Q*bert is a weird videogame, and the story of its creation is even weirder. Well, maybe not weirder. But it's close, I swear!
For instance, did you know that it had one programmer, Warren Davis, and a single artist, Jeff Lee? Perhaps that wasn't unseen back in those days, but Q*bert was Davis' first game, believe it or not.
"As the game got noticed by others at Gottlieb, everyone seemed to have ideas and I saw myself as the filter through which all ideas passed," says Davis. "Since I was the only programmer, if I didn’t like an idea it didn’t go in the game. I really wanted to keep it simple."
One such proposed idea was giving Q*bert the ability to shoot out of his nose, which thankfully didn't make it through his filter due to the complexity of implementing such a thing. That, and the game was already plenty tough enough. I still suck at it to this day.
Also, I am reasonably certain that the image up there is going to give me nightmares for weeks to come. @!#?@! you, creepy Q*bert!
[Via Go Nintendo]
Contest:
2:00 AM on 10.13.2009
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He kicks my teeth in whenever we play Q*bert on the PS3. He has the high score and never fails to remind me.
...I so wish for Moon Patrol to come back, but I digress.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Q*Bert is on the PSN?!
I didn't figure out until years later that the name is like "Cube-rt", that totally blew my mind.
Love the concept sketches.
they also had that big stage show with the moving animatronic animals singing. they also had a cheese crawl room under the stage with holes you could look out and stuff. in a giant "ballroom" with like 20 lunch room sized tables.never seen another chuckie cheese like it. but then again this was back int he 80's when all that stuff was huge!
man i miss that.
Love Q*bert!