The colorful, lovable and jumpy arcade character of the 1980s is now completely updated with bright 3D graphics and eye-catching animations. Help Q*Bert rescue his friends and save Q*Dina while navigating his way through challenging new worlds of mind-bending pyramid puzzles. Q*Bert's world is filled with secrets, helpful power-ups, and all the familiar characters you remember - plus several new ones! Jump right in and get ready for all new cube hopping fun!

Q*Bert has to be one of the most original (and strangest) games ever created. In an era where violence seems to be the name of the game (i.e. Quake, Unreal, Blood, etc.), it seems to make sense to bring back a classic coin-op game with a simple and non-violent premise.

The original game was created by Gottlieb. The game was unique for several reasons. It featured a diagonally mounted joystick, and some parts from a Pinball machine. The game would occasionally make a "thump" that would make the cabinet vibrate slightly, and the parts used for that effect were supposedly taken from a pinball machine.

The new Q*Bert game was programmed by Artech Studios and Digital Eclipse. The game is marketed by Hasbro Interactive under their Atari brand name.

Many of you probably already know about Artech Studios. They are a Canadian developer who has been around since 1982. They did a lot of work for the Commodore 64 computers in the early days. Past projects include C64 ports of BC's Quest for Tires, Ace of Aces, and River Raid. More recently, they have been involved with PC versions of Star Wars Monopoly & Wheel of Fortune for Hasbro Interactive.

Q*Bert is currently available for PC's running Windows 9x, and for the Sony PlayStation. The games, for the most part, are identical, aside from some minor differences in the menu structures. This review should cover both ports.

You are Q*Bert...essentially a bright orange fuzzball. You have two legs, no arms, and a HUGE "snout" type nose. The idea of the game is fairly simple: jump around a large pyramid with many blocks of cubes. When you jump on a cube, the cube changes color. When all of the cubes have changed to a specific color, you move on to the next level.

Of course, the game is not quite that easy. You must avoid several different enemies who are out to stop you. One of those enemies is Coily, who is a large purple snake. If Coily appears on the screen, you must be very careful as he will chase you around the entire pyramid. If Coily is able to catch you, he will destroy you in a "Python" type squeeze.

You will also have to deal with Wrong-Way and Uggs. They are some colorful looking guys who bounce around the pyramid looking for you. You must also avoid the occasional bouncing colored balls. The balls drop from the top of the screen, and roll down the pyramid.

Sam and Slick appear later in the game. They will randomly appear on the screen, and jump on cubes to change their color back, so you will need to jump on them again.

You don't have any kind of weapons, per se, in this game, but you do have a few resources for your defense. Occasionally, a green ball will roll down the pyramid. If you can jump on the green ball, all of your enemies will stop moving for several seconds.

You also have several colored disks off to either side of the pyramid. If you jump on a disk, it will fly up to the top of the pyramid, and drop you off on the highest cube. If your timing is good, Coily will jump right off the pyramid as he attempts to catch you.

There are nine levels of difficulty in Q*Bert. Each level has four different pyramids to conquer. When you finish a pyramid, you are taken away to the next one. As you move farther into the game, your enemies get faster & smarter. I recently witnessed someone playing the original coin-op game into the later levels, and the game gets quite intense after playing for more than 30 minutes. The same action can be found here since this game is based around the ROMs from the classic coin-op.

The classic mode of this game is fantastic. Digital Eclipse, who has been involved in many commercial emulation projects, provided the hardware emulator for the "Classic" mode.

Once the hardware emulator was in place, Artech Studios went to work on the enhanced graphics. The game still feels like Q*Bert since they used the original arcade code, but they cleaned up the graphics to give them a more modern look. As a result, the game has a cleaner and more colorful appearance, without some of the "jaggies" present in the original coin-op.

Here is an excerpt from an e-mail I recieved from Stephane Lebrun, who was responsible for the majority of the work in the "classic" mode of the game....

"Digital Eclipse's role was to provide Artech with a hardware emulator...and they did a great job! It ran the ROM in the background, but didn't output graphics or sounds, and didn't accept input. We used our game engine to handle that. This is where I come in. Apart from working on the adventure mode, my job was to program the "Classic" mode for PC and PSX. I'd tell the emulator to update itself 60 times per second then scan the emulator's memory to figure out the state of the game. I used that information to generate the graphics (original or updated), sounds, and dual-shock jolts on the fly. I also slightly expanded the game with animations and some minor effects. That was the hard part, since the original game didn't have exploding pyramids and stuff like that. But with a bit of innovation, I found a way to detect special cases like round transitions and pause the emulator while my effects ran."

Audio is the same as it was in the original coin-op. It would have been easy to make changes to the sounds, and I am glad that they didn't. Of course, Q*Bert still has a few things to say when he dies!

The Sony PlayStation version of Q*Bert features the original coin-op game as it appeared years ago, and the new version with the upgraded graphics. (See screen captures on the left.) The PC version only has the version with the newer graphics, and you cannot play the game as it originally appeared. I guess I am not sure why they chose to do this.

Controls are a mixed bag. This game really needs a 4-way joystick mounted diagonally. On the PC, the controls were OK using a Microsoft Sidewinder gamepad, but not with a regular joystick. On the PlayStation, you can forget about using your Analog joysticks if you have a Dual Shock controller, despite the fact that the game does support them. It is impossible to control Q*Bert with any consistency while using the Analog sticks. However, the PlayStation joypad is acceptable.

All in all, the "classic" mode of Q*Bert excels because Artech Studios didn't mess with it. They made some subtle changes with the graphics, but left the base gameplay features alone. Q*Bert freaks, and most classic gamers will probably love this part of the game. If you are lucky enough to own a custom arcade controller with the appropriate 4-way joystick, you are in for a real treat.

The Adventure portion of Q*Bert takes the same style of gameplay, and adds all new challenges. You aren't just jumping around a pyramid anymore. All kinds of new boards have been created for this mode of the game. Take a look at the screen captures on the right, and you will see what I mean.

The Adventure portion of the game is split between several different "dimensions." Each dimension contains six levels. You must complete each level in order. If you are a "high score" freak, you can go back to earlier levels at any time to beat your best score.

Each of the dimensions has a specific theme, and a character to guide you through the levels.

Your guide through the first dimension is Z!La. He is the magical wizard of the Q*Bert universe. He is pretty hard to miss, as he looks like a blue Q*Bert with a "Merlin" style wizard hat. Z!La will assist you through the different levels by revealing and power-ups, and other clues.

The second dimension features the Triplets. They are three Q-Bert-style kids who love to get into all kinds of trouble.

The third dimension is all about mechanical objects. Your guide through this dimension is A!Bol, the Q-World engineer. He loves to build things...and blow things up.

The fourth dimension features Q*Dina, Q*Bert's girlfriend. Once you complete the boards in this dimension, a path to Q*Dina will be revealed. Q*Dina has been kidnapped by Coily, and he is out to prevent you from getting your girlfriend back. You have to be fast, and grab the key to set Q*Dina free.

The adventure mode of the game features a number of "power-up" items. For example, during the levels in the third dimension, you have "power-up" items that will cause A!Bol to build or destroy cubes. This is handy for reaching hidden areas, or putting roadblocks around your enemies.

Other "power-up" items include smart bombs, bursts of speed, keys, etc. Later in the game, torches are used as a "power-up" for some levels that have limited visibility. You can only have one "power-up" item in your inventory at a time. To use it, just press the corresponding button, and it will activate. An icon for the "power-up" in your inventory is displayed in a box in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

The level design here is pretty good, but there are a number of problems. The Artech crew has designed levels that still make the game feel like Q*Bert, even though you are not playing on the same old pyramid.

Having said that, I feel that there are some issues with a number of the level designs. There were some levels where I felt that the camera angle was awkward. As a result, it affected my ability to properly control Q*Bert. For example, there were multiple levels where Q*Bert would become partially obstructed from view by cubes in the pyramid. There were also some levels that were presented at such an odd perspective, that I had difficulty judging which direction to move in. If you take a look at the bottom screen capture on the right, you will see a prime example of both of the problems I just mentioned.

At the end of each level, you must make your way back to the "transporter" which takes you back to the level selection screen. I did not like the way that this is handled, because you can still die after completing a level. All of your enemies are removed from the board once you touch all of the cubes, but you still have to hope that you don't make a mistake and fall off the edge while working your way back to the transporter. I can attest to the fact that you will feel pretty silly if you manage to conquer one of the difficult levels later in the game, only to lose a live trying to get back to the "transporter."

Visually, the game looks similar to the enhanced graphics in the classic mode, and I think that it could have been better. There are a number of visual things that could be improved. Want an example?

One of the things that was original about the coin-op game was that it was character-driven. (That is one of the reasons that the original coin-op was so popular with women.) The "Adventure" mode of Q*Bert provided Artech Studios with a great opportunity to expand on these characters, and I think they completely missed the boat. The characters in this game are completely stiff and void of emotion & animation. It would have been nice to see some additional sound, or some changing facial expressions, or other motion from Ugg, Wrong Way, Slick, and Sam. If Q*Bert can talk in this game, why can't the other characters make a few comments along the way? If Q*Bert can do a backflip, why can't the other characters perform some kind of acrobatics as they move around the levels? These characters are entirely too stiff, and adding some visual changes could have made them much more dynamic.

I'd be a pretty lame critic if I didn't offer a suggestion on how they could have improved the characters, so let's look at a change that I would have made. I'll use Slick & Sam as an example. In this game (and on the original coin-op) when you jump on top of Slick or Sam, they just vanish. I'd try to give these guys some life. When Q*Bert jumps on them, make them tumble from cube to cube down the pyramid, and have them fall off the edge. Make them utter some kind of scream or something as they fall off into oblivion. Or you could try another approach: Make Q*Bert squish them flat when he jumps on them, and the give them an "accordion" effect like when the Coyote gets crushed in the Road Runner cartoons. You are dealing with cute characters in a whimsical universe. DO SOMETHING WITH THE CHARACTERS TO MAKE THEM CUTE AND WHIMSICAL!!!

Also, remember the balls that would roll down the pyramid in the original coin-op? Well, they are still here, and they haven't changed a bit. Why didn't they try to animate the balls in some way? Artech Studios could have easily put some funny faces on them, or done something else to give them some life and personality.

The use of colors is good. The game is bright and colorful. There are some animated objects at all times in the background. At first, I found them to be a bit distracting, but I got used to them as time went on.

There are some places where the use of colors could have been better. For example, one level starts with light green cubes, which change to a slightly darker green when you jump on them. I thought I had beaten this level, but as it turned out, I had missed a cube or two, and I couldn't make out which cube hadn't been touched. Artech could have done a better job distinguishing the colors of the cubes.

The music was bizarre, and bordering on annoying. However, considering the strangeness of the Q*Bert universe, I felt that the annoying music was appropriate for the environment. When I got tired of it, I just turned it down.

Sound has been used very appropriately. There were some bizarre and unique sound effects that certainly added to the gameplay experience. Q*Bert still has a few new comments for us when he dies, and the springing noise used when Coily jumps around is particularly good.

All in all, Artech was on the right track with the Adventure mode, but I don't think they did enough to enhance the game, or the characters. On top of that, I feel there are a number of flaws with the design. There are just too many issues with use of colors, camera perspective, and level design that should have been addressed before the game was released.

I have always found that the best games are score-based games that can be played against your friends. (I guess that is why my girlfriend and I still frequently play Combat & Air-Sea Battle on an Atari 2600!) Naturally, I was pleased to see a two-player competitive mode of Q*Bert.

This part of the game introduces Q*Dink. He looks just like Q*Bert, although he is blue instead of orange.

This mode of the game is all about scoring points, and getting to the end as quickly as possible. Cubes in the Head-To-Head mode follow a certain color coding. Q*Bert's cubes are orange, and Q*Dirk's cubes are blue. There are also some shared green cubes. The level will not end until a player has touched all of their own cubes, and claimed any green cubes that are available.

You also have some "power-up" items at your disposal. For example, if you jump on a cube that has a picture of Coily, the cube will produce a Coily that appears in the other players territory. There is also a "reset" cube that will reset the colors of your opponent, which means that they have to start all over.

Perhaps my favorite "power-up" in this portion of the game is the camera. Several of the cubs will have a picture of a camera on them. If you hop on one of those cubes, the camera perspective changes to your advantage. This is great because it will leave your opponent slightly disoriented. More often than not, the new camera angle will benefit you, and portions of your opponents cubes will not be visible. The perspective will stay the same until your opponent finds another camera cube, and resets it back to normal.

You will also find cubes that have stars on them. Each star is worth 100 bonus points.

This mode of the game was very fun to play with another person. Using the various "power-up" devices against your opponent is a very effective way of winning the game, and annoying your friend.

I only have one complaint about this part of the game...it is too short. I would have liked to have seen more levels for this part of the game, as I was able to make my way through all of them in just over an hour.

I had a lot of fun playing the "Classic" and "Head-To-Head" portions of Q*Bert. Players looking for a good game to play with a friend can't go wrong with the "Head-To-Head" mode of this package. The "Classic" mode provides the exact same single-player challenges as the original coin-op, but brings the graphics and sounds up to modern expectations.

Despite the fact that the classic and multi-player modes are fantastic, the overall rating of this package was tarnished by the "Adventure" mode. This package could have been so much better by placing some emphasis on little things in the "Adventure" mode. Some extra animations of the Q*Bert characters would have been a nice touch, and the use of color changes in the cubes could have been improved in a number of levels.

The fact that you can die AFTER completing a level in Adventure mode is extremely frustrating. I feel that it is a serious design flaw, and that the game should never have shipped like that. Yes, knocking your opponent off at the end of a level may be appropriate in the "Head-To-Head" mode, but it does not belong in the "Adventure" mode.

Before releasing Q*Bert, Artech Studios should have taken a good long look at another Atari title: Pong, which was programmed by Supersonic Studios. The crew at Supersonic was able to take something as simple as a bat from the original Pong coin-op & console games, and give it life, a colorful voice, and a personality. The "Adventure" mode of Q*Bert should have been a prime candidate for similar treatment, but the characters in this mode of the game are completely stiff and un-lifelike.

In a continuing trend, the manual was extremely thin, and consisted of nothing more than a jewel-case insert. The basic information needed to play the game is there, but I feel that the content could have been better. There was also no historical information to speak of. I would have liked to have seen some kind of historical references -- either in the manual or on the CD.

Addicts of the original Q*Bert coin-op, and people looking for a fun multi-player experience should not pass this game up. If you are looking for a good 3D "Adventure" style challenge, you will probably be disappointed in Q*Bert.

NOTE: For those who are interested, the Sony PlayStation version works great under bleem. However, considering that the PC version of the game is identical to the PlayStation version, you shouldn't need bleem to run this game. Just go get the PC version.

Operating System:
Windows� 95/98

Processor:
Pentium� 200 MMX or higher

CD-ROM Drive:
4x Speed

Video:
SVGA 2MB video RAM minimum

Memory:
32 MB RAM

Hard Disk Space:
50 MB Free

Sound:
Sound card & speakers

DirectX:
DirectX version 6.1 (included) or higher

Visit the Atari web site for more information on Q*Bert

For more information, visit the Atari Interactive
homepage at Hasbro Interactive