Q*bert originated in Gottlieb's 1982 arcade game of the same name. The game used synthesized speech to give its orange protagonist an unusual electronic voice, including frustrated gibberish associated with mistakes and collisions. Q*bert's speech balloon also displayed symbols suggesting swearing rather than spelling a real curse. The character's distinctive voice became part of the game's identity and later remained recognizable through retro gaming culture, gameplay videos, remixes, and reaction edits that use the outburst as a clean, humorous expression of anger.