Page 31 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #1

E3 Special Report
E3 Special Report

The Skinny: Q*Bert

Format: PC and PlayStation
Publisher: Hasbro-Interactive/Atari
Release: November 1999
Price: $29.95 (PC), $39.95 (PSX)

Q*Bert Facts and Trivia

• Q*Bert was inspired by the artwork
of Dutch artist M.S. Escher.

• The two original titles for Q*Bert
were “Snots and Boogers” and
“@!#?@”. The first was rejected for
Q*Bert code has been used but it's been obvious reasons and the second
was rejected because it was de-
spruced up by adding a new 3-D cided that no one would know how
engine. The sound, timing and
"Plot Does Matter" (Apparently) characters are all here. It just looks to pronounce it.
In the Q*Bert "enhanced ver- a heck of a lot nicer.
sion" the wise ones at Hasbro have • Q*Bert has other enemies besides
included a storyline as the frame- So, how does it play? Ugg and Coily. He has an online
work to guide our hopping hero Great! Again, the PlayStation hate page devoted to him at: http://
through his quest. controller takes a bit of getting www.free.cts.com/crash/m/
You must rescue Q*Bert’s girl- used to with this game, but if it’s mhpowell/qbert.html
friend, Q*Dina, from Coily who has held at a 3/4 angle it works just •
brought her to the Q*Dimension. fine. Pinball hardware was added to the
The opening scenes of Q*Dina Yes, the spinning discs can still arcade machines to generate the
being kidnapped are humorous, get you out of a jam, but you can “KA-CHUNK” noise when Q*Bert
falls off the pyramid.
entertaining and draw you into the still jump to your death with a
game. poorly timed move.
In addition to new characters Is the added plot necessary? Of
and a newly invented plot, you are course not, but it did seem to add
treated to six different dimensions to the game as far as having a goal
with six different levels in each (not to achieve.
to mention the special secret levels
and power-ups). Phew! Is it worth it?
#%*? yeah! Then again, I've al-
Drumroll ways been a sucker for Q*Bert. I
please.... think Hasbro hit a homerun with
Wow! This this title
one was fun and it
and really shows they
impressive. are learn-
The newly ing to keep
expanded the spirit of
worlds are amaz- the game
ing, yet the game truer to the
play has stayed original
true to the original. The original while ad-
characters Coily, Uggs, Wrong- vancing
Way, Slick and Sam are back, as the game
well as newcomers Q*Dina and play to the
Q*Dirk. next level.
For the purists out there, the
original version is also readily avail-
able to play. The original arcade
Q*Bert in the Q*Dimension
Classic Gamer Magazine Fall 1999 31