Let’s take a look at a lesser known puzzle game for the PS1. Intelligent Qube for the PS1 is a puzzle game that has you taking out cubes (or qubes) on a grid of other cubes (or qubes) while avoiding falling off said cubes (or qubes). And it works quite well. I just suck at it. This week’s addition to the Modern Classics library is a jolly good game that will definitely make you feel dumb.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OeCKh0Kes&w=420&h=345]
Above you’ll see some gameplay of me failing at Intelligent Qube. The basis of the game has you eliminating all the cubes that are toppling towards your character (the little dude in brown pants). Plain grey cubes just need to be taken out and don’t pose much threat, but green colored cubes (Advantage Cubes) are a bit more special. When they’re eliminated they leave behind a sort of pulse explosion for you to unleash when you want. A 3×3 grid will evaporate cubes from the epicenter of this green cube’s space. Just reference the video, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Black cubes (Forbidden cubes) are not meant to be cleared and doing so results in a penalty. Your goal is to clear all the cubes before you:
a.) Run out of cubes to walk on, because each failed attempt removes a row of cubes
b.) Fail too many times and get a game over
I remember playing this game over at my friend’s house when I was younger. I also remember this game being incredibly difficult then, and it still is today. That being said, though, Intelligent Qube is still an addictive game. The puzzles can be punishing, but they are punishing in a good way. They really get you to think, something other puzzle games don’t always do (see any PopCap game). The simplistic design of the game is appealing. The little dude floating in space and avoiding cubes sounds like an Atari game, but the 3D graphics and decent sound make the experience memorable. At each game over screen your “I.Q.” is displayed, and while this has no bearing on how smart you actually are *ahem*, it is a good way of getting you back in there to play again so you at least feel smarter.
Intelligent Qube, for whatever reason, commands a pretty high price these days. Ebay and Amazon have the game priced pretty high (around $40), and I’m really not sure why the game is so scarce. I was lucky enough to have my girlfriend pick it up for me as a gift when I pointed it out and said it’d be cool to have and play again (thanks, BTW). I don’t think the game is actually worth that much tough, but if you see it and can play it, you won’t be disappointed, that’s for sure.
One last thing I want to get off my chest: for a game that is based around intelligence, why is cube spelled wrong? I mean, I know they’re most likely (I hope) going for a coolness factor, replacing the C with a Q, but it’s just silly. The title sequence even goes so far as to write the title “Intelligent Cube” and then show the cursor go back and replace the C with the Q. I don’t know, I just found that weird. Anyway…
Laters,
Jsick
