Ultimate Qix
System: Genesis
Release Date: July 1991
Developer: ITL
Publisher: Taito
Genre: Puzzle
Draw lines and box off the baddies in order to liberate your world in Ultimate Qix! The framing story is that of a spaceship crew returning home only to find their planet deserted and destroyed. Trying to decide what to do, they orbit the planet and receive an SOS from deep below the surface. There are survivors, but there is also the alien menace that drove them underground. It’s up to you to cut through 16 levels, defeat the alien invaders, and save those who are trapped.
My, what a difference a coat of paint can make. Qix was the first game of 1991 that I played and while I enjoyed it, I was mildly addicted to this Ultimate update. The main goal is the same as the original, draw lines around an enemy without getting touched. There are three modes of play and my enjoyment among them varied. Mode A introduces powerup boxes with a number of possible powerups that are randomized each playthrough. These include a laser that you can use to shoot the small minions that move around the screen. There is a speed up that makes you move at a proper speed. Power is a timer freeze so you can take your time. While Timer is an enemy freeze. Crush eliminates all the minion enemies on the screen. There’s also a special star attack that can kill the bosses.
You begin by moving along the edge of the board on green lines and are safe from enemy attacks. Holding the A Button allows you to draw an orange line. Connecting the orange line to the green line will cordon off that section. What you now see is the stage below. White lines are impassable, leaving the green lines as your movement track. You can draw in on yourself if you’re not careful. If an enemy touches the orange line, a spark is sent toward you, giving you a chance to outrun your imminent death. Mode B fixes the item placement and kills you automatically if the orange line is touched. I didn’t much care for Modes A or B, because the ship moves too slowly.
Mode C is where I decided I really like this game and it took me a bit to warm up to it. The items are gone, but so are the minions in the early levels. What’s even better is you can hold the C Button and move fast. Moving fast makes playing a lot more friendly. On the default setting, you need to block off 80% of the board to win. The higher the percentage you block off, the more bonus points you earn at the end of the stage. You can also earn a special bonus if you can win with only one box. I figured out the patterns of the enemies on many of the levels, allowing me to get a lot of these bonuses in a row. It took me a lot of tries, a few hours worth, but I finally got through with only a little bit of cheating on the final boss.
Graphics: 2.0
It’s mainly plain, but it’s a nice coat of paint.
Sound: 0.0
The alarm sound that constantly drones on in the background is an idiotic choice that leaves me flabbergasted.
Gameplay: 2.5
The items don’t really add to the simple nature of the game, but when you can move fast, it does shine.
Difficulty: 3.0
Most enemies move in a deterministic pattern, so the mistakes are your own. Trust me.
Fun Factor: 3.5
Mode C is the only one worth playing, but it’s totally worth it.
Overall Rating: 2.2
Ultimate Qix earns a C+. Better than the NES game for sure, but swaps the bad graphics for truly terrible sound. I like it a lot.