Q*Bert's Quest is a Pinball Spin-Off of Gottlieb's popular Q*Bert video game. It was designed by John Trudeau and released in 1983.
Q*Bert's Quest is memorable for its unconventional playfield layout, dominated by a massive figure eight design and two pairs of cross-over flippers at the bottom. Just as in the arcade game, the player had to light up all of the surfaces on a pyramid of six cubes by hitting various rollovers and dropdown targets. As he does this, the enemies Coily, Ugg, and Wrong Way would advance towards the pyramid, resetting one of the cubes if they reach it. The player could hit the enemies' targets to make them retreat, and clearing six pyramids awarded a free game. Of course, Q*Bert would be jabbering away incomprehensibly during all of this.
Q*Bert's Quest was available both as a standalone game and as a conversion kit for other Gottlieb pinballs. Unfortunately, Gottlieb's success with Q*Bert and pinballs did not translate into high sales, and fewer than 900 tables and kits were produced. Players tend to be divided about the game; its fans enjoy its fun layout and engaging gameplay, but admit it's a little too quirky to sustain die-hard pinheads.
Q*Bert's Quest demonstrates the following tropes:
- Appeal to Novelty
- Fish Eyes: Q*Bert has these in the lower-left corner of the playfield.
- Flawless Victory: Hitting all three enemies before they can advance earns an Extra Ball.
- Interface Screw: The lower set of flippers, which were controlled by the opposite set of buttons.
- Skill Shot: Plunge the ball into the top right rollover to light the current pyramid automatically.
- Speaking Simlish
- Symbol Swearing: Q*Bert is seen doing this on the playfield.
- Tap on the Head: The backglass shows Ugg getting hit on the head from a pinball.
