
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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