Over the past few years a good number of classic game formulas have been given the old spit and polish, bringing them boldly into the 21st century. Pac-Man became Championship Edition, Space Invaders got Extreme -- even Pipe Dreams made it's way back into our hearts with Bioshock. Now courtesy of PopCap Games the Qix structure has re-entered our gaming lexicon as Cosmic Bugs.

In case you're not familiar with Qix, let me get you up to speed. A giant rectangle occupies the screen. It's your job to trace along the outside, snipping into the square and cutting out whatever you can without getting hit by a variety of baddies that bounce around inside. Simple enough? Good -- now you're on the trolley.

Having come out in the early 80's and not really seeing a resurgence since (the occasional inclusion as a mini-game in titles like Bully aside) Qix was long overdue an introduction to a new generation. So how does Cosmic Bugs hold up to its predecessor's oft-forgotten pedigree? Well, but repetitive.

The spin Bugs puts on Qix is a solid one. Rather than existing outside of the box you're a satellite that resides inside with the baddies. You're free to move anywhere you like triggering your dissection of the screen with a laser coming out from two sides (left/right or top/bottom -- depending on your choice). By inverting the playing field from the Qix-classic standard, new strategies need to be employed. Fans looking for a retro-vibe with a fresh twist will likely be tickled pink with the gameplay mechanics.

Despite the titles solid style and retro-appeal, things tend to get a little repetitive. The promise of 500+ levels should have been enough to keep things from growing stale, however the majority of these levels could all be conquered without much variation in strategy. As well, the difficulty in this title seems scaled way down from the quarter-munching cabinet that inspired it. Coming from the premier developer of casual games, I suppose it's to be expected. Mind you I still find some levels in Zuma controller-throwingly difficult, so PopCap is clearly no stranger to challenge.

All in all, Cosmic Bugs puts a neat spin on a decades old formula. Repetitiveness and lack of difficulty aside, it would likely make a worthwhile addition to the desktop of any classic Qix fan looking for the next casual title to while away the time with.

Check out the official site and download the PC trial version here.

Comments (5)

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written by Ivar, April 26, 2008

Actually, this isn't a Qix remake as much as a remake of.. that old Windows game, which name eludes me. The graphics looked like Minesweeper, there were red bouncing balls, and you controlled a cursor normally used to resize windows. It's that exact game with new graphics and sound. It's nothing new. There is no spin on this version, unless you count the powerups. I tried the demo and for the first time with a Popcap game I uninstalled it before the hour-long trial was over. It just wasn't any fun after about five levels. It was a bit of a disappointment, because I know Popcap can - and most of the time, will - do better than this.

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written by Will, April 26, 2008

Jezzball. That's what Ivar is talking about. My Dad played that game rather than bring us up, and I played that game instead of doing homework. Huzzah!

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written by Ivar, April 26, 2008

Yes, that's the name. Jezzball may be Qix with a twist, but Cosmic Bugs IS Jezzball.

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written by Katana, April 27, 2008

Hmm, I may have to check this out, I still play Jezzball on a regular basis.

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written by download free pac man, May 08, 2008

[...] became Championship Edition, Space Invaders got Extreme ?? even Pipe Dreams made it??s way bachttp://www.thebbps.com/blog/2008/04/25/how-qix-got-its-groove-back-a-review-of-cosmic-bugs/Sidebar News Blog All GameSpotIn addition to looking at the lighter and weirder side of the game [...]

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