Remake

Qix Neo

2001 · PlayStation · Puzzle · Strategy

About this game

QIX Neo is a remake of Volfied, Taito's arcade game from 1989. The graphics and sounds were upgraded, but the basic gameplay remains the same, with the player controlling a tiny ship moving over a green contour line. The thin line is drawn over the edges of the screen, framing the game field. The ship acts as a cursor and has to be used to draw a square or rectangular extension into the field, thus removing it and slowly decreasing the size of the available space. Enemies roam each level, moving in random patterns around the screen but always following the movements of the cursor. The ship has a force-field shield around it, and only becomes vulnerable when drawing new lines.

The player has to quickly close the sections, timing it correctly to avoid collision with any of the foes or their projectiles. The enemies can be eliminated by connecting a section where they are standing, or by using one of the power-ups. The power-ups are stored inside boxes, that in some levels keep appearing and disappearing, and can be collected by removing a section with one of them inside. Most of the powers are temporary, giving lasers to destroy the smaller aliens, freezing the enemies for a few seconds, increasing the speed of the ship and helping in other ways. Each level is finished after removing at least 70% of the field, or if the large boss monster that shoots at random intervals is killed in some way. A port of the original game is also included, using the old assets but with a horizontal orientation.