Score Updated... So I made to level 11 with 3 lives left and I got crushed! And holy shit was my heart was pounding too! I really doubt I can make it any further level wise because those Qix literally stay on top of you and don't float away more than like an inch. My only hope of getting a higher score is to get more slow drawing in before it gets totally ridiculous.

78053

Wow you actually made me remember which game it was, thanks dude! The game was Heiankyo Alien for Gameboy. I loved that game. I got it as a  Christmas present when I was a kid. I remember being totally disappointed when I got it (like fake smile, thanks for the gym socks disappointed), but it turned out to be a total hidden gem. 

I remember my cousin getting that game when we both got our Gameboys for Christmas 1990.

It was a lot of fun.  You had to trench in the aliens, right?

Nice! It's funny how I only helped by accidentally saying half the name. And I only added in the parenthetical about aliens right before posting, seemingly for no reason. Checked out the game briefly on YT, looks cool, kinda Bubble Bobble-esque?

Ha Ha, yup thats the one! I figured I was the only person on Earth that had that game, but I guess it was a popular Christmas present that year after all. 

428,491

OK, finally this is probably the best I can realistically hope for... many further attempts with no success.
(unless Guillavoie got better at the game since last time, I'm feeling OK about this one )

Reached Level 11 in this one, and the green guy is just stuck to you, basically.
Very hard to maneuver and build at that point.

I am completely in awe of these scores. I have only had ONE GAME over 100K. Like, I know how to play Qix and I should be good at this game, and I can't understand how you guys do so well. For me this is a candidate for the most frustrating game I've ever played. /vent

Arch, you are a beast! We have a few more days but I still think you set the bar a little to high for me with that one, nice job!

Here is my strategy:

single Qix levels:  

play an exclusively corner-game.  Attempt to trap the Qix tight in the corner for a >90% clear in one slow-closure.  That is worth 30k+ bonus and another roughly 20k points for clearance (the 20k is the only part of score impacted by later multipliers)


twin Qix levels:

work your way up the middle and get a 55-63% clear with a final slow-closure.
At 1x that is worth around 10k.  Once you have the multipliers it is more meaningful.

Then attempt to split the double-Qix to increase your multiplier.
With two Qix flinging around it is almost impossible to get a bonus-yielding clear-%, so the multiplier is more important.



Lather-rinse-repeat.

After you get a couple of multipliers, clearing single-Qix levels if worth nearly 100k per level. (pre-multiplier, they are worth around 50k per level)



Also, MOST IMPORTANT (but almost forgot to add) gain an understanding of how Qix-attraction works.
Their momentum changes are sudden and eratic, but you can actually "guide" them by getting them more-or-less stuck to you and following you places.  Also, you can build traps, and then draw a partial line and wait for the fuse.  The drawing-action itself gives the Qix maximum attraction to your cursor.  Just be ready to close out a box quickly to stay safe.





I can consistently get into the 300's with this strategy.
But breaking into 400k territory is a luck proposition of how badly you get beat up on Level 7 and how safely you can corner-trap the single guy in Level 8 (you have a 4x multiplier by that point).

I am certain if you can repeat it on the Level 10 guy you blow well over the 500k mark, since Level 9 amplifies your multiplier to 5x.

(in my high score, the reason I didn't clear 500k is that I ended up trapping out the twins in one level with very minimal clear-% and missing a multiplier completely)

^^ Thank you for sharing this.  Unfortunately for me this is basically the same thing I already do, haha!

I think part of my struggle is that I remember this game being a whole lot slower than it is on the NES.  It seems like the sparks move fast and multiply fast.  Most of the time I can handle dodging them but it seems often that the Qix is also right on top of me at the same time.  The other part of it is that I tend to make bad decisions ... I get in a rush to build to get stuff done before more sparks appear.  I've only made it as far as Level 6.  I shouldn't be making excuses, but well, there they are.  =P

I'm not sure how much extra time I will have to attempt a better score this weekend.  Not posting anything yet but my best is something like 128K on Level 6.

Yeah, they are super-fast.

Other than when I'm doing a divide-and-conquer on the twin-Qix stages, I ONLY build when I am dodging sparks.
I try to keep structures as smooth as possible so it is more straightforward to dodge the super-sparks, as well.

If you are careful about it, you can get 98% (or even 99%) clear on Level 1, 2 and 5, given the speed of the single-Qix.
That is 100k pts right there just for level 1 and 2. If you get the Level 3 and 4 multiplier, level 5 throws you to well over 200k.
And Level 6 will get you in the vicinity (but just shy) of 300k.

I actually managed a 426k game at only Level 9, today, I was maybe an inch, or so, from closing out 75% of the board (before splitting the double-Qix).
Would have been a 500k pt game, i'm sure... so damn addicting.
But that green guy just rode me hard and I couldn't finish the draw (plus the sparks went super after the first timer... it was nuts)

Score updated... What a heartbreaker it was too. That score was with me dying on level 10 trying to slow box in the single Qix with what would've been between a 96-98 CLM%. I think my score would've been pretty damn close to 500k if I just pulled that one move off.

It would have propelled you into the mid 400's, I think.

I feel your pain, I feel like I had come so close to 500k so many times.

I think my best so far is a shade over 135k. As expected,you guys are crushing any scores I can muster.

Okay Arch, your up! I'm so close to 500k I can taste it brotha..

Congrats!  Unfortunately I am out of town for the weekend so I will be stuck with what I had.

Really thought I was going to be more secure than that with a score north of 400k.

That game is a real blast, very addictive. Too bad that I'm uber busy this week with sidelines projects, I don,t think I'll be able to replicate my 426k score. I played the shit out of it that time, so kudos to Arch and Bry for upping the bar even higher.

Arch, I read your strategy and it is exactly what I was doing back then. But from what I played during the week, it seems that I'm less patient and usually take the chance to split the Qix when I can instead of eating at the least 50% of the area first.

Thanks dude. I was on a roll there for a while... really felt I could break through and hit that 500k mark but oh well. I might have a little bit of time tomorrow to give it one last shot hopefully. 

From what I remember, it seems that we always screw up the run when we see the opportunity to break the roof. I remember getting over excited about trapping that damn Qix that would pay, but always getting screwed for being too confident or taking the bad risk.

Score: 228,426



This is the best score I could muster up for Qix.  I didn't play much this week, but that's no excuse as i doubt i could have done much better.  Guess I don't have the patience for this type of puzzle game.  Anyway, bring on Balloon Fight!

Wise words.

111,722

not good.......smh terrible at this one

Yeah, it definitely always felt like I was one life short of hitting a one up milestone that would have carried me to the end of the level, right when I would be on the cusp of jumping from the 425k range up into the 500's...

Yeah, I actually talked to him at the very beginning of the first week, hoping if I practiced up until the Qix competition started, I'd be wiping the floor with all you guys LOL!! Unfortunately, looking at these scores, that won't be the case.

Anyways, all he told me is that he uses the tree-branch method and included a picture. What's strange is that when I messaged him back, with more questions, he never responded. So I wouldn't be surprised if he comes into the fray near the end, with a score that blows us all to BITS! We'll see.