Ultimate Qix/Volfied (MD, 1991)
Graphics-6.5 Sound-5 Control-7 Challenge-8* Story-7
Level Design-6 Frustration-9* Fun-6 Originality-7
Overall Score-6
*Easy
+ Innovative concept (use a ship to line/box in 75% of the playing field or the boss of the level to win - a bit like fishing or herding sheep), power ups (speed, two different weapons), difficulty options, decent boss variety and designs,
+/- Need to line in a fairly big (not specified) area around power up containers to make them give you more than points, no continues (!), boss shots don’t hurt if you’re not using the line move, time limit (10 minutes so it’s not really an issue)
- Abilities from power ups don’t carry over to the next stage (could’ve had you lose them upon dying, limited ammo, etc., makes some levels without power ups a lot harder), weak reward for lining in the smaller enemies (just points when it’s generally much harder to pull off than lining in a power up), no in-game music (just a faint humming noise), trial & error (no explanation on the P or that if you line in the boss of a level it ends immediately since the line effect is inverted, no explanation of the three different play modes), no 2-player, short (just 16 levels), difficulty dip at level 14 or so (just a lone boss there), so-so sfx (the sound when doing the line move is pretty annoying), repetitive
Level Design-6 Frustration-9* Fun-6 Originality-7
Overall Score-6
*Easy
+ Innovative concept (use a ship to line/box in 75% of the playing field or the boss of the level to win - a bit like fishing or herding sheep), power ups (speed, two different weapons), difficulty options, decent boss variety and designs,
+/- Need to line in a fairly big (not specified) area around power up containers to make them give you more than points, no continues (!), boss shots don’t hurt if you’re not using the line move, time limit (10 minutes so it’s not really an issue)
- Abilities from power ups don’t carry over to the next stage (could’ve had you lose them upon dying, limited ammo, etc., makes some levels without power ups a lot harder), weak reward for lining in the smaller enemies (just points when it’s generally much harder to pull off than lining in a power up), no in-game music (just a faint humming noise), trial & error (no explanation on the P or that if you line in the boss of a level it ends immediately since the line effect is inverted, no explanation of the three different play modes), no 2-player, short (just 16 levels), difficulty dip at level 14 or so (just a lone boss there), so-so sfx (the sound when doing the line move is pretty annoying), repetitive
