Intelligent Qube - what's the deal with this game?

[Kitsune Sniper]

Why is it so expensive? I saw a copy of it at Gamestop for 40 bucks, and the price on eBay can get up to $80 for a complete copy. o_O Is the game that good? I may buy it for myself, but I dunno yet. What's the general consensus on the game?

[Snapple]

I haven't played it in about 10 years. But I remember it developed a HUGE cult following. Some people love Intelligent Qube. I mean REALLY love it. I know it's hard to find now, so $40 doesn't surprise me. It's sought after more than other PS1 games.

It's not "super rare," but the demand is high enough to push up the price anyway, like what's happened with a lot of those SNES RPGs.


EDIT: Actually, I didn't realize IQ was an R5. Wow, so it is actually fairly rare. And people like it. That's a perfect recipe for a high pricetag.

[Vectorman0]

It's an original puzzle game that is pretty fun. I like it, but I'm not obsessed with it. It's easy to see how people can get addicted to it.

I don't know if I would say this game is worth $80, but at $40, it's a good opportunity to try it, and sell it if you aren't a fan. I bought mine for $50, and I will probably eventaully end up selling or trading it for something I would appreciate more.

[VACRMH]

Wasn't this game on alot of demo discs? I know that's what made me so interested and the same goes for a few friends of mine.

I think I paid $30 for mine at EB years ago. Well worth it.

[Mr_Elimin8]

Easily one of my favorite games. It's a pretty rare game actually. AND really expensive. Now if I hadn't been desperate for cash a week ago, I wouldn't of sold mine...cause now I wanna cry.

[Kitsune Sniper]

It's an original puzzle game that is pretty fun. I like it, but I'm not obsessed with it. It's easy to see how people can get addicted to it.

I don't know if I would say this game is worth $80, but at $40, it's a good opportunity to try it, and sell it if you aren't a fan. I bought mine for $50, and I will probably eventaully end up selling or trading it for something I would appreciate more.

Except it's not $40. It's $6. 75% off + 10% off with the Edge card I got today. I asked the clerk if the price was right and she said that yes, it's $40 (before the discount.) I didn't grab it today because I wasn't sure how much money I had left on my Paypal card. :x

I too remember seeing it on a demo disc about nine years ago.

[TurboGenesis]

I don't think I'm intelligent :( The game didn't click with me so I sold it several years ago.

Funny thing about Intelligent Qube is that is the game that made me discover that certain PlayStation games were "valuable". I sold my copy on ebay (before the days of paypal), and was amazed at the price I got for the game. It was a time when games like Rhapsody and Klonoa were top dollar games. Intelligent Qube holds its value to this day!

[Fighter17]

If you want to be cheap and able to play imports then go for the JP version of the game. It sells for less than $10 bucks in Japan.

[coreycorey2000]

I'd definitely trade something nice for a copy of Intelligent Qube if it is complete. Definitely more than $10 worth. You should go pick it up!

[jcheatle]

Like other people have said, it is an original, FUN puzzle game. Though I will add that it's definitely one of those games that you either love wholeheartedly or you say, "Meh" and move on. There isn't really an in-between.

As for why it's so expensive, it is fairly rare to my knowledge (and also never re-released like some PS1 rarities), but it doubles as one of those games that's enjoyable enough that people hang on to it. I'm thinking maybe the equivalent of a Little Samson or Snow Brothers for NES here, perhaps.

I had originally played IQ in college a few years back and never got a chance to "borrow" it. Somebody on here hooked me up with a copy about a year ago (sorry, but I can't remember who) for $50 and I was overjoyed.

At $6, go buy that game NOW. If you enjoy it, great. If not, you can easily make that back several times over via sale or trade.

[Icarus Moonsight]

The big deal of IQ for me is it's design. Follows the whole "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master" thing to the letter. There is just something about a game that is simple in design yet mindbending in complexity. At $6, you MUST buy it. Not saying that you will like it, as some don't, but at that price it's worth a go even if you can't get into it.

[XianXi]

My all time favorite puzzle game. Just like Icarus said it takes a long time to master it. I am still trying to master the "par" system where you try to beat the puzzle in so many moves. I can do it only on about 60% of them.

Also if you do end up liking it I reccommend getting the sequel which was a JP release "I.Q. Final" just as good.

[Kitsune Sniper]

All right, you've all convinced me. I'll buy the game the next time I go to the store. I'm a sucker for good puzzle games. :)

[Windy Miller]

If you've got a PSP, it's worth importing IQ Mania. I bought my copy from eBay last year for $20. Money well spent indeed. :)


Game description from Play Asia

The final edition of the I.Q. series, which is very popular due to its simple operation and yet deep game content, is finally making its debut on the PSP™! This time, more than 7000 stages selected from the 3 games in the series, along with many original challenges and a linked multiplayer mode, will surely open up a professional and true I.Q. fervent world.

http://image4.play-asia.com/350/PA.55356.002.jpg

[kaedesdisciple]

If you've got a PSP, it's worth importing IQ Mania. I bought my copy from eBay last year for $20. Money well spent indeed. :)


Quoted for truth. IQ rocks your socks, just make sure you have the sound on. The soundtrack kicks ass, especially in the PS1 original. Used to go to war with people on this game. I got the PSP version and kicked its ass, too. Anyone here that has finished all 100 puzzles at or below par? I finished it a while ago and felt quite a sense of accomplishment. I'm such a dork.

EDIT: The demos are pretty fun, too. Try the bowling one!

[k8track]

Intelligent Qube is far and away hands down my absolute favorite PS1 game. I'd discovered it by accident and had been playing it for years before I found out it was rare and valuable, so I didn't have any hype surrounding it; I loved it on its own merit. During my phase of renting and ripping CD-Rs of PS1 games (*gasp!* I'm horrible!), this was one that I found by chance on the shelf; it just looked cool. By the time I decided that I wanted to find a real copy, the price had shot through the roof. Luckily, my fiancee found the Japanese version of it for me, along with I.Q. Final, so I'm set.

I cannot praise this game enough, it is the coolest.

[xtremegamer]

I just recently had a copy of this game, it is quite fun. I don't collect PS1 games so I bought it to resell. I think I sold mine on ebay a few weeks ago for around $55 complete. Seeing as how I picked it up for $4.00, it was well worth it for me. Fun game though.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I just recently had a copy of this game, it is quite fun. I don't collect PS1 games so I bought it to resell. I think I sold mine on ebay a few weeks ago for around $55 complete. Seeing as how I picked it up for $4.00, it was well worth it for me. Fun game though.

Well, I'm also a reseller, but I usually keep games that are fun. My original intention was to buy this and resell it, but since a lot of people here are praising it as a very fun game, I'll just keep it for myself. :)

[Nz17]

...And yet eight years later, the prices for this game are still "crazy."

I played a demo of this game back in the day when the PS1 was new, and I found the game very fun. Back then (let's say 1998 - 1999) I wanted to get I.Q.: Intelligent Qube, so I checked online and it was going for about $50 on eBay. I figured I'd wait until the price dropped down. Fast forward a few years, and it was still selling high. Jump forward even more years (around the time of the origin of this thread), and it was still high! Fast forward until now, and it's still high! Looks like it goes for $40 - $60 complete in average condition on eBay these days when most PS1 games go for $5 complete.

I'm thinking this game is never going to go down to a "normal" price ($20 or less). So I'm considering just importing a Japanese copy. It's not like there is a lot of text in this game or anything - it would be simple enough to understand without reading the language in the game.

By the way, did America ever get the PS2 sequel to I.Q.? I know it was released in Japan as something like "I.Q. Remix +: Intelligent Qube" for PlayStation 2, and I believe the game was released here but under a very different name.

[SparTonberry]

No, according to GameFAQs.

[Daria]

I think we just got PQ for PSP.

[Nz17]

Yeah, and looking at videos of the two, I don't think IQ and PQ are actually part of the same series. They are superficially similar, but the gameplay is radically different (and less fun) in PQ. I'm guessing PQ was just trying to capitalize on the name/popularity of IQ with its name.

[Edmond Dantes]

IQ was actually one of the first PS1 games I owned. Then I sold my original copy, then bought a second from someone here. I might sell that one and pick up a Japanese copy (or not, since I'm not a huge fan).

It really is a fun game but its amazing to hear how much love and monetary value it appears to have got.

[Sailorneorune]

If you've got a PS3 or PSP, set up a Japanese PSN account and get the download version... unless you have a PS1 that can play imports.