1981
Also For
Amiga, Apple II, Apple IIgs, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 128, Commodore 64, DOS, DoJa, FM-7, Game Boy, J2ME, Lynx, NES, Nintendo 3DS
Developed by
Taito America Corporation
Published by
Taito America Corporation
Gameplay
Arcade
Perspective
Top-down
Interface
Direct control
Genre
Action, Puzzle
Visual
Fixed / flip-screen
Description
In this game, you guide a marker which must draw rectangles and other weird objects in order to claim your territory, and you can either draw these rectangles fast or slow. Drawing the rectangles using the "slow" method awards you the most points. Once a rectangle has been made, it will be colored in to show that you have claimed your territory. While drawing the rectangles, you need to watch out for Qix (pronounced "kicks"), a series of colored lines that crawl the screen. In addition to Qix, you also need to avoid the Sparks who travel around the border, as well as any lines that you have made, as well as The Fuse, who travels along the line that you are drawing. Once you have claimed enough territory, you proceed to the next level.
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