Cutie Q, published by Namco in 1979, is a block-breaking game with maze elements and round, expressive characters, designed by part of the same team that would shortly after create Pac-Man. It's often cited precisely for that visual kinship: the big eyes and simple shapes that would later become iconic. As a historical piece it's more interesting for what it anticipates than for what it offers on its own: a glimpse into Namco's creative lab right before the birth of one of the most famous characters in video game history.

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