Qix On GB is one of those Game Boy ports that actually gets it right—it’s the same weird, tense arcade puzzle game you remember, just shrunk down for your pocket. You’re basically doodling lines to box off chunks of the screen while these little jerks called Sparx try to ruin your day. Mess up, and they’ll slice through your line mid-draw, which still makes me jump even after all these years.

The controls feel surprisingly good for a Game Boy D-pad, though I still panic and fumble when things get chaotic. And they will get chaotic—later levels throw in these fast, unpredictable enemies that turn the whole screen into a trap. It’s the kind of game where you’ll lose a life, mutter “okay, one more try,” and suddenly it’s been an hour.

If you’ve never played Qix before, it’s a weird mix of strategy and reflexes, like playing territory-control chicken with a bunch of pixelated bullies. The Game Boy’s chunky graphics actually work in its favor here—everything’s clear, no guesswork. Just pure, old-school “why did I walk into that spike again?” frustration.