====== Qix ======

In //Qix// the goal is to claim a percentage of the playfield by drawing lines. The player is vulnerable in the act of drawing a new line, not just their avatar, but the whole line.

//Qix// is important because it makes visible the act of play: Nearly each move made leaves a mark on the playfield. A game of //Qix// creates beautiful form through function. It fits very neatly into the idea of the act of play creating the narrative; but, by laying it all out in front of the player, //Qix// uses this unlike any other game I can think of.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g5AS3Y7AtA|Example play on Youtube]]

Unfortunately this aspect of the game is somewhat ruined by the graphical additions of [[genre:qix-alikes|subsequent versions]].

===== History =====

//Qix// was created in 1981 by [[people:randy_pfeiffer|Randy]] and [[people:sandy_pfeiffer|Sandy Pfeiffer]], and was the first game entirely produced by [[company:Taito]] America.
It was, initially, popular in arcades, but enthusiasm dissipated when players learned the game was unbeatable, and there is no singular play-pattern to learn/master.

==== Hardware ====
The //Qix// hardware was later used by 5 other games:
  * //[[game:electric_yo-yo|Electric Yo-yo]]// (1982)
  * //[[game:Kram]]// (1982)
  * //[[game:space_dungeon|Space Dungeon]]// (1982)
  * //[[game:qix_II|Qix II]]// (1982)
  * //[[game:zoo_keeper|Zoo Keeper]]// (1983)

==== Ports ====
Apart from the arcade version there are releases for the following platforms:
  *Atari 5200
  *Atari XEGS
  *Acorn Electron (as //Stix//)
  *BBC B (as //Stix//)
  *Commodore64 (as //Stix//, and also as //Qix//)
  *Atari 800
  *Color Computer (as //Qiks//, and also as //Quiks//)
  *Commodore Amiga
  *Apple II
  *PC (DOS)
  *Apple IIGS
  *NES / Famicom
  *Game Boy
  *Atari Lynx
  *Nokia N-Gage
  *Arcade Legends: Space Invaders TV Game
  *Playstation 2 (within //[[taito_compilations#Taito Memories 2 Gekan|Taito Memories Vol. 2: Gekan]]// & //[[taito_compilations#Taito Legends 2]]//)
  *XBox (within //[[taito_compilations#Taito Legends 2]]//)
  *PC (within //[[taito_compilations#Taito Legends 2]]//)

===See Also===
  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0hMSYvL50M|Let's Compare ( QIX )]] - Youtube video.

===== Trivia =====
In High School [[wp>David_X._Cohen|David X Cohen]] created a [[genre:Qix-alikes|Qix-alike]] called //Zoid//. He went on to use that name as the basis of a character in the Television series [[wp>Futurama]].(([[http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2007/12/video-games-f-1/|Wired - Videogames & Futurama, Part 2: How Zoidberg Got His Name From a Game]]))

Qix cabinets appear in the films //[[wp>Joysticks_(film)|Joysticks]]//, and //[[wp>The Karate Kid]]//.

===== Gallery =====
|{{:fig:qix:0022.png}}|{{:fig:qix:0024.png}}|{{:fig:qix:0030.png}}|
|{{:fig:qix:0046.png}}|{{:fig:qix:0053.png}}|{{:fig:qix:0057.png}}|

===== See Also =====
  * [[genre:qix-alikes]]


===== External Links =====

  * [[http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=qix&page=detail&id=2096|Arcade-History]]