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

In //Qix// the goal is to claim a percentage of the //playfield// by [[drawing|drawing]] lines that divide it. The player is vulnerable to contact in the act of drawing a new line---not just their avatar, but line they're currently drawing, too.

[[yt>4g5AS3Y7AtA|Example play on Youtube]]

//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.

Unfortunately this aspect of the game is somewhat ruined by the graphical additions of [[qixote|subsequent versions]].

===== History =====

//Qix// was created in 1981 by Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer, and was the first game entirely produced by [[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:
  * //Electric Yo-yo// (1982)
  * //Kram// (1982)
  * //Space Dungeon// (1982)
  * //[[Qix II]]// (1982)
  * //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
  * IBM-PC (DOS)
  * Apple IIGS
  * NES / Famicom
  * Game Boy
  * Atari Lynx
  * Nokia N-Gage
  * Arcade Legends: Space Invaders TV Game
  * Playstation 2 (within //[[taito_compilations#タイトーメモリーズⅡ 下巻 (Taito Memories 2 Gekan)]]// & //[[taito_compilations#Taito Legends 2]]//)
  * XBox (within //[[taito_compilations#Taito Legends 2]]//)
  * PC (within //[[taito_compilations#Taito Legends 2]]//)

=== See Also ===
  * [[yt>z0hMSYvL50M|Let's Compare ( QIX )]] - Youtube video.

===== Trivia =====
In High School [[wp>David_X._Cohen|David X Cohen]] created a [[qixote|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 =====
| {{media:image:videogame:qix:qix_01.png}} | {{media:image:videogame:qix:qix_02.png}} | {{media:image:videogame:qix:qix_03.png}} |
| {{media:image:videogame:qix:qix_04.png}} | {{media:image:videogame:qix:qix_05.png}} | {{media:image:videogame:qix:qix_06.png}} |

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

{{tag>Arcade drawing videogame Taito USA image-gallery qixote}}