Q*Bert Rebooted Review
Poor Q*bert deserves a return to glory. One of the first gaming icons born of the 1980s arcade boom, the sprightly (if somewhat profane) orange orb with legs and a comically large nose has spent many years out of the spotlight. Unfortunately, Q*bert: Rebooted will not swing him back toward acclaim. The game would have been merely a shallow, imperfect straight-from-mobile port, but the lousy controls, inconsistent graphics and animation, and exhausting tedium do more to damage Q*bert's reputation than anything the march of time could have possibly achieved.
Swapping cubes for hexagonal shapes, Q*bert: Rebooted allows for some variety of movement, made painful thanks to horrid controls. With the hexagons, Q*bert allows you to traverse beyond the classic diagonal steps for both horizontal and vertical progression across a 3D board. But the controls are incredibly slippery, which makes it difficult to judge if holding right on the analogue stick will move you right or right-up or even right-down.
That is, if you're able to move in the attempted direction at all. In far too many cases, the game moved in the complete opposite direction to which I held the analogue stick. This issue, combined with the already squirrely controls, resulted in many needless deaths as Q*bert leapt onto nearby enemies or off into the surrounding abyss. The controls also make it impossible to move using the DualShock's directional pad, as you must press the required directional buttons at exactly the same time or the game will only read the first input. It is feasible to get somewhat used to moving with the analogue stick over time. But even after hours of play, I still found myself accidently sending old Q*bert off into the void, eating lives, and causing me to shout far more colorful things than "@!#?@!"
Q*bert: Rebooted still follows the classic formula with some changes, though the design shows its age, even more so now that it is blended with tired mobile-game trappings. Completing levels is just the same as ever. As Q*bert, you start from the top of a small handful of boards ranging from a large pyramid to a rectangle. Hopping on the hexagons changes their color, and completion comes once every platform's color has been altered. Levels are broken up into three stages (which changes up enemy placement) and capped off by a bonus round where you collect gems. The premise, however, while nostalgic, hasn't matured all too well. It's fairly straightforward, and after spending several hours hopping around the same stages and dodging the same enemies, things begin to taper off into boredom. It also doesn't help that the game requires you to complete objectives and earn stars in order to unlock a gate barring off the next group of levels, not unlike in mobile games such as Candy Crush Saga. Completing a level awards you with one star, but to earn two of the available three you must also finish a time trial and play it once more to collect a fixed amount of points. There are only five stage designs dispersed among 40 levels. And to complete the game, you will need to replay the same stages dozens of times to unlock more levels that also look the same. There is no attempt at variety; it just gets so tiring.
Lousy controls, inconsistent graphics and animation, and exhausting tedium do more to damage Q*bert's reputation than anything the march of time could have possibly achieved.
Q*bert: Rebooted comes with some extra content, but not a whole lot. The game includes Q*bert classic, if you're pining for a trip down memory lane, or if you're curious to gaze upon the 30-plus-year-old relic. But again, those controls, those awful controls, swiftly prevent you from enjoying the game for long. It's especially bad since Q*bert classic only allows for diagonal controls, and it's usually up in the air whether or not the game will read the correct inputs--in fact, it's even worse in some ways. Gems collected in the Rebooted portion of the game can be exchanged for skins. These are strictly aesthetic changes, so don't expect the Q*zard skin to bring any needed magic to the fold. You can also unlock Q*nicorn, who leaves a trailing rainbow in his wake, or the Terminator-inspired Q*1000. Just note that some of the skins come with their own special audio, so you may want to choose your skin with care. The Q*1000, for example, sounds like slapping pieces of metal at every hop, while Q*knight is more akin to the sound of someone kicking a metal trashcan down a long flight of tall stairs.
Not surprisingly, the game has other issues. Most levels are not all that challenging to complete, yet there is the occasional difficulty spike that pops up from nowhere just to make sure you're still paying attention. Some graphics, such as words, are heavily pixelated, and there is one starry background that doesn't quite stretch all the way across a wide screen. All of the above stand as constant reminders to Rebooted's origin as a mobile game. The animation for Q*bert is surprisingly smooth, however, but that degree of care isn't shared among his enemies. Coily the snake is easily the worst, as his barely passable animation makes it hard to tell if he's getting ready to jump or just wiggle a bit. Levels near the end of the game also get incredibly difficult, especially thanks to one new enemy, Uppercut, a giant boxing glove that bops you away if you get too close. The problem was that I could never figure out what direction it would send me, though most of the time it just knocked me out of the level. One such level finally took too much, and after nearly 20 attempts, I gave up. I was done. Oh, have I mentioned the music? It's bad. And it loops. I ended up muting the game after a few hours.
Not every great video game icon should get a reboot, but I feel that Q*bert is one of few who has earned a second chance. So a game like Q*bert: Rebooted, which takes a tepid approach to the need to take risks in order to refresh a classic formula, saddens me. Even if the game featured stable controls, the overall package is still mediocre at best. But with the bad controls, compounded by lackadaisical graphics and boring gameplay, Q*bert: Rebooted never had the potential to shine anyway. Q*bert, old friend, you deserve better.
Microsoft Teases the Return of Battletoads
During the Windows 10 event at GDC 2015, head of ID@Xbox Chris Charla hinted that there may be a future for the classic game series Battletoads.
While speaking about games being played between Windows 10 devices, Charla revealed that the Battletoads would be making an appearance in the recently-announced Xbox One version of Shovel Knight. He then went on to cryptically say "I wonder when we'll see them next?"
This isn't an official announcement, but several hints in the past have pointed to the possibility that Rare's tough-as-nails brawler could be making a comeback to modern platforms. Xbox head Phil Spencer has noted his fondness for them in the past and even sported a Battletoads t-shirt while presenting at the Windows 10 event earlier this year. Additionally, in November 2014 Microsoft filed a trademark for Battletoads, explaining to IGN that this was done "as part of its
Gigantic Headed to Xbox One With Windows 10 Cross-Play Support
Microsoft has partnered with developer Motiga to bring Gigantic to Xbox One, the company announced today during a Windows 10 event at GDC.
The MOBA, RPG, arena shooter hybrid will launch with cross-play support, allowing you to play with Windows 10 PC players if you're on Xbox One, and vice versa.
Gigantic also allows you to use one account across both Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, meaning your progress and in-game purchases will be available on either device at any time.
To learn more, check out IGN's Gigantic preview from earlier this year.
During the event, Microsoft also announced it has teamed up with Frontier Developments to bring Elite: Dangerous to Xbox One.
Zachary Quinto Joins Hannibal: Season 3
Zachary Quinto may not be returning to Heroes, but he has decided to pop up on another NBC series.
Per EW.com, Quinto is set to star on Hannibal, appearing in at least one Season 3 episode. Quinto previosuly worked with Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller, of course, back when Fuller was a writer/producer on Heroes.
Quinto will guest as a patient of Gillian Anderson's Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. Is he a former patient of Bedelia's or a new one? Details are unknown. Because we've only heard about that one mystery patient who previously attacked Bedelia as a part of Hannibal's manipulation. If Quinto is playing this role, then we could be getting a flashback.
App Store Update: March 4
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Blood Bowl – ($0.99, Down from $4.99)
This iOS adaptation of Games Workshop's classic tabletop football sim starring a bunch of mutants and monsters went live in the App Store last summer and hasn't had a sale since – until now. 80% off!
John Carmack Talks New Gear VR Release
Today at GDC 2015, Oculus chief technology officer John Carmack took to the stage to talk about the future of mobile VR, including a release for the consumer version of the Gear VR. He also said that there is little difference between the old Gear VR and the updated version for the Galaxy S6.
While not giving anything concrete as far as dates, Carmack said that Samsung does two product release cycles a year, and that the official strategy for Oculus is to go full-consumer on Samsung's next release cycle.
"Oculus is going forward as hard as we can," Carmack said. But he said that the new Gear VR is not "radically different" from the older version. The old version will run with an S6, but Oculus doesn't recommend it as it will heat up too fast.
Oscars May Return to Just 5 Best Picture Nominees
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences might discontinue its current policy of having up to 10 nominees for Best Picture and return to its former policy of only five nominees in that category.
"The potential move, which is being pushed by a significant fraction of the Academy, would be a radical shift for the 6,000-member organization and a tacit acknowledgement that its six-year-old strategy of boosting the number of best picture nominees has failed," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"A large portion of the board has been pushing for the change behind the scenes, arguing that having too many best picture nominees has watered down the prestige of a nomination — without boosting the TV audience for the annual Oscars telecast. This year's Academy Awards broadcast on ABC was down more than 15 percent from last year's, and sources say there is fury among the governors about the quality and length of the show."
HTC Executive ‘Misspoke’ About VR Half-Life
Every once in a while, a little glimmer of hope surfaces for Half-Life fans. Valve just announced its new Source 2 engine, for example, and on Monday the chairwoman of HTC mentioned the company was collaborating with Valve on some type of virtual reality Half-Life game. But as is the case so often with Half-Life rumors, the truth is kind of a let-down.
Speaking to BBC, Cher Wang corrected her apparent mistake, saying HTC was working with Valve on new VR experiences, but not necessarily Half-Life. HTC and Valve recently revealed the Vive virtual reality headset.
Elite: Dangerous Coming to Xbox One
During GDC 2015, Microsoft's Phil Spencer announced Elite Dangerous will be coming to Xbox One this summer.
Microsoft will be once again partnering with Frontier Developments. Previously Frontier and Microsoft worked on Screamride, which launched just this week.
Spencer didn't give any other details about the game, such as price. The space sprawling simulator came out on PC at the end of last year.
In our review, we gave Elite: Dangerous a 7.4 on PC, saying that the gorgeous game contained a lot in the way of variety, but suffered from long patches of monotony.
Prime Free Game: A Story About My Uncle
IGN Prime has partnered with Coffee Stain Studios to give away 20,000 Steam copies of A Story About My Uncle to IGN Prime members during the month of March.
Search for your lost uncle in this first-person adventure platformer as you explore a wondrous and colorful world. Your suit is equipped with rocket boots and a grapple beam, which are your only assets as you traverse through caverns and over chasms. Soar through this mysterious world as you uncover secrets and learn about the fate of your uncle.
Codes will be released every week in March, with the first batch available now. We have heard your feedback, and to better accommodate our international friends, we will be staggering the release time each week: