I love this with all my heart, even if I suck at it.

When Intelligent Qube first hit the gaming scene in 1997, it was an enigma surrounded by clones. Murmurs of a puzzle game that had nothing to do with Tetris or Puyo Puyo algorithms began to surface and both hardcore and casual game players alike could not figure out what was going on here. Was Sony mad? Were they crazy? Were they listening to the crowds looking for something new? Must have been, considering that 8 years later IQ still demands attention from consumers everywhere.

So just what kind of puzzle game is IQ? That’s actually an odd question that deserves an even odder answer: its part puzzle, part action, and part twitch game.

You’re stuck on a floating platform above an internal abyss.  At one edge, death awaits. On the other, huge oversized slabs of concrete begin to tumble forward. Attempting to avoid being crushed, you quickly highlight a square on the platform, only to have it drop one of the slabs from the deck. Should it be a green block, you’ll be able to open up a 3 x 3 size square to swallow up even more slabs. You continue on like this till you beat the entire game and acquire your ultimate IQ score. The better you are at completing the Clear Stages within the limited moves allowed, the better your IQ.

Back when Sony still seemed to care about the players, they did whatever they had to get people on their side. They brought over SNK games, they bought out licenses, they funded games, and they took chances on little gems like this. Maybe one day, that Sony will return, because lately it seems like all they welcome are Kill Zones and Grand Theft Auto clones.

• Featured on the first ever Official PlayStation Magazine Demo Disc.



• The Japanese Version's official title is I.Q.: Intelligent Qube.



• Features a Create-Your-Own-Puzzle mode.



• One of the most sought after titles for the PlayStation, and one of the most sought after puzzle games of all time. Used copies can garner anywhere from $30 to $60 depending on condition!