Ultimate Qix (USA)
Ultimate Qix (USA) - Action Classic
Ultimate Qix hit the SEGA Genesis in 1991 as the American version of Taito's arcade title Volfied. It is the third entry in the Qix series, but you won't find the usual geometric abstraction here. Instead the developers gave everything a sci-fi makeover with digitized backgrounds and enemy designs that look like they came from a different galaxy. The game was published by Taito in North America and runs on the same hardware that made classics like Sonic and Streets of Rage famous.
Your goal is to claim territory by drawing lines across the playfield. You control a small ship that moves along the edges of the screen. Pressing a button extends a line behind you, and when you close the line back to an edge, the area you enclosed fills in. Enemies drift around the open space and will try to kill you if they touch your line or your ship. You have to cover a certain percentage of the screen to advance, so you need to balance speed with safety. Power-ups occasionally appear and can give you temporary shields or speed boosts.
Ultimate Qix is a solid arcade conversion that captures the tension of the original while adding its own visual personality. It is not the deepest game on the Genesis, but it offers quick, addictive rounds that are easy to pick up. If you enjoy games that mix puzzle logic with real-time reflexes, this one holds up well. It also stands out as one of the few Qix-style titles on the system, making it a neat piece of the library for collectors.
How to Play Ultimate Qix (USA) Online
Getting Started
When you start Ultimate Qix, you see a rectangular field with several enemies drifting around. Your ship sits on the outer edge. Press the D-Pad to move along the edges, and press the X button (A) to start drawing a line into the open area. The line trails behind you as you move, and when you bring it back to any edge, the enclosed section fills in and becomes safe. You need to fill a certain percentage of the field to complete the level. The percentage required increases as you progress.
The enemies move slowly at first but speed up over time. They cannot enter the filled areas, so you can trap them by cutting off their path. If an enemy touches your line or your ship, you lose a life. You can use the B button (S) to shoot a small projectile that stuns enemies briefly, but this is limited. Learn to read enemy patterns and plan your routes to avoid getting cornered. Collect floating icons for temporary power-ups like a shield or a speed boost. The core loop is simple: draw, fill, dodge, and advance, which stays engaging through the game's 30 or so stages.
Ultimate Qix (USA) Keyboard Controls
Controls
- Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
- X: A button
- S: B button
- Z: C button
- A: X button (6-button pad)
- Q: Y button (6-button pad)
- E: Z button (6-button pad)
- Enter: Start / Mode
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