Qix Neo (2001)

Developer: Taito
Publisher: ZeniMax Media, Mud Duck Productions, D3Publisher
Platforms: PlayStation
Genres: Puzzle, Strategy

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A careful, slow-burn puzzle of carving territory while dodging relentless enemies that hunt your every move.

methodicalstrategictenseclassic arcaderetrodeliberatecat-and-mousefocused

About

QIX Neo is a remake of Volfied, Taito's arcade game from 1989. The graphics and sounds were upgraded, but the basic gameplay remains the same, with the player controlling a tiny ship moving over a green contour line. The thin line is drawn over the edges of the screen, framing the game field. The ship acts as a cursor and has to be used to draw a square or rectangular extension into the field, thus removing it and slowly decreasing the size of the available space. Enemies roam each level, moving in random patterns around the screen but always following the movements of the cursor. The ship has a force-field shield around it, and only becomes vulnerable when drawing new lines.

Screenshots

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More by Square Enix

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.