Q*bert may owe a bit of debt to Pac-Man, but the game is largely unique and very well deserving of its success. The diagonally-oriented controls may take some getting used to, but the addictive game play provides plenty of motivation to do so. Even lost lives are amusing, thanks to cartoonish enemies and especially Q*bert's vocal disapproval.
Arcade programmer Warren Davis thought the final release was too easy, and for a while Gottlieb planned to release a sort-of Pac-Man Plus, titled Faster Harder More Challenging Q*bert. Davis need not have worried, however. Even if it doesn't have the frenetic, quarter-stealing pace of a game like Defender, Q*bert is still quite challenging, and ramps up quickly without ever feeling unfair. Gottlieb's biggest success story has rightfully earned its place among the arcade legends.