I-Bert

I-Bert for the IBM PC

I-Bert is a clone of the game Q*bert released by Generic Software for the IBM PC in 1983. Gameplay is very similar to that of Q*bert; guiding a strange creature known as I-Bert, players need to maintain harmony in the land of Orknid by constantly changing the color of the tiles in a pyramid. To change a tile color, I-Bert simply has to jump on the tile; when all of the tiles are changed, the game moves on to the next round.

There are several dangers in the game that need to be avoided. Circle and diamond shaped opponents (which are unnamed in the game) appear at the top of the pyramid and move down towards the bottom. Collision with either of these will cost a life! Unlike Q*bert, neither of these will hatch into a snake or similar opponent when they reach the bottom; instead, it is possible for them to move upwards on the pyramid occasionally so players always need to be on the lookout! On the edges of the pyramid are two floating discs; if players need a quick escape, jumping on a disc will instantly transport I-Bert to the top of the pyramid. The final critter encountered is Sammy. Sammy appears at the top of the pyramid and makes his way towards the bottom and each tile he lands on will be reverted to the original color. Crashing into Sammy is also deadly, so there's no defense except simply jumping on the tiles again to change them back to the desired color.

Players begin the game with five lives; each time I-Bert crashes into one of the opponents or jumps off the side of the pyramid and doesn't land on a disc a life is lost. The game ends when all lives are lost; the high score is shown during the game in the upper left of the screen while the current score and game information is at the bottom of the screen.