ColecoVision Q*bert (1982/1983) - 16K?

[ColecoFan1981]

Although its sequel, 1984's Q*bert's Qubes (called "Q*bert II" on its title screen), was a 16K ROM cartridge for the ColecoVision, I cannot help wonder whether the 1982 arcade classic that preceded it, Q*bert, could've gotten the same treatment in 1983 for the same console?

If the CV Q*bert was a 16K cartridge (instead of 8K), then some of the graphics may have been truer to the arcade version, like part of the spinning disc having one of its hues matching the target color of the cube corresponding to each of the level's four rounds. There may even have been some truer speech synthesis for Q*bert and the gang, and if either Q*bert or Coily fall off the pyramid, a thud sound would be heard (just like the arcade version).

What do you think?

~Ben

[Steve W]

I think the spinning disc issue is because the TI video chip in the Colecovision wasn't able to handle that so well. And the thump sound on Q*Bert was from a mechanical electric knocker from their pinball division installed in the base. Did Q*Bert's Qubes have the knocker also?

[Ozzy_98]

Did Q*Bert's Qubes have the knocker also?

I'm 90% sure it didn't. I know the manual talks about fuses for a knocker, but at the very top of the manual it has corrections saying to ignore the fuse listings, looks like it was copied from the normal q-bert manual and they forgot to remove that part.

[ColecoFan1981]

I think the spinning disc issue is because the TI video chip in the Colecovision wasn't able to handle that so well. And the thump sound on Q*Bert was from a mechanical electric knocker from their pinball division installed in the base. Did Q*Bert's Qubes have the knocker also?
Possibly... but as with the ports for the ColecoVision and Atari 2600, not very many arcade machines for Qubes were made as a result of the impending video game crash, so until someone finds a perfect working one like the one in Hershey Park, PA (as observed back in 1994 by Joe Huber) I will have my info stand at this stage.

~Ben

[Jorpho]

like part of the spinning disc having one of its hues matching the target color of the cube corresponding to each of the level's four rounds.I can't say I ever noticed that.

If there's anything particularly lacking, it's the soulless black eyes of all the characters. Proper white eyeballs would have been a great addition – not to mention a properly differentiated Sam and Slick. ("Slick" barely resembles anything.) I had only otherwise seen the TI-99/4a version when I played the CV version in my youth, and it just totally blows the CV version out of the water graphically.