Q*Bert's Qubes(Atari 2600) FAQ/Walkthrough version 1.0.0
by Andrew Schultz
[email protected]
Please do not reproduce for profit without my consent. You won't be getting
much profit anyway, but that's not the point. This took time and effort, and
I just wanted to save a memory of an old game and the odd solutions any way I
could. Please send me an email referring to me and this guide by name if
you'd like to post it on your site.
================================
OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONTROLS AND SCORING
3. NOTES AND ENEMIES
4. WALKTHROUGH
5. VERSIONS
6. CREDITS
================================
1. INTRODUCTION
Q*Bert's Qubes is like a solvable Rubik's Cube(for those who want to play it
for a bit--the Rubik's Cube requires hours of study to start on it) with some
cool action elements blended into it. As it wasn't particularly graphics
intense in the Arcade version, it's a good game to port to the 2600, and it
worked better than many other games that got the porting treatment. You don't
have the cool pseudo-swearing, but you have a manageable 3-d challenge that
will appeal to logical type who don't want anything too stuffy and would like
a bit more robust of a challenge than, say, Dice Puzzle. Given the abstract
nature of the game, you don't need high powered visuals.
Q*Bert's Qubes for the Atari 2600 is similar to its Arcade counterpart except
that
1. you have a 4x4 board--less to match but less space to run around in
2. the levels are different
3. the cube to make changes with each level in orientation and square
placement.
4. You can't fall off a level to win without losing a Q*Bert, and dropping on
an occupied square after finishing the last cube also costs a life.
The only real annoyance in this fast paced game is the mandatory
"instructional" to start a level where the # of rows needed flashes, then
each individual row/diagonal.
External link to manual:
http://www.atariage.com/manual_html_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=380
2. CONTROLS AND SCORING
Hold your keyboard/joystick at a 45 degree angle clockwise as
U = move UR
R = move DR
D = move DL
L = move UL
You can telegraph moves by holding a direction down before you hit the next
square(not valid in bonus round.) You can hold a button down to move two
squares in a row. The fire button has no use.
B/W pauses the game, which is a very clever feature. Basically you can't see
what to match in B/W so it is as good as Tetris clearing the screen!
Hard mode starts at level 6 ie you can undo matched qubes.
From this it may seem there are only 4*4=16 ways to organize the cube but
there are in fact 24. Once we know its original orientation, a cube position
is defined by where any two colors are. Let's say the "right"
position(randomly determined each round, but take this as an example) is:
b
| g
| /
|/
p---*---w
/|
/ |
y |
o
Then call moving DR a, and DL b. Let DR*2=a^2, etc., UR=b' and UL=a'. Then
the 24 different orientations are
b on top: 1 ba'b' bbaa ab'a'
w on top: ab abb ab' a
y on top: b ba baa ba'
g on top: b' b'a b'aa b'a'
p on top: a'b a'bb a'b' a'
o on top: baab aa ba'b bb
It's not worth memorizing these except for knowing what sort of configuration
is hardest ie the right color on top is tricky, but the right ones on the
sides are easy--just jump off the cube the same direction several times. Ones
with a side color on top convert to a side color right way up, and for ones
with side color on the wrong side, UR UL or UL UR to make it right.
Also note that while <=4 moves is usually possible, if it means falling off
the edge you have to take the long way around.
In general when working on a cube you will bounce on and off it a lot
You start at the top and die if 1) an enemy touches you in midair on 2) you
land on an enemy. Then you regenerate at the last square landed on(if you
land on an enemy on a square, you go there.) Also 3) if you fall off, you
regenerate at the top. In all cases enemies disappear.
Catch sheldon/green ball/shoobop: 100
Turn/land on a qube: 5
Killing Rat-a-tat-tat: 500-400-300-200-100-5-5-5-etc
(points not as important as time bought)
Matching a qube: 100(applies again on levels where you can unmatch)
L1: 200 per qube matched at end of round
Cubes for level X round Y = 100X+Y
Note that in level 7, where you need 2 rows, round 4 nets 800*8 points at the
MINIMUM. So on later levels it seems you can expect/afford to sacrifice a man
Bonus levels: 100/200/300...points for each qube. I usually have time for 10
and that means 5500, but maximum is 13600. I don't think it's practically
achievale.
Extra Q*Bert *every* 10000 points
3. NOTES AND ENEMIES
MELTNIKS melt into the same color square as they are. If a cube has an orange
top then orange ones will dissolve. Do not confuse Meltniks with
Sheldon(below) as though they are the same color, the shape is different
enough on the Atari 2600 you should be able to pick them apart. But you have
all that thinking to do. Meltniks, like all enemies, fall downwards
diagonally and randomly at a variable rate. If you find a way to dissolve
them, great, but otherwise just move up to avoid them.
PURPLE BALL/RAT-A-TAT-TAT are like Coily in Q*Bert. The ball goes to the
bottom square then Coily's replacement comes after Q*Bert. Jump as he is
halfway in the air and he will fall through.
SHELDON THE TURTLE slows down enemies, giving you time to flip a cube as
needed or even just catch a shoobop from behind. Slower enemies can throw
your timing off, but mostly they should allow you to sit back and isolate a
few squares you can flip.
GREEN BALL is nice to pick up. Chase it from behind, or stand 2 squares under
it and see which way it goes. You can step through enemies but watch when the
tune gets very quick--wrap it up.
SHOOBOPS are the equivalent of Sam and Slick in Q*Bert. Slick has the shades.
They can turn a green cube as you would if you moved on it, but fortunately
you can flip it right back. So they are not as annoying as in Q*Bert proper.
Still it is useful to stand below them and catch them if you can. On later
levels these guys are a big reason you will wish to work the lower diagonals
first.
4. WALKTHROUGH
General principles: lower boxes are less likely to be changed by the
Shoobops, so attack them, and you can afford to be sloppy on 1-5 with extra
moves but not 6-10.
Note in 6-10 you need 4 moves to re-do a qube on the edge but only 2 for one
on the side--feint the opposite of where you want to go, then come back and
go the right way.
Level 1
Boards 1-2 have the corners matched and fixed. In 3-4 you must match all 4.
In general boards 1-2 offer a quick solution if things are close to in order-
-complete two of three of the center row and the two diagonals.
While these are the easiest of the levels, we will still go over the basics
of making a cube. The easiest way to get a cube is to get it so either the
front or right-side face is in place. With the front in place, go UL or DR.
Obviously if the right-side is the same color as what needs to be on top,
move UL and you have a cube. If it is not the same color, move DR UL DR with
UL DR again if needed. Of course, safety supersedes either initial direction.
In each of the two first levels, you can get the two remaining blocks in the
center row or two along the edges. You should inspect each potential row to
see if it is easily convertible. If you can pick off any blocks on the way
down, then that is good, too. Don't get fixated on one row/diagonal each
time. You should look around and if you can complete a few blocks and then
reconsider based on that, that is a good strategy. A lot of what you do will
be on the fly. Obviously for levels 1-1 and 1-2 you the edges and center rows
are the best to look at first, since you only have two blocks instead of
three to make.
For 1-3 and 1-4 it is a bit different. In general, the lower you can make a
row, the better. That is because if you are at the bottom, it is easier to 1)
catch any turtles or green balls or shoobops or 2) avoid enemies coming from
above. If you work the 2nd-top row you do have to be careful about unexpected
enemies dropping on you, for instance.
You can really pile up points here getting stray boxes. While for 1-1 and 1-
2 the maximum of 12 is impractical to achieve, here it's tougher to get two
rows. The maximum is still 12(if you have 13 then 1 UL and 1 UR diagonal MUST
be covered, and 12 is as below) but it's a lot easier NOT to get a row.
12 boxes, no advancement:
+
+ +
+ . +
+ + .
+ . +
+ +
+
The bonus levels proceed similarly. But you cannot frontload moves(ie DR DL
before the cube stops) and only the last one counts. You will likely be able
to see a few cubes you can take out easily. And now you do not have the edge
to worry about with falling off.
0. nothing will be right to start
1. if the DL is in place, hold UL. (or DR if the DR color is on top) (3/23)
2. if the DR is in place, hold UR. (or DL if the DL color is on top) (3/23)
3. if no "right" colors are seen, you need only DL DR DR DL. (1/23)
4. if the top square is right but nothing else is seen, DL DL DR DR. (3/23)
If top ok and DL on DR, and DL ok, DR UR DL, or DR on DL: DL UL DR.
5. if the DL or DR is on top, DL/DR to get to as 1 or 2, then move the other
way. (8/23)
6. if the DL or DR is on the DR or DL, then UL DL UL*(or UR DR UR*) (5/23)
Note we if we separated this we are counting DL<=>DR twice(UR DR UR)
In any case you can make the Qube in <=4 moves as noted above, but easier
said quickly than done quickly. You may not memorize all steps, but you will
know what to do roughly. There is no extra completion bonus for all 16 cubes,
so do what you can.
Level 2
2 rows here. Keep in mind that once you finish 1 row/diagonal, you already
have 1/4 of many others done. Look for ones you can link up easily. The first
two waves are good for getting your cube hopping feet wet. A diagonal of 2
should be doable. Then for the next two you should just locate a few easy
cubes and then chop away. No shoobops arrive to undo your work yet.
Level 3
Shoobops now. Take the time to fix the bottom square. Then work your way up.
A V should be okay, as should the medium row and a diagonal especially for
the first two rounds. Remember you can reverse how the shoobops went to undo
their damage. A green ball becomes a real asset on this level. Don't try to
pitch a perfect game. Just make the bottom three cubes and then defend,
acting quickly when you get a few greens in a row.
Level 4 adds another row, and 5 is faster. Again, after picking off the easy
stuff, you may want to camp out DR DL of the start and move away if enemies
drop. Then grab a greeny, complete a box and come back.
Level 6 does not have this luxury. Level 5+x = level x + green squares that
turn away when you jump on them. This is a real problem for corner and side
squares. You have to plan to make them the last ones. You can always take out
the corners, but you need to set things up as follows:
7 9
+ 6 8 +
1 5 4
2 3
+
1 should have the DL right and 2 should have the DR right. You can jump move
2 UR and UL til you have the DR right, then loop clockwise and move 1 UR DL
UR DL if need be. Repeat, mirrored, for 3-4 at level 7. For level 8-9-10 with
the shoobops I can't give any concrete strategy besides camping out and
chipping away as above and waiting for green guys. Complete each bottom
diagonal, then pick off 7 and twiddle 5-6 as 1-2. But one shoobop can mess it
all up. It may be worth it to sacrifice a guy at some point since the bonuses
get so big, completing a level gets you an extra guy.
I don't know what lies beyond level 10, but I would assume it is the 4-row
juju the manual talks about. I'm not brave enough to try it, but I assume you
would work at 8/9 as above then. Monsters come down faster in later rounds
and you just have to keep equilibrium til you get a chance to move in. Use
pause and remember the colors and draw it out--or, if you have Stella, use
ITS pause and plan out. It may require a few tries, but this is the sort of
game that you can feel satisfied getting far at even if you have to cheat--
and cheating, playing the hard levels and going back to the start will help
you learn a lot.
End of FAQ Proper
================================
5. VERSIONS
1.0.0: sent to GameFAQs 10/22/2007, complete. Conceptually anyway.
6. CREDITS
Thanks to the usual GameFAQs gang, current and emeritus. They know who they
are, and you should, too, because they get/got some SERIOUS writing done.
Good people too--bloomer, falsehead, Sashanan, Masters, Retro, Snow
Dragon/Brui5ed Ego, ZoopSoul, War Doc, Brian Sulpher, AdamL, odino, JDog and
others I forgot. OK, even Hydrophant in his current not-yet-banned message
board incarnation. I am not part of his gang, but I want him to be part of
mine.
Thanks to AtariAge.com for the manual and enemy explanations and the ROM.
