Ken Siders has been hard at work creating his next Atari 7800 homebrew masterpiece: b*nQ! Fans of the classic arcade game Q*bert will immediately recognize the origins of b*nQ, and Ken has done an amazing job of bringing it to life on the 7800. If only more games of this caliber were released for the 7800 "back in the day", the system may have had a longer shelf life! This is Ken's second release for the Atari 7800--his first, Beef Drop, is a dead-on port of the popular arcade game Burgertime and has been very popular with 7800 fans.

In b*nQ you play an odd looking orange character whose goal is to jump around a pyramid made of colored cubes and transform the top of each cube into the specified color. Sounds simple enough, except that the pyramid is fraught with peril! You must avoid the various purple creatures and objects that drop from the top of the pyramid, and you must also be careful not to accidentally jump off the side of the pyramid into the abyss below! On each side of the pyramid is a disc that you can jump onto for a quick escape, but they can only be used once each per level. Besides the purple objects and enemies, there are green creatures and objects that you do want to capture if you are able. How many pyramids can you clear?

How to Enter

Both a main label and an end label must be included with your submission. For your label to be considered, please understand these guidelines and conditions. Any questions may be directed to [email protected]:

		Main Label - There are no restrictions for the artwork or layout for the main label, so you are free to create anything your imagination (and artistic skills) can conjure up. Please keep in mind that this artwork will also appear in the manual created for b*nQ.
		End Label Text - The end label must contain the game's title, b*nQ.
		Main Label Text - The following text should appear on the main label: b*nQ Copyright © 2007 Ken Siders
		Clearly Legible Text - All text on the label must be clearly legible at the size the label will be printed (see below for actual dimensions). Please keep this important consideration in mind while you are designing your label.
		Multiple Submissions - While we will gladly accept multiple submissions, we ask that each label be unique from your any previous submissions in some significant fashion. We reserve the right to reject labels that differ only in color or some other minor attribute from previous entries. We will gladly replace previous submissions with new entries if you so request.
		Use of Copyrighted Images - If you use any copyrighted images, you must seek permission from the copyright holder before using that image as part of your label. Likewise, any labels that use artwork from a previously submitted label will be rejected.
		Permission to Reprint - By submitting an entry (or entries) to this contest, you agree to allow AtariAge and/or Ken Siders to reproduce your submission(s) without your having to grant permission or receiving compensation for the right to do so.

Labels should be saved in a non-lossy image format such as PNG, TIFF, PCX, or BMP. If you need to save your image using JPEG for some reason, please use a minimal amount of compression. In order for the label to look good when printed, it should be saved at 200dpi or better. If you are concerned about large file sizes you can drop us a line before mailing the file, but generally anything under 10MB will not be a problem.

Please take care to make sure your label is proportioned correctly. You may download these graphics to assist in this effort:

• Main Label Template (300dpi)
• End Label Template (300dpi)
• Main Label Template (200dpi)
• End Label Template (200dpi)

Please do not send your labels already attached to these templates, they are provided only to help you properly frame your label. We will shrink and crop your label to the correct size and place it on the templates for inclusion on this page where others may view them. The original, high-resolution submissions will be sent to Bob Montgomery when the contest is complete.

Actual label sizes when printed are 2 3/4" x 3 3/8" for the main label and 2 3/4" x 9/16" for the end label. If you have artwork that goes to the edge of the label, you will also need a 1/4" bleed around the edges. This bleed isn't necessary for the contest, but if your label design is chosen as the winner it will be necessary in order to print the label.

Label submissions and questions about the contest must be sent to [email protected]. We will post submissions publicly on this page as we receive them. The contest may also be discussed in our Contests Forum. For some inspiration, you can view some of the many labels submitted in previous label contests:

Remember, the contest ends at 11:59pm (EST), Sunday, November 4th, 2007!