Q*Bert

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Western Technologies, Inc.

As expected, Parker Bros. had to make some sacrifices to make this game work, but the end result is still very impressive, considering the hardware that it was running on. The screen is full of colorful cubes, and while they're simplified in appearance, Q*Bert himself, and some of the enemies from the arcade game that make appearances all look fine considering the circumstances, but lacking the animation and personality that you may have seen in the arcade. Nit-picky players may complain about a row being removed from the pyramid and that the pyramid itself looks smushed…but, this was made to be displayed on a television screen. I don't really know how or why people think that could be a valid complaint to dock the score of this game over. But, I suppose some folks just look at the end result and don't really consider reasons as to why it wound up that way. I, personally, feel like removing the bottom row of the pyramid was a good choice - both to save space on the cart, and it allowed that pyramid to take up the vast majority of the screen, giving players a nice, colorful playing field to hop around on. The controls are decent…and for whatever reason, I seem to be more comfortable with them here than I am with them at the arcade. I do believe that I'm in the minority in that regard, though. Overall, though, this is a pretty impressive port of Q*Bert that looks great for an Atari 2600 game, plays well, and likely satisfied any fans of the arcade original that wanted a copy that they could play in their living room at home.

Review added: 07/17/2026

Q*Bert's Qubes

Also known as: N/A

Developer: James Wickstead Design Associates

Q*Bert's Qubes hs always been a favorite of mine. Like in Q*Bert, you still control that foul-mouthed orange creature as he hops along various platforms. Unlike in Q*Bert, though, rather than simply change the color of the platforms that you hop on, you instead are rotating them in an effort to match the colors on the cube in the upper left part of the screen. The goal is also, initially, just to successfully make a row match that cube. As you progress through the game, however, you'll be required to make multiple rows match. Just like in the original Q*Bert, you'll also have various characters hopping around the platforms after you as well. Some of them are enemies that will cause you to lose a life. Others actually act like power-ups where you'll benefit from colliding with them. You may be able to slow enemies down, or even temporarily freeze them, if you happen to catch some of these characters. Learning what characters to avoid and what characters to chase down are a big key to long-term survival in this game. While this Atari 2600 port isn't quite as polished as the Colecovision or Arcade variations, it's still a solid game in its own right. If you happen to come across a copy, and you're a fan of the original Q*Bert, looking for a new twist on that formula, then Q*Bert's Qubes will likely be a game that you enjoy.

Review added: 07/18/2026