Game Description

Q*bert for the Atari 5200 would be an exceptional port of the arcade original (the pseudo-3D playfield is especially convincing) if it weren't for those pesky non-centering joysticks. Players must hold the fire button down (in addition to manipulating the joystick) to move the title character, helping to eliminate inadvertent jumps. However, it is still sometimes difficult to make precise moves when in a tight spot, causing some unnecessary deaths. #%*?! ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

This game is the Atari 5200 rendition of the Gottlieb Arcade classic. Q*bert's four-direction controls and cute characters were influenced by Pac-Man and Frogger. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

Q*bert is an appealing game that people of all ages will enjoy. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

When dealing with a game like Q*bert, the first thing Atari 5200 owners must

concern themselves with is the controls. Unlike most game systems of the era, the 5200

has non-centering joysticks, meaning that precise movements can be tricky at best.

Parker Brothers was smart enough to include some control changes for this version of

the game; instead of simply pushing on the joystick to move your character like with most

of the other versions of Q*bert, here you must push on the joystick while holding

down the fire button. This helps keep you from jumping when you don't want to. Even so,

Q*bert, in which you will die if you jump off the screen or on an enemy, handles less

than perfect on the 5200, especially if you're in a tight spot and trying to change

directions quickly.

Control difficulties aside, this is a pretty good game. The graphics aren't nearly as smooth

or as cute as those in the arcade game, but the designers did a pretty good job of

simulating the 3-D playfield. The cubes actually have some depth to them. Hopping

around, avoiding the pesky enemies while changing the colors of the cubes, is fun and

addicting. Once you reach a certain level, you must change each cube more than once.

One of the coolest aspects of this game is the flying discs. Each pyramid has some of these

suspended around the playfield. If you leave any of the cubes unused, you get bonus

points, but if you are being chased closely by Coily, you can leap on a disc, and the

snake will hop right off of the screen.

If you own both the ColecoVision and the 5200, pick up the ColecoVision

version of Q*bert as it has better joysticks for this type of game. If you don't have the

Coleco system, the 5200 game will suffice, especially if you can get used to the

controls. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

The characters could use more detail, but the playfield is cleverly rendered. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

The sound effects and music sound enough like the arcade game to get by. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

The difficulty level increases at a nice rate. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

The manual could use some color, but it tells you how to play the game pretty well. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide