Q*bert (1982)
2.88 from 225 ratings
536 members have it in their collection · 7 playing now · 49 backlogged · 32 wish listed
Q*bert was a popular arcade game that was released on a large number of consoles in the early 1980s. It was developed and published by Gottlieb, and became their most successful game. The concept serves as a precursor to the isometric platformer genre, where the title character must work to turn all cubes to a certain colour in a psuedo-3D …
Read more
Q*bert was a popular arcade game that was released on a large number of consoles in the early 1980s. It was developed and published by Gottlieb, and became their most successful game. The concept serves as a precursor to the isometric platformer genre, where the title character must work to turn all cubes to a certain colour in a psuedo-3D world, made 3D through isometric graphics in the same way that the Penrose Stairs was made. The game was widely successful and has become a highly recognizable brand of the 1980s gaming era.
Read less
Details
Release dates
- Oct 18, 1982 (Full Release) (North_America) Arcade
- Feb 22, 2007 (Full Release) (North_America) PlayStation 3
- Apr 27, 2007 (Full Release) (Europe) PlayStation 3
Also available on
- Q*bert (1982) · ODY2
- Q*bert (1983) · Handheld Electronic LCD
- Q*bert (1983) · Handheld Electronic LCD
- Q*bert (1983) · Handheld Electronic LCD
- Q*bert (1983) · C64
- Q*bert (1983) · CVIS
- Q*bert (1983) · 5200, A800
- Q*bert (1983) · VC20
- Q*bert (1983) · INTV
- Q*bert (1983) · SG1K
- Q*bert (1983) · 2600
- Q*bert (1984) · TI99
- Q*bert (1984) · DOS
- Q*bert (1986) · MSX
- Q*Bert (1989) · NES
- Q*bert for Game Boy (1992) · GB
- Q*bert (2000) · GBC
- Q*bert Rebooted: The Xbox One @!#?@! Edition (2016) · XONE
- Q*bert · Handheld Electronic LCD
Related
Remakes
- Q*bert (Nov 1999) · DC, MAC, PC, PS1
- Q*bert: Rebooted (Jun 2014) · ANDR, LIN, MAC, PC, PS3, PS4, VITA, iOS
Rating distribution
5 stars
13
4 stars
30
3 stars
111
2 stars
58
1 star
13
Community All Reviews Statuses
Review scoopings 3/5 · Mar 6, 2022
Look: 7/10 Impressive with the isometric pseudo-3d look, but sorta like with Zaxxon this "look" feature at least partly dampered my fun of the game. Maybe I was more used to the actual arcade joystick (I tried both keyboard and PS4 gamepad based controls), but the early isometric games just really haven't been clicking with me. My mind struggles with …
Look: 7/10 Impressive with the isometric pseudo-3d look, but sorta like with Zaxxon this "look" feature at least partly dampered my fun of the game. Maybe I was more used to the actual arcade joystick (I tried both keyboard and PS4 gamepad based controls), but the early isometric games just really haven't been clicking with me. My mind struggles with adjusting to controls, I can only imagine when I attempt some of the newer games like Dark Souls and whatnot and fighting games with complex combos heh... I love the font of the Level title screens when you go up to the next level. I didn't get a screenshot of it tho. The sprites were good, the colors nice, and I liked the box "look." Not sure how to explain it but that pseudo-3d box look reminded me of the early "actually" 3d PS1 games.
Sound: 8/10 I love love love all the early games with "voices" in them. The sound effects and overall sound are solid, nothing striking except the voices and weird sounds tho heh.
Play: 7/10
As mentioned above, the controls were a bit whacky for me, tho they are tight and logical. I just struggle to adjust to early isometric movement. Well, tbh, even new isometric games, like the GDevelop tutorial isometric game, I kinda struggled with the movement, tho it's of course improved since '82 heh. Frustrating jumping off the playfield just because the isometric controls don't really make much sense tbh heh. I wish diagonals were more effective in this. Once I got a bit more used to the odd controls, it got more fun as I was clearing Round 3. It was at least holding my attention, probly at least partly due to my preexisting nostalgia more than it being as top-quality of a game as I remembered it being. Pro-tip: definitely use the escape pod thingies when you can (the color circle platforms on both sides). It is nice how fast-paced you are, and how well-done the enemy collision masks are, so you can quickly hop past them sometimes when it seemed impossible. I had fun through all the Rounds once I got used to the controls, but tired of it after completing "level 1" when it resets back to Round 1 
Feel: 7/10 This was an old favorite of mine, so I was surprised I wasn't as into the gameplay as I remembered. I thought the place I used to go to as a pre-teen/kid only had Dig Dug that I would play often, but now that I played this, I definitely remember playing this (and I realized the same thing about Ms Pac Man and Donkey Kong Junior). I always liked how it seemed like Q*Bert cussed, and I liked all the sound. And honestly the look too. But not as special or as nostalgic as I had hoped. And when it re-cycled back to Round 1 on Level 2, I didn't have that drive to change platform colors twice (all that really seems to change with Level 2, but perhaps more enemies and faster).
Attachment: 7/10 I really thought this would be a solid 8/10 all around, or even higher like with my other nostalgic arcade games especially Dig Dug, but it was somewhat disappointing. Still, a clever game, interesting idea, fun for a bit, and one I might return to or have the family play with me.
Completion: all Rounds, finishing Level 1 Playtime: ~25 mins
