# Q*bert
Type: Trivia Card | Deck: Retro Arcade Games | Rarity: Rare
URL: https://gamifeye.com/trivia/retro-arcade-games/qbert

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# Q*bert
Type: Trivia Card | Deck: Retro Arcade Games | Rarity: Rare

Q*bert is a 1982 arcade game where an orange creature hops on a pyramid of cubes to change their colors while avoiding enemies. Created by Warren Davis, it evolved from a shooting game concept when developers explored tile-color-changing mechanics instead.

Key facts:
- Name derived from "Cubes" combined with "Hubert," stylized with asterisk as Q*bert
- Featured pioneering isometric perspective requiring hand-coded diagonal movement
- Character "curses" using backwards-played audio samples, displaying "@!#?@!" speech bubbles—becoming iconic gaming symbol for profanity
- One of first games giving protagonist distinct personality beyond player avatar
- Achieved massive commercial success with merchandise, Saturday morning cartoon, and 1983 Time Magazine cover feature
- Main antagonist is purple snake named Coily

## Trivia Questions

Q1: What was Warren Davis originally developing before Q*bert accidentally came to be?
A: A puzzle game with falling blocks

Q2: How did the game designers create Q*bert's famous swearing sound effect?
A: They hired voice actors to mumble nonsense words

Q3: Which colleague of Warren Davis helped brainstorm the tile-changing concept that became Q*bert's core gameplay?
A: Jeff Lee

Q4: What revolutionary visual technique did Q*bert introduce that influenced countless later games?
A: Side-scrolling backgrounds

Q5: What is the name of the purple snake enemy that chases Q*bert?
A: Slither

Q6: Which major publication featured Q*bert on its cover in 1983?
A: Newsweek Magazine

Q7: What makes Q*bert historically significant as a video game character?
A: He was the first character to collect power-ups

Q8: What technical challenge did game designers face when creating Q*bert's unique movement system?
A: Programming realistic physics for the hopping motion

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Part of: [Retro Arcade Games](/trivia/retro-arcade-games) trivia deck
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