Gizmo’s Q-Blast

Fantage has released an update to this game, click here for our post!

Turns out that this is a new game, not an event! And I think it’s REALLY awesome! We’ve been wanting more player-interaction for a long time now, looks like Fantage has (maybe) taken our opinion into consideration 🙂

This game is difficult to understand at first, but that’s what makes it good. Things that are too simple, like the rest of the games on Fantage, get boring very quickly.

Here’s my tutorial/explanation, hopefully you’ll understand it better!

Overview

The story is that Gizmo, the owner of the Super Power Shop in Downtown, discovers a new element called “Q Particles,” accidentally destroying his own shop in the process. He must be a pretty innovative and optimistic guy, because instead of weeping over his decimated shop, he’s created a new game for us to play together!

To play, go inside the Gizmo’s Q-Blast shop at Downtown. There is a PLAY button on the top right corner, and instructions in a screen on the wall.

How to Play

Here are some helpful descriptions of the key parts on your screen. Click to

One the game begins, find your Q-bot. It is the one with the green arrow floating over it.

Use your arrow keys to move up/down/left/right. When you press spacebar, a cube will drop where you are standing. Get out of the way before it explodes! Remember that normal cubes without powerups can only go 1 square in all directions, so if you’re 2 squares away, you’re safe.

The purpose of the game is to zap the other team with the exploding cubes while staying alive. The team with the last player alive wins and gains 100 points experience, while the losing team gains only 10 points experience.

Although you can never lose Exp, there is a glitch that makes you lose a level. See the Problems/Glitches section.

There are lots of items/powerups on the screen that you can pick up/destroy, here is a guide.

 These are barriers that can be destroyed by exploding cubes. Some of them contain powerups that you can pick up!

  These are barriers that cannot be destroyed by cubes. Hide behind them like a shield to block explosions!

 This powerup allows your cubes to explode 2 squares in all directions, instead of 1, for the rest of the game.

 This powerup allows you to place 2 cubes at time instead of 1

 This powerup (powerdown?) messes up your movement

 This powerup makes you faster for the rest of the game and gives you an extra life. If you get hit, you lose a life and your speed goes back to normal.

 This powerup (power-down?) makes you slower for the rest of the game but gives you an extra life. If you get hit, you lose a life and your speed goes back to normal.

Strategies/Tips

1. Even if you already have a helpful powerup (e.g. pink arrow, wings, cart), if you see another one, pick it up! Although you won’t gain anything, it prevents your opponent from getting it.

2. Most of the time, players lose by accidentally lasering themselves. Try not to drop too many cubes! You can even spend the first 30 seconds doing nothing.

3. Be aware of your surroundings. In the beginning, everyone usually starts out in a cramped space, so make sure you don’t zap yourself right off the bat!

4. The cubes are harmful only the second they explode. The pink lasers last for a while, but they won’t harm you after the second the cube explodes.

5. You can keep on pressing the arrow keys while pressing spacebar to drop cubes quickly!

Problems/Glitches

Many of these have been fixed in the new update. Click here for the post!

1. I haven’t seen anyone with a level over 3 yet. I noticed that once you’re at level 3, if you lose a game, you drop back down to 2.

2. Although the game can be started with only 2 players (you just need an even number of people), the game stops immediately with only 2 players and ends in a draw.

3. Sometimes, too many people join a room, and the system is too slow in realizing that more than 6 people joined. This can result in missing people (e.g. no host, or you can’t see yourself).

If this ever happens to you, just leave the room and go to a different one.

Then, even if the game does start, the teams are weird and uneven

4. Has anyone seen the black arrow powerup that maximizes your laser distance?? Is it for people that buy the special Q-bot only, or…?

New Shop Items

I thought that this would be something special, since they normally don’t announce new store items, but I guess it’s just a regular update. I usually don’t post new items, but since I have a section of it on this post anyway, I might as well!

Reflection

It seems that whenever we start completely losing faith in Fantage, they gain us back with something new and fantastic.

I really like this new update, my favorite game on Fantage has always been Fashion Show, because it has so much user interaction and competition. This, in my opinion, is even better, because you need strategy and logic to win, not just clothing and money.

I hope Fantage continues down this path to make more wonderful things for us!

My one and only complaint is, this game somewhat lacks motivation, because you don’t get stars, coins, or levels from it. I’m not quite sure why they don’t have a Q-blast medal in the ID Fone…

But for the game itself, I’d say…

★★★★★