At this year’s Vintage Computer Festival SoCal in Orange, California, The VintNerd didn’t just bring the nostalgia—he brought four very different flavors of Q*bert along with him. In a new video, he recaps the 2025 event while showcasing how this arcade classic played across multiple home systems.
The video kicks off with a lighthearted look at the VCF swag, including the exclusive staff badge and a limited-edition members-only jacket made by showrunner Mickey. There’s a lot of appreciation for the community, from Brian Cox’s Learn to Solder booth and custom event badges to Laura’s hand-painted retro art displays. The crowd was stronger than year one, the vibe was energetic, and the planning is already in motion for next year’s event.
But the real spotlight? Q*bert. Or rather, four versions of it. The VintNerd assembled a full-on comparison booth with working setups for the Atari 2600, Atari 800XL, TI-99/4A, and Commodore 64. Oh, and an HDMI-linked New Wave Toys Replicade for the arcade original, just to set the benchmark. This wasn’t just for show—he went full “set-it-and-leave-it” mode, making sure the booth could run unattended with labeled joysticks and prompts to help confused players figure out diagonal movement.
Each version of the game had its quirks, from joystick alignment to visual fidelity. The Commodore 64 rendition ended up impressing the most, edging out even the Atari 800XL with its smoother controls and stronger sprite details. The TI-99/4A held its own too, especially with its character animations and disc effects. And yes, the 2600’s version looked dated—but it’s hard not to admire what it accomplished with so little.
This is more than a comparison—it’s a thoughtful (and pretty funny) exploration of how a single title got interpreted across platforms. It’s a rare treat to see these games running together in one place, and it’s all the more reason to watch the video and see the details for yourself.
The video wraps with all four ports playing side-by-side, letting viewers judge for themselves. And with the “Play More Games, Old Man” segment now officially kicked off, this isn’t the last time we’ll see The VintNerd put vintage software under the lens.
