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mobiQix

That classic 80's arcade game is now a freeware Java midlet for your mobile phone in which you use your marker to partition off segments of the screen. While you are plotting these segments, you must avoid mobiQIX, Sparx and the dreaded Fuse.

So who is mobiQIX?
mobiQIX is an erratic eccentric who strikes like lightning and moves fast. He travels with patrolmen called Sparx, who constantly guard the bordering territories. His powers allow him to clone himself, thus doubling his threat.

Your only defense is to trap mobiQIX and claim your territory. You must use your blue and red marker () to partition the land, segment by segment. You plan your strategy. You calmly start plotting a path from border to border.

Then, when you least expect it, you encounter an additional threat called the Fuse (). It hides and waits until you stop moving. Then it travels along your path, crackling all the way. If it catches you, it ignites and destroys your marker.

Now you know what you are up against. You must be quick, steady, and careful, to diligently reclaim the seized territory. You cannot be greedy. Use intelligence to outsmart this devious monster.

How to Play mobiQIX
The object of the game is to use your marker to partition off segments of the screen. While you are plotting these segments, you must avoid mobiQIX, Sparx and the dreaded Fuse. To complete a screen, you must reach or exceed a threshold
percentage of that screen.

mobiQIX roams erratically around the interior of the screen. Sparx () patrol the borders and the lines which you have drawn. If you hesitate or draw yourself into a corner, you'll get zapped by the Fuse, who also travels along the path you have drawn. If you run into any of these foes, you lose a life.

Strategy is a key element in this game. An important point to
remember is that you cannot destroy mobiQIX, but you can outsmart it.

mobiQIX
Your main opponent in this game is mobiQIX. mobiQIX can be a yellow or blue whirling helix that dances around the screen. mobiQIX can move anywhere on unclaimed territory, to attack your marker. If mobiQIX touches any part of an incomplete segment, you lose a life. Once the segment is completed and filled in, it is safe.

After you complete the second screen, the third screen provides a further challenge with two mobiQIX's. Split the two mobiQIX and receive bonus points.

Stix
To draw Stix, use your marker () which is located at the bottom of the screen. You can draw any combination of lines. Once a segment is partitioned off, you score points and the area claimed is yours.

Sparx ()
Two Sparx, red and blue, constantly guard the bordering territories each traveling in opposite directions from the top of the screen. They venture onto the Stix that you've drawn, in the order that you drew them. If a Sparx touches you, you lose
a life. A Sparx cannot be destroyed.

Fuse ()
Once you have drawn segments off of the screen border, you can't return to that section of the border, nor can you stop drawing. As soon as you stop, a Fuse appears where your Stix began. The Fuse crackles as it moves toward your marker and if it reaches it, you lose a life.

mobiQix Controls
You control your marker with the phones keypad directional controls or 2,4,6 and 8. Use Fire button, 1 or 7 to set fast
draw mode or use buttons 3 or 9 to set slow draw mode.

The top line of the screen shows - from left to right

   - The number of lives left
   - Your current score
   - The current draw mode Fast or Slow

Scoring
Scores appear in the middle of the top line of the screen. Points are scored for the filled portion of the segment. You do not score points for the areas covered by Stix. Bonus points are scored when the percentage of territory captured exceeds the game threshold. Additional bonus points are scored after two mobiQIX's are split. Also an area claimed by fast draw scores less points than one claimed in slow draw mode.

Lives
Each game begins with four lives which are indicated at the top of the screen to the left of the score. A game ends when all four lives are lost.

Winning Strategy
Strategy and patience are the keys to winning at mobiQIX. A good rule of thumb: Use fast draw to set up a pattern; use slow draw to complete the pattern as slow draw scores more points than fast draw. Another theory: Never draw yourself into a corner. Always avoid drawing a spiral, or you'll wind up in a spiral deathtrap. You cannot go in reverse, so you will have to stop and wait for the fuse to zap you.

Easy to download
The version of mobiQix available for download has been optimised for Nokia series 40 phones such as the 7250, 6800, 6100, 5100, 7210 and 6610.