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.
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